Notes From Prior Years
November 1999
Mas Masumoto and his family were featured on CALIFORNIA HEARTLAND, the
award winning PBS program produced by KVIE in Sacramento. A special segment
will be aired during the week of November 19 - 26, 1999, from "An
Evening With a Peach and Its Farmer". Mas read his work at the Tulare
County Library, performed a taiko "story song" with his daughter
Nikiko as well as a duet with jazz musician Larry Honda. Marcy and Korio
also participated in an audience "sharing of farm stories".
Look for local TV listings for exact time of California Heartland.
2002
An article about AGRI-TOURISM by Mas Masumoto in "Insights
- Tourism News from the State of California", Here's a sample
from the article...
"Agri-tourism - the term conjures images of visiting California's rolling
hillsides of grapes and orchards, waking up to early morning dew kissing the
luscious produce along the coastal and inland farming areas, staying where the
aromas of ripening fruits hug the earth during evening walks in the Central Valley."
"But the image runs much deeper because at the heart of agri-tourism lies
authentic stories - a tale of people working the land. On our farm, our story
necessarily includes the hard physical work where sweat becomes mixed with hope
and an unfolding drama of partnering with nature, a precarious balance between
forces that can produce some of the richest bounty in the world and sweep it
away within minutes of a violent weather front. These are not dramatic reenactments
- I am not an actor nor a stage character - the strength of agri-tourism remains
physical and direct - visitors can see, feel, touch, hear and taste the meaning
of my farm life."
"Insights - Tourism News from the State of California", is a publication
from the California Travel and Tourism Commission and the California Trade and
Commerce Agency. For copies, contact:
California Tourism 916-322-2881
e-mail CalTour@commerce.ca.gov
or visit http://gocalif.ca.gov
October 1999
A Reading - A Family Farm Affair
David Mas Masumoto, Acclaimed Central Valley Author, to Speak at the Visalia
Library on October 15th at 7:00 p.m.
Farming has always had a rich tradition of storytelling -- from families sitting
around the kitchen table at dinnertime to late night tale swapping on front porch
rocking chairs. Stories are told and retold and usually well-received. Stories
of harvest and work, of family and personal histories, about the building of
friendships and community. These stories are often passed from neighbor to neighbor,
generation to generation. Mas Masumoto will be appearing at the Visalia
Library to read and share stories from his books, EPITAPH
FOR A PEACH and HARVEST
SON, acclaimed works about San Joaquin Valley farm life and a family's struggle
with the challenges of nature.
Mas will not only read passages but also engage in a conversation with the audience,
composed of both "city folks" and "farm folks." This sharing
experience will be a "family discussion," facilitated by Marcy Masumoto,
who will add a woman's voice to the conversation.
As a special treat, Mas will add a special segment of "story song," a
reading in tandem with music, combining the spoken voice with the magic of musical
performance. Accompanying him will be his daughter, Nikiko who plays the Japanese
taiko drum (they will perform a story about a hailstorm) and Larry Honda, a talented
musician (together they blend jazz and blues with stories of sweat and harvests).
All of this will take place on Friday, October 15th, 1999, at 7:00 p.m. at the
Visalia Library at 200 W. Oak St. in downtown Visalia, a couple of blocks north
of Main St. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.). The event is co-sponsored by the Friends
of the Tulare County Library and the Tulare County Farm Bureau, who will cooperatively
provide refreshments. The program is this year's annual "Evening at the
Library" event and is free to the public and will be fun for all ages. As
a bonus, the program will be taped for "California Heartland," a public
television program from KVIE that will be later broadcast around the state.
"I hope my stories linger and connect with memories of harvests past and
the many rich harvests in the future." . . . Mas Masumoto.
September 1999
Mas Masumoto featured in The Wall Street Journal, California
section, September 22, 1999
"Life Is Just Peachy For Farmer
Turned Writer and Speaker"
Book on His Success in Saving Sun Crest Variety Orchard Is an Inspiration to
Many
by Brenda Moore,
staff reporter, The Wall Street Journal
DEL REY - On a warm night in the Central Valley last July, David Mas Masumoto
and his daughter stood in the front yard of their farmhouse, pounding a pair
of Taiko drums to recreate the rhythms of a devastating hailstorm that had
sliced open much of the fruit on their peach trees.
About 50 people gathered around them, munching on peach desserts, sipping wine
and microbrews and taking in the farm that has become a small-scale "Field
of Dreams". They had paid up to $40 apiece for this change to see and hear
Mr. Masumoto, a third generation farmer who has gained a measure of fame since
he wrote a book four years ago about preserving a rare variety of peach and a
way of life.....