Developing People
We start by acknowledging the differences between people and production areas.
Every month, we hold a study group with about 40 farmers. Additionally, just like how each person has their own unique personality and abilities, each region also has its own characteristics. We develop production areas based on this way of thinking.
Every month, 40 farmers attend our study group
The Okinawan Microbial Agriculture Network began with the idea that the results of 30 years of poultry farming could be reproduced in our fields. We never do things seminar style. We either work in the fields or do our monthly study group. At the study group, we learn together by looking at slides of successful case studies and failures. We also provide drinks and light snacks in order to create an atmosphere where it's easy for everyone to speak up and offer their opinions. These opinions also provide us with valuable hints.
Men and women of all ages learning together
At Miyagi Farm, we never refuse a visitor. From small children to the elderly, we want to see their expressions and reactions as they try our products. This gives us clues about what we need to fix. In addition to farmers, we also want to build a good relationship with consumers, so we created a facility where ordinary people can learn about agriculture. Let’s increase our knowledge together.
Developing Production Areas
Developing production areas also starts by acknowledging differences
Some areas have flat land for building on, whereas other areas, like mountainous regions, don’t meet the national requirements. However, there are some things that you can only do in a mountainous region, like setting up terraced paddy fields for farming with a beautiful view or providing hands-on agricultural experiences. It’s perfectly possible to create a source of income equivalent to that of a flat land farmer. But the trend in agriculture these days is to build buildings and use heavy machinery, so people like us who live in a mountainous region tend to be ignored. But this is where Miyagi Farm can help. We’ve created systems to deliver grown vegetables to consumers and for consumer feedback like “delicious” and “your vegetables taste different to the rest” to reach the farmers. Ogimi Village produces akatsuchi radishes. Grown in soil full of sea water minerals, they’ve got high sugar content. In Kitanakagusuku, where the water is clean, they produce great green onions. There are also potatoes and onions that can endure the shipping from distant islands. This is how we do production area development.
Admittance of new agricultural trainees
Our program is for taking someone who is a blank slate and helping them to become independent in one or two years. Most of our trainees start with almost no experience, skills, land, or money. But they are all motivated. We’ll help you secure land and a place to live and give you advice on what to grow based on your skills and personality.