Takashi Moriuchi, 91; found freedom and success as S. Jersey farmer

As a recent graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, in the early 1940s, Takashi Moriuchi was eager to make a business out of farming in his native San Joaquin Valley in California.

But in 1942, he was one of thousands of Japanese Americans who were forced into World War II internment camps.

Farmer Lewis Barton, like many other Quakers at the time, did not agree with the camps and through the American Friends Service Committee hired Japanese Americans to work on his 700 acres in what is now Cherry Hill.

One of those hires was Mr. Moriuchi, who arrived at Barton's farm in 1944. He went on to own several hundred acres and became the federally appointed New Jersey director of the Farmers Home Administration. He also was a longtime volunteer and supporter of Moorestown Friends School and other Quaker organizations.

Mr. Moriuchi, 91, formerly of Moorestown, died of heart failure Saturday, Nov. 13, at Medford Leas, the Quaker-run retirement community in Medford.

After settling in Haddonfield in 1944, he worked for Barton for two seasons. In 1946 with an $8,000 bank loan, Mr. Moriuchi bought his first 100-acre vegetable farm in Mount Laurel.

That year, Mr. Moriuchi married Yuri Uyehara, whom he had met through the Philadelphia-based American Friends Service Committee. The couple later became Quakers and helped found Medford Leas.

Mr. Moriuchi had the golden touch when it came to farming. "I'd buy a tractor, rent a farm, buy another tractor, and rent another farm," he said in a 1988 Inquirer interview.

By 1975, Mr. Moriuchi owned about 1,000 acres of mostly apples and strawberries, with his annual sales reaching $2 million.

In 1986, he decided it was time to retire from farming. He sold some of his land and divided the assets among his children. His son, Fred, kept 500 acres of mainly apples and peaches for a few years and operated it as Moriuchi Farms Inc. in Moorestown.

Though Mr. Moriuchi was well-known for his large farm, South Jersey residents recognized his name from his community achievements.

He was a founder of the National Bank of Moorestown and served as a director of the Farm Land Bank in Springfield, Mass., which provides credit to farmers.

For several years, Mr. Moriuchi also was part-owner of Cherry Valley Tractor Co. in Marlton.

He spent more than 50 years volunteering and financially supporting Moorestown Friends School, which his four children attended. He was a trustee and member of the assets committee.

Probably Mr. Moriuchi's most important role was serving as state director of the Farmers Home Administration from 1989 to 1994, overseeing the distribution of millions of dollars in loans to farmers, small-town businesses, and rural home builders.

In 1990, Mr. Moriuchi received an Emperor's Kunsho, a prestigious award from the Japanese government for contributions to the Japanese American community.

In addition to his wife and son, Mr. Moriuchi is survived by daughters Agnes Miyo Moriuchi, Carol Kiyo Moriuchi, and Nancy Chiyo Moriuchi; 11 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, at Moorestown Friends Meeting, 118 E. Main St.