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This has been the month of unreasonable requests.
As I said above we normally get unreasonable requests and demands very rarely over a year. This last few weeks though we have received more than we normally get in a year. I wonder if something has been added to the drinking water. If that is the case then it has happened worldwide, from UK, USA, Asia and Europe. Another conspiracy theory starts up?
The first demand we get is for a “Guarantee” for a turnkey system for growing wasabi. This always makes me smile because they obviously haven’t read any of my “Get real” comments that are frequently scattered throughout my articles, websites and writings.
I want to make very clear that we do NOT offer a turnkey system.
Each growing system is unique. The basics behind that unique system are similar, especially with regard to basic design and operational requirements. Apart from those and controlling the environment nearly every part of the system can be different to another growers system.
What we do offer is the basic information that you need to design and set up your own wasabi growing system. Even here we can run into trouble as a lot of the time a (or several) equipment providers or salespeople decide that we don’t know what we are doing, and convince the grower to purchase a different piece of equipment to that specified.
While we do not always specify a make, we do ensure that the Bill of Material contains the equipment specifications that must be met.
Even so, we have had growers install undersized equipment, piping and valves because the salespeople have said we have done things wrong. The salespeople, of course, take no responsibility for replacing the useless material.
You have to remember that the only guarantee we all have that is 100% reliable is that we will die!
The second request we get always seems to be the same. How much money, IP and know-how are we willing to put into THEIR operation so they can make money without putting THEIR money at risk? It isn’t normally put quite as crass as that, but it boils down to the same thing.
People want us to invest our money, knowledge and resources in their dream without them having to.
Put yourselves into our shoes. Why would we put any investment into someone who doesn’t know how to set up and grow wasabi, but wants us to do that? We would be better off to invest in our own operation, because we do know what we are doing.
We have said on a number of occasions that you become a good wasabi grower by putting the hours in, and getting wet and dirty.
You don’t get it by sitting around waiting for a handout. The other day I was reading an article that likened Internet surfers to a Fat Slug sitting on a couch waiting to be fed. Not a very encouraging picture of humanity.
The general estimate for being good at anything is to put a minimum of 10,000 hours of work and effort into it.
This was the standard for an apprenticeship, with time deducted for outstanding ability. This standard was set by trial and error from the Middle Ages up until approx 1975 when the majority of industries worldwide decided they did not need to train apprentices. That has backfired now, as most tradespeople are retiring and not being replaced by competent and well trained people. Experience and knowledge is not being passed on to the future generations. It is a downgrading of our society.
The same is true of those who want a wasabi growing operation built and operated for them, with no or minimal input of their own time, resources and effort. As I have stated previously and will continue to do so, if you don’t have any skin in the game, then you are doomed to failure.
The number of people who complain to me about the growing amount of misinformation about growing Wasabi on the Internet, and then expect us to provide all our secrets to them for free. They obviously haven’t heard that anything that is free is worth exactly nothing.
Real information about growing Wasabia japonica can be found on our websites, but they cost. If you can’t afford the entry ticket, then you will never build the farm.
As a parting note, we do offer a Consultancy service to invited clients only. It is not cheap and I am only prepared to take on a couple a year. I do not enjoy spending a large amount of time sitting on an aeroplane or trying to explain why things must be done a certain way to people who continually want to argue the toss.
In addition, my family want me to stop this Consulting part of our operation because of the disruption to our family, and the stress it puts us all under. 9 times out of 10 the people who I am trying to help think I am the Devil Incarnate, so it doesn’t do a lot for me either.
We are looking at setting up a Paid Membership website for potential and actual Wasabi Growers. It is now operational and you can join the Wasabi Growers Club here.
Anyway, that was the month with regard to Wasabi Growing. Hopefully, the next month will settle down a bit and let us get on with running the business. LOL.
Michel Van Mellaerts (The Wasabi Maestro) is the recognized World authority and expert on the practical Growing,
Processing and Marketing of Wasabia japonica. He and his wife have been commercially growing Wasabia japonica longer than anyone else outside Japan.
Trained as an Engineer he has invented and installed many improved growing systems into their farms. These enable high quality Wasabi to be grown anywhere in the World.
The Wasabi Maestroes have set up commercial Wasabi growing farms from the Arctic Circle to Southern New Zealand, including the Equator. They have worked with individual growers, national governments, and investment groups on four continents.
These growing systems have reduced growing times by nearly 67%, improved yield and quality of the Wasabi rhizome, and increased the levels of active ingredients by nearly 100%. It is these active ingredients that independent scientific studies show kills cancer cells and improves human health.
They pioneered the use of Wasabia japonica in the Nutraceutical and Medical industries. They are at the leading edge of research into the benefits of Wasabi on human and animal health.
The Wasabi Maestroes offer a Training and Consultancy service for potential and actual Wasabi growers who only want to learn from the best. Others spend their time floundering around trying to find out what information is useful and what isn’t.
The Training has been proven and improved over the last 20 years plus of personal commercial Wasabi growing. This has been hands on, getting wet and dirty work – not guesswork from behind a desk.
More information on the Wasabi Growers Club 70+ Training Modules can be found here.