The Kishi Colony's Conversion to Truck Farming
In 1916, disaster struck Orangefield after the straightening and dredging of a ship channel allowed salt water to creep into waterways and mix with the fresh water in the Sabine River and Lake. This disaster was especially bad for the colony as the salt water destroyed the colonists’ crops when they used the lake and river water for irrigation. The following year, the colonists again tried to farm rice but were unable to cultivate rice with subpar irrigation. During WWI, this problem meant that rice prices skyrocketed, and farming rice would no longer be sustainable. Instead, Kichimatsu Kishi and the rest of the colony members decided to shift farming efforts towards crops which would not require substantial irrigation. [1]
Looking back, this disaster may have been a blessing in disguise as the Japanese farmers were forced to diversify their farming. The market for rice completely collapsed in the years following the end of WWI and due to the colonies’ decision to move on from rice farming, the colony was left unscathed. In 1924, Texas farms which continued to farm rice such as those owned by the Mayumis and the Onishis were failing as their rice crop provided no profit. The Kishi colony on the other hand was prospering by growing and selling a diversified set of vegetables. For many years, the general consensus in Orange County had been that truck farming would not be profitable, but those around Orangefield were surprised when the Kishi Colony proved them wrong. [1]
One of Kishi’s earliest successful experiments was the planting of young fig trees on 45 acres of land in 1923. Fast-forward to November 1925, the orchard was regarded as one of “the finest in this section.” In 1924, Kishi decided that he would try planting strawberries. This venture was also very successful as the farm got a large harvest which pulled in many from Orange County and Beaumont to pick and buy strawberries. [2]
The 1925-1926 season was the season in which Kishi fully committed to making cabbage the farm’s main crop as its cabbage area increased to 325 acres. He had “one of the largest cabbage crops ever grown in Southeast Texas,” efficiently cultivating an average of 7.5 tons per acre and creating a total shipment of 2,430 tons or 180 carloads. Immediately after the cabbage had been harvested in the spring, Kishi and the other colonists jumped straight into preparing for the next season of vegetables. Fields were plowed with the help of three tractors and 35 teams of horses and mules. Once prepared, Irish and sweet potatoes, spinach, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, and other vegetables were then planted. In 1926, he planted beets, carrots, celery, lettuce, and spinach over 400 acres of land.[2]
Throughout the history of the Kishi Colony, Kishi had also focused on raising livestock on the farm, which did not change after the salt-water disaster. However, the main livestock changed from hogs and poultry (raised from the 1900s to 1910s) to cattle in the 1920s. At one point, the Kishi farm housed 300 cattle, including many high-quality Brahman cows. These cattle of Indian descent were perfect for the Texas climate as they were able to withstand hot and humid weather, resisted insects, and escaped common eye problems that would affect other cows. Kishi crossbred the Brahman cows with his other cattle in order to increase the general quality and adaptability of the resulting animals. He also put Peter McDonald, the foreman of Kishi’s farm, in charge of looking after the cattle. [2,3]
References
1. Walls, Thomas K. (1987) The Japanese Texans, San Antonio: University of Texas, Institute of Texan Cultures at San Antonio, 1996.
2. Orii, K. (1983) Kichimatsu Kishi’s Japanese Colony at Terry, Texas, Department of History, University of Pennsylvania.
3. Wingate, G. (1974) “The Kishi Colony,” in The Folklore of Texan Cultures, Abernethy, F. E., ed. The Encino Press, Austin.