Densho Digital Archive - Tom I. Mine Interview (denshovh-mtom

<Begin Segment 25>

TI: So let's go back to the farming. I'm curious how farming sort of evolved in the Watsonville area with the Japanese or the Nisei farmers. So you were talking earlier how gradually, before the war, you had about seventy-five acres, and then gradually you would just keep adding plots, acreage to the farms. So who were some of the other Nisei farmers who were doing the same thing? Besides you, who else was...

TM: No, I don't think there was anybody else. Because farmland is hard to rent, I mean, to get hold of. I was very fortunate.

TI: Oh, so you're one of the few ones who actually added, then, land.

TM: Well, yeah, I guess so. I don't think there was anybody around, yeah. Yeah, I was the only one, I think, because Manabes had the same property what they have now. Fujis, same property, yeah, they're the only farmers, Hirahara, they lost part of it to the highway, the main highway goes through there and they have a property at Monterey County. I don't know what, if they still have that or not. I don't think so, because Fumio, he passed away, so the younger brothers, they're not in the operation, so I don't know what happened. And that was it. There weren't too many Nisei farmers.

TI: So what made you different? Why did you, why were you one of the only ones who, who grew after the war?

TM: Well, I had a little property, and then I was, lucky to rent adjoining property. Because small farmers didn't have a chance, so for me to survive, I had to either lease it out or, you know, sell the property. So I said, well, I enjoyed farming so far, so I said, well, I'll just lease some more property. So I leased more property.

TI: Now, was that viewed as kind of risky during that time? Is that why other people didn't do it?

TM: Well, according to the, you know, the company, they were doing okay, so I was with Bud Antle at that time, and then Tanemuras joined them, so you know, they were one of the top growers and shippers out of the valley, so I was lucky I was starting up with them.

TI: And so other than that, are there any other people that you could think of that were helpful to you in growing the business?

TM: No, I didn't... I just went along independently. Just took it as it comes, I guess, more or less.

TI: And then as you grew, was it still the same kind of crops?

TM: Yeah, same type of crop.

TI: And then, and then how long did you farm before you stopped?

TM: Let's see. I started in '46, I started again, I mean, I started again in '46 and I kept going until I, I retired in '82 because I finally got a heart attack, '82, that's '46 and '82. So I asked the doctor, "Well, what do you think?" He said, "Well, probably just take it easy." "Take it easy, what do you mean?" So I retired in '82.