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Last week, I posted about premium mangoes. Today I want to post another fruit story. The Migaki Ichigo premium strawberry brand. Individually wrapped, they can be purchased at select Japanese department stores and online for approximately $10 per berry. The brand is the master mind of tech savvy Hiroki Iwasa.

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Hiroki Iwasa’s guiding principle? “Action Creates Value!” If you have a strong idea, take action immediately. People will begin to show interest in your intentions and support you. By doing something without delay, you inevitably will make mistakes, but learn how to take corrective action until you get it right.

Hiroki Iwasa’s story dates back to March 2011 when he returned to his hometown Yamamto as a volunteer to clean up the rubble from the earthquake and tsunami. The town’s people challenged him to start a business and create jobs. After learning the area was best known for its cultivation of strawberries, later that year, he worked with one of the local farmers to acquire the knowledge of what it takes to be a successful strawberry farmer – tabulating all the quantitative information about ideal growing conditions. That is when he decided to leverage his technology experience and founded the agriculture company GRA Inc. He wanted to perfect strawberry farming by creating farming jobs to strengthen the regional economy and utilize greenhouse sensors to monitor crops 24/7. The end result was the Migaki Ichigo brand where one out of 100 strawberries grown are graded platinum for their color, sweetness, tartness and aroma yielding a price of 1,000 yen (approximately $10). However, after several successful harvests, rather than expand his own company, Hiroki set up a school on his farm to share his knowledge. GRA’s vision: Create employment for 10,000 people, for 100 companies and for 10 years.

Two premium fruit stories. One about the patience and fortitude of mango farmers over three plus decades of hard work. The second about a tech savvy entrepreneur utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance his strawberry production within three years. Both have a common connection. Agriculture is a collective, collaborative process that grows regional economies.   

Are you ready to take action and create value?