Start a new farm in Japan.4 ~MEISHO FARM~

Hello!

Welcome back to Agri Step!

Story of starting my farm in Japan

Since my last post, I have been looking for land and a greenhouse for spinach, but more than a week has passed without any progress.

I am trying to speed up the process, so I am feeling a bit impatient with the slow process.

I know I’m not the only new farmer in the area, and I can’t ask them to give priority to me because I’m sure they have various jobs, but I’m anxious about not being able to see the future because I’m trying to make farming my main business.

This doesn’t look good for my farm!” So, I thought about what I can do now.

I checked the situation in order to reorganize my plan.

• There are rice fields for 1.3 ha, and work will begin from glutinous rice (around May).
• Must be in a “recognized risk” situation to apply for a grant. Otherwise, they won’t recognize me as a person who needs support.
• Machinery can be purchased or rented from the person leaving the farm, including a tractor.
• I have a field about the size of a vegetable garden with about 5a and I can use it any way I want.
• I am happy if I manage to earn a little money because I have no recent work lol

I am in a situation like that.

So, the other day, I was asked to grow crops other than rice on one acre of land in regards to the use of the rice paddies, as a countermeasure to reduce the amount of rice.

In Japan, there is a system to adjust rice production.

Basically, we grow soybeans instead of rice around here, but I asked him, “Is it possible to change that to other vegetables?” I asked, and he said OK.

This is a great opportunity.

I thought that by starting to grow some vegetables that would allow me to expand the scale of my business, I would be able to meet the requirements for applying for the subsidy.

I checked with the town office and were told that I could be eligible for the subsidy.

However, since I have not yet applied as a grower officially, I am unable to proceed because there is nowhere else to farm the land in writing.

I want to apply for it as soon as possible.

I thought I could use my grandmother’s land as it is without applying for it, but it seems that I am not allowed to cultivate it unless I conclude a “right of use agreement” with her.

Once that is done, I will have a meeting with the town office and the extension office to formulate a plan of what vegetables are best suited to the environment here, and how I can envision expanding the scale of my farm.

I am thinking of becoming a “certified new farmer” in order to apply for the subsidy.
This means that I will have to coordinate with the extension office and the town office, but it is not necessary for everyone to do this, as there are people who farm without applying for subsidies from the beginning.

The application form has a five-year plan, and you have to set a target income and make an estimate.

I will tell you more about the grants in the future when I know more about them.

As I told you in my previous article, the prefectural government says that it would be better if only one out of ten new farmers could properly start farming, so it seems that there are people who apply for the subsidy just for money.

Therefore, I would like to be patient and persistent because it seems to take a long time for the application/certification.

I checked with the prefectural office and they said that if you started cultivating and shipping before applying, you can still go back one year and apply for the new farmer’s subsidy.

However, the order of approval is from the municipal office of the municipality to the prefecture, so there is sufficient possibility that there will be a discrepancy between the prefecture’s decision and that of the local municipal office. You need to check with both of them in advance.

I asked the extension office to look for land within commuting distance from my residence, but it is not easy to find land, so it seems that I need to move on my own.

Akira

I had heard a lot about the difficulty of finding land, especially for new farmers.

I think I will actually start cultivating and listen to what people around me have to say.

I will think about expanding the land in the future, but here is how the process goes from here on out.

Apply for cultivating the land as a farmer → Discuss and apply to prepare a plan for certification of youth, etc. → Apply for a subsidy

Since I plan to become a full-time farmer, it will take me a lot of time and I won’t be able to make much money, so I will continue to work while helping the farmers who have been helping me and those who need help.

Will this kind of life continue for another month or two?

I would like to proceed in a way that I can control as much as possible.

I have various opportunities to interact with people I have met.

It will be interesting to write about them in an article, so please look forward to it!

Thank you for always supporting  Agri Step!

See you soon.