Last week, a group of Japanese wood-burning stove enthusiasts met at Peace Culture Village to discuss the 2017 "I Am Stove" conference. This yearly conference is a chance for people in the Hiroshima area to show off their handmade, wood-burning stoves. Aside from stove displays, conventions past have also featured cooking demonstrations using organic ingredients, booths, lectures, workshops, and musical performances. Wood-burning stove fans and families alike enjoy the “I Am Stove” convention each year.

“I Am Stove” particularly promotes the rocket stove, which produces little smoke, uses 80-90% less fuel than conventional stoves,

and can be built in a day or two for less than $20. It is both cheaper and more sustainable than heating homes with natural gas.

While the adults talked inside, their children helped Bei, Mary, and Bei’s friend Satsuki on the farm. We weeded some beds into
which we will soon transplant the summer vegetable seedlings that are growing in the greenhouse. Bei gave the children a tour of the field and greenhouse. It was a fun day!