The Family Farm and Local Society In Japan and The USA

在过去的三年里，我们访问了几个州，但主要集中在田纳西州、阿肯色州、缅因州、明尼苏达州和密歇根州。我们的目的是研究中小型家庭农场，它们的生存战略和前景。在《田间地头》，我们走访了种植户、货主和加工商、批发市场、农贸市场等零售企业。我们还访问了一些农业合作社、大学和政府研究机构、推广项目、农业局和其他农业支持组织，以及全国农民联盟和其他农业政治行动组织。问题1：西海岸庞然大物。在落基山脉以东的任何地方旅行和进行研究，都会让人意识到西海岸的农业利益是多么强大。问题2：利基。与许多小农交谈使人意识到，他们必须进行市场调查才能生存。问题#3：过度扩张和债务：八十年代的教训。问题#4：农业合作社的演变。我们参观了许多合作社，并与许多专家进行了交谈。出现了几种模式/类型。问题5：政府政策和竞争。政府似乎是农民最好的朋友和最大的敌人。

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.