IJAER

International Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Research™

ISSN 2455-6939

Title:
DEGREE OF USER SATISFACTION WITH UTILIZATION OF EXPERIMENTAL FARM ACTIVITIES AND LATENT FACTORS

Authors:
Naoko Fujita, Makoto Kono , Kazuya Matsumoto , Shuhei Toyosaki

Abstract:
Community farms in Japan have developed in a different context than their counterparts in the West. Aging farmers and an increase in fallow farmland have become social problems in Japan; to combat these, beginning in the 1960s, local governments leased farmland from farmers and a system was devised whereby non-farmers could engage in agricultural activities. In the present study, a questionnaire survey was administered to users of experiential farms situated in urban parks with the goal of clarifying the awareness and needs of users. Moreover, while taking into account differences in attributes associated with users of typical allotment gardens in Japan as well as their preferences, we examined future initiatives in which experiential farms should consider engaging. As a result of the study, we found that components related to "the atmosphere of the park/facilities" and "basic setup of the rental farmland" were highlighted as latent elements affecting users' degree of satisfaction. Given the findings that, amongst factors related to "the atmosphere of the park/facilities", evaluations of "the overall visual aspects of the park" and "care of the fields" affected satisfaction, the consolidation of cultivars and a reduction in the number of untended plots are needed to create a more appealing visual presentation. Moreover, amongst factors related to the "basic setup of the rental farmland," it was found that "cultivar types" and "usage fees" affected satisfaction, so determining how to set the price for seeds, starts, and other related items is critical, while also meeting user expectations.

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