The Family Farm and Local Society In Japan and The USA

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Over the past three we visited several states, but concentrated our field work in Tennessee, Arkansas, Maine, Minnesota and Michigan. Our purpose was to look at small to medium family farms, their survival strategies and their prospects. In the "field," we visited growers, shippers and processors, wholesale markets, farmers markets and other retail operations. We also visited a number of farm cooperatives, university and government research facilities, extension programs, Farm Bureau and other farm support organizations, as well as the National Farmers Union and other agriculture political action organizations.Issue #1 : The West Coast Behemoths. Traveling and doing research anywhere east of the Rocky Mountains makes one realize how powerful are the agricultural interests along the west coast.Issue #2 : The Niche. Talking to many small farmers makes one realize that they are having to develop market survey to survive.Issue #3 : Over expansion and Debt: Lessons of the Eighties.Issue #4 : the Evolution of Agricultural Co-ops. We visited a number of co-ops and talked to many experts. Several patterns/types emerged.Issue #5 : Government Policy and Competition. Government seems to be the farmer's best friend and worst enemy.