Izumiotsu City x JA Izumino: "Organic Academy" Opens to Foster Next-Generation Producers Through Organic Farming

Izumiotsu City and Izumino Agricultural Cooperative have signed a comprehensive partnership agreement aimed at creating a sustainable community through food and agriculture, effective February 2025, covering six fields. Based on this agreement, an agricultural academy specializing in organic vegetable cultivation has been launched from fiscal year 2025, with the goal of securing and training farmers who aim to cultivate organic vegetables and new farmers in Izumiotsu City, where arable land is scarce.

Through classroom training on organic vegetable cultivation methods and practical training where participants actually grow organic vegetables in a farm based on what they learned in class, the academy aims to acquire production techniques and foster human resources who will farm in the city.

**Challenge various organic vegetable cultivations throughout the year! Acquire skills from practical experience.**

At the Organic Academy, participants can actually experience and acquire the cultivation of various organic vegetables such as onions, leaf lettuce, Chinese cabbage, and broccoli under the guidance of instructors during the one-year training period.

Furthermore, the training is held only on Sundays, and the daily management of the vegetables planted during the training is handled by the operating side, making it highly attractive for people who work on weekdays or are beginners in agriculture to participate. Last year, some participants attended while continuing their main jobs.

This is an excellent opportunity for people who are interested in agriculture but lack the know-how or practical farmland.

**Achieving sustainable community development through organic farming.**

Amidst the serious aging of farmers and the shortage of successors, adopting "organic" cultivation methods, which can expect high-value and stable agricultural management, is one of the effective means to maintain and preserve the small-scale farmland in this city, where the entire area is an urbanization promotion area.

From fiscal year 2026, in addition to acquiring knowledge of organic farming through lectures and practical training at farms, a new initiative will be introduced to sell organic vegetables cultivated and harvested in Izumiotsu City in shopping streets, allowing participants to learn from cultivation to sales. Through this Organic Academy, we aim to revitalize local industries through local production for local consumption.

Although the Organic Academy started in fiscal year 2025, it will also be held in fiscal year 2026 due to its popularity.

**Application requirements:** Persons aged 18 or older who are interested in farming.

**Training period:** Scheduled for a total of 27 lectures from July 2026 to June 2027.

**Practical training locations:** (1) Sonecho 3-chome, Izumiotsu City (2) JA Izumino Agricultural Comprehensive Center.

**Application period:** From Friday, May 1, 2026, to Friday, May 29, 2026, until 5:00 PM.

**Tuition fee:** 33,000 yen (tax included) (actual costs for transportation, etc., are separate).

Details such as application guidelines and training schedule are posted on the website, so please check there. We look forward to your application.

Click here for the website.

Click here for online application.