Support Network for Agricultural Newcomers from Non-agricultural Sectors

Abstract

Agricultural newcomers from non-agricultural sectors face various difficulties when settling in rural communities. This paper focuses on the existence of “buddies” in these communities and examines the support network for aguricultural newcomers in “K” town in Hokkaido. The support policy of “K” town for aguricultural newcomers was decided in 1994. It is a very comprehensive policy and had already benefited 7 aguricultural newcomers by the year 2000. This paper examines the feedback from the 7 aguricultural newcomers who have already begun farming in “K” town. Through looking at social support gained by the newcomers, the author extracts two types of networking for obtaining social support. The first is a way to form a support network through the “gurdian system”, whereby a “guardian” takes care of the newcomer in the broad dimensions of everyday-life, from agriculture to social life. Guardians are often farm managers who take charge of training newcomers. The other type is pro-active voluntary network formation, whereby the newcomer takes the initiative to approach a particular person to fullfill a certain type of support need. The former type utilizes cumulative rural relations and allows newcomers to adapt easily to the way of life in rural communities. This paper points out both the advantages and disadvantages in forming this type of support network.