{"id":34697,"date":"2022-07-11T20:33:21","date_gmt":"2022-07-12T01:33:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/activ8.ckmsol.com\/?p=34697"},"modified":"2022-07-12T15:20:07","modified_gmt":"2022-07-12T20:20:07","slug":"tsunagu-bridge-builders-activ8-interview-series-ross-koda-president-of-koda-farms-inc-ceo-and-founder-omurasaki-beverage-company-llc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/activ8.ckmsol.com\/?p=34697","title":{"rendered":"TSUNAGU: Bridge-Builders \u2014 Activ8 Interview Series: Ross Koda, President of Koda Farms, Inc. & CEO and Founder of Omurasaki Beverage Company, LLC"},"content":{"rendered":"

TSUNAGU:<\/strong> To Connect.<\/strong> Whether it is connecting employers to job seekers or bringing different cultures together, we at Activ8 value the bridge-builders who make our world a better place every day. Our new series, TSUNAGU, will feature inspirational people who connect the U.S. and Japan through business, education, art, culture and more.<\/p>\n

Ross Koda, President of Koda Farms, Inc. and CEO & Founder of Omurasaki Beverage Company, LLC<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As the third-generation president of Koda Farms in South Dos Palos, California, Ross Koda considers strengthening the cultural relationships between Japan and the USA a cornerstone of his life\u2019s work. At Koda Farms, he blends over 90 years of Japanese-American rice farming tradition with modern, innovative, organic farming methods. To further add to his family\u2019s legacy in rice, Ross also serves as the CEO & Founder of Omurasaki Beverage Company. In this role, he imports back to the USA his own elegant line of organic junmai daiginjo known as Uka Sake, which is brewed in Fukushima, Japan from the organic rice grown at Koda Farms.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Family Legacy Built on Rice<\/b><\/p>\n

Since childhood, Ross Koda has played an active part in Koda Farms\u2019 work as he inherited the enthusiasm that stems from his family\u2019s deep connection to rice cultivation, whose roots in the USA were planted by his pioneering grandfather, Keisaburo Koda. Keisaburo Koda\u2019s father \u2013 Ross Koda\u2019s great grandfather \u2013 was an established rice miller and broker in Fukushima, Japan, and Keisaburo arrived in California in 1908 to pursue his own dream of farming rice, purchasing his own farm in the 1920s.<\/span><\/p>\n

An innovator at heart, Keisaburo helped develop new rice-growing techniques, from sowing rice seeds with airplanes to increasing quality control throughout the cultivation process. As a result of his immense success, Keisaburo became known amongst Japanese Americans as the \u201cRice King.\u201d Today, his grandchildren, Ross and sister Robin Koda, carry this innovative dream forward by honoring and building upon the work of their ancestors.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

(left): Keisaburo Koda in the early 1930s; (right): Ross Koda at Koda Farms.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Bridging the Space Between Japan and USA<\/b><\/p>\n

Equally as important to Keisaburo as rice farming was improving the welfare of his fellow Japanese Americans, a passion Ross Koda has found especially meaningful.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandfather always sought ways to promote relations between the USA and Japan,\u201d he said. \u201cHe helped Japanese trainees find farm employment in the USA and learn about American agriculture. He traveled often to Japan to talk about his experiences of building his \u2018American Dream,\u2019 and encouraged young people to visit, study, and live in the USA.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Modern times offer new ways to connect these two cultures, and for Ross, seeking novel uses for Koda Farms\u2019 rice has been a personal, life-long pursuit. During business trips related to exporting his organic rice to Japan, Ross found himself developing an interest and taste for sake. This led him to the idea of brewing sake from Koda Farms\u2019 organic rice, culminating in the founding and creation of his own brand, Uka Sake.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have always wanted to honor my grandfather\u2019s legacy by finding a way to continue his tradition of building bridges with Japan. Having USA-grown organic rice handcrafted into sake at the renowned Ninki Inc brewery near my grandfather\u2019s home area in Fukushima, and marketing the sake in the USA, seemed like a great way to do this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Map showing the connection between Koda Farms in California and Ninki Shuzo Brewery in Fukushima.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A Story of Transformation<\/b><\/p>\n

Uka Sake has been a rewarding project on business as well as spiritual levels, Ross said. Growing rice has been an integral part of his entire life, and by developing an entirely new sake from his family\u2019s organic rice, Ross found a way to further honor his grandfather\u2019s legacy through his own achievements.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe only goal I have for Uka Sake is to become something that would make my ancestors happy, and allow me to feel I have honored the struggles and sacrifices they endured for me,\u201d Ross said<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUka,\u201d the Japanese word for \u201cemergence,\u201d is mirrored in the sake\u2019s sumi-e style butterfly logo. Just like a butterfly\u2019s transformation from an earthbound caterpillar into a beautiful, flying creature, Koda Farms\u2019 organic heirloom rice is transformed through milling and brewing to emerge as an elegant and refined sake. In addition, the lower wings of Uka\u2019s butterfly depict stylized maps of both California and Fukushima, Japan, representing Ross\u2019s desire to increase ties and foster relationships between Japan and the USA.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Uka Sake’s varieties: Uka Black Label, Uka Dry, and Uka Sparkling Sake.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Value Your Relationships with Others<\/b><\/p>\n

Despite his exemplary leadership skills as an individual overseeing Koda Farms\u2019 daily operations and developing a sophisticated line of sake, Ross feels immense gratitude for the relationships he has formed over the years, and recognizes precisely how they have helped him turn his dreams into a reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

He may have originated the idea of crafting an organic sake, but Ross said that he was lucky to have built connections with key people who were essential to breathing life into Uka Sake.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI knew I needed help to find the right brewery in Fukushima,\u201d Ross explained, \u201cand a long-time family friend who is the Koda family\u2019s historian, Mr. Hideo \u2018Hank\u2019 Ide, screened and recommended the brewery. The Sumi-e style butterfly brand with the lower wings depicting California and Fukushima is the wondrous creation of Mr. Masanori Baba, who co-directed the Koda Farms documentary, <\/span>Seed<\/span><\/i>. I was fortunate to meet Mr. Michael John Simkin through an introduction from my cousin. With his decades of experience and knowledge in wine, spirits, and sake, we have put ourselves in the best position to establish a national customer base.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Through this beneficial, collaborative network in both Japan and the USA, Ross is confident these have given Uka Sake the best opportunity for success. For Ross, it has been a powerful lesson in valuing community, a principle he encourages all to implement in their own lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"(Left): Ross Koda with his family; (Right): Ross Koda with Hideo “Hank” Ide and Yujin Yusa, Founder and CEO of Ninki Inc during Ross’ first visit to Ninki Brewery.<\/span><\/p>\n

Advice for Those Who Are Seeking a New Career\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cBe kind and generous to others so that you surround yourself with the best people who are happy to help you, provide counsel, and give advice,\u201d Ross Koda advised those who are trying a new career path.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nevertheless, he also values the sentiment of investing in yourself, and believing in your own potential to achieve what you set out to accomplish:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBelieve in yourself and take ownership of what you do, whether it be success or failure, as you are the only one who will continue to fight, endure overwhelming stress, and put everything on the line to turn your ideas into reality.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Koda Farms:<\/strong> Website<\/a> \/ Instagram<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Uka Sake:<\/strong> Website<\/a> \/ Instagram<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TSUNAGU: To Connect. Whether it is connecting employers to job seekers or bringing different cultures together, we at Activ8 value the bridge-builders who make our world a better place every day. Our new series, TSUNAGU, will feature inspirational people who connect the U.S. and Japan through business, education, art, culture and more. Ross Koda, President […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":34707,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/activ8.ckmsol.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34697"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/activ8.ckmsol.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/activ8.ckmsol.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/activ8.ckmsol.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/activ8.ckmsol.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34697"}],"version-history":[{"count":51,"href":"https:\/\/activ8.ckmsol.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34697\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34795,"href":"https:\/\/activ8.ckmsol.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34697\/revisions\/34795"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/activ8.ckmsol.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34707"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/activ8.ckmsol.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/activ8.ckmsol.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/activ8.ckmsol.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}