Tim Jones, a 75-year-old immigrant from Texas who spent over 60 years working as a cattle rancher, moved to the depopulated town of Kurofunai in Hokkaido in 2020 to establish a regenerative agriculture farm. Operating on 81 hectares of land that had been left as abandoned farmland for nearly two decades, Jones and his wife Chie run Gladney Farm, raising approximately 70 Angus cattle through rotational grazing without chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or supplemental mixed feed. While local conventional beef producers initially viewed the unorthodox methods with skepticism, the couple steadily gained community support by directly selling grass-fed beef cuts from the ranch. However, in the spring of 2024, the town faced a sudden gold mining proposal by an Australian-backed operator on an adjacent mountain, sparking intense local opposition over potential water contamination and environmental destruction.
Relocating to Hokkaido and Establishing Gladney Farm
Tim Jones was born in Texas in 1951, inheriting a multi-generation cattle breeding operation and managing regenerative farms since 1982 without chemical inputs. Following his father’s death and subsequent estate settlement issues, Jones and his wife Chie spent a year searching Japan for a suitable property before selecting the Toei district of Kurofunai, a depopulated hamlet with a population of approximately 2,300 where only one elderly resident remained. According to Chie Jones, the decisive factors were the large expanse of abandoned land and a clean local stream that could serve as drinking water for the livestock.
Gladney Farm operates strictly without chemical substances, relying on year-round rotational grazing where Angus cattle consume native grasses. Uchida noted that the cattle graze on a diverse mix of unmanaged vegetation, which prevents dominant plants like dwarf bamboo from choking out biodiversity and helps restore soil microbiology and local fish habitats such as salmon spawning grounds.
Building Local Trust Through Direct Meat Sales
Unlike conventional Japanese beef production, which typically raises Wagyu cattle inside barns on formulated feed to produce marbling, Gladney Farm keeps its Angus cattle outdoors year-round. Local dairy farmer and former agricultural committee member Yoshimasa Takeda expressed initial surprise at the small barn size and outdoor feeding methods used by the foreign newcomer. To bridge the cultural and agricultural gap, the couple distributed newspaper inserts inviting neighbors to purchase block-cut lean beef directly from the farm.
Local residents visited the property to observe the cattle grazing in an open environment, gradually changing their perspective on the operation. Although Jones does not speak Japanese, he regularly listens to neighborhood conversations, which Chie Jones noted helped build mutual trust alongside the direct-to-consumer sales model.
Gold Mining Opposition and Community Response
In the spring of 2024, town officials informed the Joneses that an Australian capital-backed operator had secured a test-drilling right from the central government to explore gold mining in the mountains between Kurofunai and Oshamambe, near the former Shizukari Gold Mine that closed in 1943. Tim Jones immediately opposed the project, drawing on his prior experience seeing water depletion and long-term ecological damage from soil excavation sites in the United States. Residents feared that drilling could disrupt groundwater veins and discharge wastewater into the river that serves as the farm’s water supply.
In July 2024, a packed local public information session organized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Hokkaido government drew contentious questioning from residents over potential water pollution and the lack of concrete timelines from the operator. Following the meeting, local volunteers and agricultural peers gathered about 2,200 signatures opposing any mining development tied to environmental destruction, submitting the petition to the Kurofunai town council in November 2024. The town council subsequently passed a resolution opposing any mining development, and the operator dissolved its Japanese subsidiary in the autumn of 2025, resulting in the withdrawal of the test-drilling rights.
Did You Know? Kurofunai’s Toei district was a depopulated area with only one resident living there before the Jones family established Gladney Farm on 81 hectares of abandoned land in 2020.
Expanding Regeneative Agriculture Initiatives in Kurofunai
In January 2026, the Kurofunai municipal government announced a policy to promote regenerative agriculture by leasing abandoned farmland and launching a training project for prospective farmers. University researcher Yoshitaka Uchida stated that the municipal project intends to utilize Jones's practices as a model for sustainable regional development.
Tim Jones expressed optimism regarding the municipal initiative, viewing it as a sustainable path forward for the local community and ecosystem. Despite the language barrier and the unexpected mining dispute, the Texas-born cattleman continues to manage the 70-head herd with his wife while planning to remain in the region.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of farming does Tim Jones practice in Kurofunai?
Tim Jones operates a regenerative farm called Gladney Farm, where approximately 70 Angus cattle graze rotationally on natural grasses without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, or supplemental mixed feed.
How did the local community respond to the gold mining plan near the farm?
Local residents and agricultural peers strongly opposed the plan during public information sessions due to concerns over water pollution and ecological damage, leading to a petition of about 2,200 signatures and a town council resolution against the project before the operator dissolved its Japanese subsidiary.
What new agricultural project did Kurofunai launch in 2026?
How do you think rural municipalities should balance outside commercial development projects with local environmental preservation efforts?
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