WELCOME
Hello, I’m Naoki, a writer with a taste for good food and a passion for sustainable food systems. In short, I like to eat right, and write about all the things that make food good — and I’m constantly exploring the myriad ways in which we grow, source, purvey, prepare, and consume the things that nurture us.
Bon appétit and bonne lecture (happy reading)!
The Perennial Plastics Problem
Plastic products are indispensable to agriculture, but their polluting nature is a huge threat to global food security.
From Combat Boots to Farming Roots
This agricultural bootcamp helps troops leaving the service find new purpose on the farm.
Cultivating Collective Security
California helps BIPOC collective cultivate land access for underserved farmers.
Clearing the Smoke over Cannabis
Cannabis often has a hazy supply chain, but blockchain technology promises seed-to-sale transparency for growers and consumers.
Why Can’t We Just Quit Cows?
Eating less beef, cheese, and ice cream would slash emissions. If only it were that easy.
Cultivating Resilience
In fire-stricken Maui, sustainable land management is key to avoiding future disasters.
California Leads the Way in Low-Carbon School Lunches
Public schools in the Golden State are encouraging climate-conscious consumption.
What Climate Change Means For California Dairy
Epic flooding in the Central Valley exposes the nation’s largest dairy region’s vulnerability to climate change.
Reaping Efficiency from Above
The newest crop of drones promises farmers greater sustainability and autonomy, while drawing interested newcomers into the field.
The Struggle over Salmon Sovereignty
For Japan’s Indigenous Ainu people, salmon is king. With inspiration from Indigenous groups in Washington state, the Ainu are reclaiming their historical fishing rights.
Shaking up the Spice Trade
A former chef is heating up the Anderson Valley by growing Espelette peppers — a rarity in the typically large-scale, commodity spice trade.
Squeezing the Most Out of California’s Water Supply
As agriculture withers amid an ever-warming climate, a flexible approach to water management may help cushion the blow.
Could e-Tractors Revolutionize Farming?
An emerging fleet of whisper-silent and emissions-free tractors promises to unhitch growers from the burdens of conventional farming, far beyond its reliance on fossil fuels.
Calculating New Options for Shrinking Rice Fields
Calculating New Options for Shrinking Rice Fields
A High-tech Upgrade for H-2A Visas
A San Francisco-based startup is modernizing an antiquated federal program to help tackle the farmworker shortage.
One City’s Waste Is Also Its Lifeline
Healdsburg, in the heart of Northern California’s wine country, recycles 350 million gallons of effluent annually and gives it away for free.
What A Gas Stove Ban Could Extinguish
Rumors of a potential natural gas ban has a group of chefs inflamed about the impacts it could cause to their art and livelihood.
Tamping Down on the Dust
Farm fallowing to save water can result in a host of unintended consequences, but the right kind of crop management can build in climate resilience.
Record Floods Impact California Ag
While California assesses agricultural damage from a historic deluge, official tallies may overlook an important segment of the industry: small farms and farmworkers.
Farming, on the Spectrum
With a new photovoltaic panel, farmers may no longer have to choose between crops and solar panels. New research is shedding light on harnessing sunshine to harvest energy and food together, taking advantage of the full light spectrum.