Abstract
With respect to black bean production, this study discusses the relationship between age, mastery, and knowledge acquisition among farmers. A total of 320 questionnaires were collected in Sasayama city, Hyogo prefecture, to explore the degrees of knowledge acquisition and mastery among farmers. The main findings are as follows: (1) Inexperienced farmers are more likely to acquire knowledge from farmers’cooperative community (FCC) or agricultural improvement and growth center (AIGC) activities (e.g., cultivation information, training programs) or from individuals in their own village and family; (2) Middle-class farmers acquire knowledge from FCC or AIGC activities, and from individuals in their own village and family; and (3) Expert farmers acquir e it from FCC or AIGC activities, and from individuals in their own village, family andcity-level agricultural community.
