"Year's end is traditionally the time when students return home to ring in the new year with their families - the very last thing Hachiken wants to do! He'll be the only one staying in the dorms, but after all, on a farm, someone always has to stick around to care for the animals. Little does he know that when the students are away, the teachers have their own tradition: a year-end feast of the bounties of Ezo Ag! Happy New Year, indeed!!"--Page [4]...

"Amid the whirlwind of festival preparations, the newest members of the Equestrian Club face their first riding competition. Having always been laser focused on his studies, Hachiken has never been tested in a sporting event before. The dedication that marked his academic career has helped Hachiken survive the trials of agricultural school, but the pressure to come out on top nearly crushed him once already. Can Hachiken claim victory on the racecourse...

"The discovery of a brick oven on campus prompts the only logical response from the students of Ooezo Agricultural High School: a pizza party!!! City-boy Hachiken has been nominated to oversee the process, but he quickly discovers how much work is involved in securing each and every ingredient that goes into making the perfect pizza. United by a common hunger, students from every discipline contribute the necessary flour, cheese, meat, and other toppings....

A few weeks into his summer job at Mikage Ranch, Hachiken has proven himself a hard worker, even under the skeptical gaze of Aki's father. His first term at Ezo AG has given him a great deal to think about-the future, the fate of Pork Bowl-but open pastures and fresh air provide a different backdrop to his worries than his previous life in the city. Still, when he chose not to go home for summer break, Hachiken hardly expected home to come to him!...

"With no goals of his own, Hachiken is devoted to helping his friends--especially Mikage--achieve theirs. To prepare her for the college entrance exams as promised, Hachiken swallows his pride and calls in a ringer: Tokyo U dropout and academic genius Shingo Hachiken. But collecting his brother's old notes means returning home for the first time since he started high school... Has everything he's learned at Ezo Ag readied him enough to face his past...?"--Provided...

"By purchasing Pork Bowl, Hachiken takes a step forward in reconciling a farmer's care and concern for livestock that will ultimately be eaten. But Pork Bowl has yielded a whole lot more than a pork bowl's worth--or even a dozen pork bowls' worth!--of meat, and all of Ezo Ag is more than happy to help with the surplus! Hachiken may raise a lot of tough questions, but he sure knows how to make a mean batch of bacon..."-- Page [4] of cover.

"Funding continues to be a major obstacle as Hachiken tries to get his business up and running. Ookawa--still unemployed--has pinned all his hopes on Hachiken's new venture, so when proposal after proposal comes back rejected, he suggests a new source of funding: good, honest hard work. Picking up whatever part-time jobs he can, Hachiken pours every ounce of energy into realizing his goal. The year seems to fly by, but when spring comes again, will...

"Thanks to Hachiken's meticulous notes, Ezo Ag Fest has gone off without a hitch, even if Hachiken himself didn't get to enjoy any of it. No one even saved him a slice of oven-baked pizza!! His parents' visit to the hospital has left Hachiken doubting himself and his choice to attend Ezo Ag once again, but hearing stories of how the festival visitors left with newfound appreciation for horses and the farming community reminds Hachiken why Ezo Ag-...