Japanese editor tours pecan plant

Masao Shimura, publisher,editor and Agricultural Organic journalist who is based Minato-ku, Toyoko interviews Drew Kimmel on the production of Missouri Northern Pecans.

By Colette LeFebvre

Nevada Daily Mail

Masao Shimura's entrance into the cool lobby of the Nevada based Missouri Pecan Plant was quick, he wasn't used to the 100 degree weather as the beads of sweat showed upon his brow. Shimura wasn't too sure that he was in the right place and seemed at a loss, almost as if caught in a whirlwind.

Missouri is just one of the areas Masao has visited for his publication, which is focused on Industrial foods, specifically organic foods. He resides and works in Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Shimura is a publisher, editor and journalist for the Food Relative Industry News, which had sent him to the United States to seek out more information about organic crops.

He has been to Boston, Mass., to check out the cranberry bogs, Minnesota and Iowa to view the soybean crops and various other areas as well.

"He has been checking out Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and after Oklahoma he will swing back to Missouri," said Wayne R. Bill, the Missouri Department of Agriculture's international marketing specialist.

Bill stuck with Shimura through the entire tour. which concluded in a nearby pecan grove.

Bill asked some questions that Shimura couldn't clarify or were lost in translation.

"In Iowa we had a Japanese student from University translate." said Shimura when asked about his ventures.

Bill also learned of the pecan plant process with Shimura, who has toured various plants, seeking out organic herbs, grains and even organic beef.

The tour was conducted by Drew Kimmel, a co-owner of the Missouri pecan plant, who was more than enthused to show the entourage around. From 35 degrees, to 2 degree's below 0, the tour was conducted in varying temperatures, which kept the event peppy. Shimura and Kimmel remarked on the varying temperatures and the reasons for them. "Pecans go through a cooling-off process." stated Kimmel as he proceeded in and out of coolers and refrigerators. Shimura, eagerly recorded Kimmel's every word so that later he could slow the recorder down and audibly take the tour again, word for word. Shimura asked Kimmel at the end of the tour if the Missouri pecan plant had any Asian prospects, and though there are not any currently operating, Shimura assured Kimmel that he could help him with that.

"The Asian market is really into everything organic right now." said Kimmel.