Abstract
This study identified and inventoried the diverse roles of support farmers who support those who are newcomers to farming; it does so by classifying the various functions of mentoring. Among the processes involved in helping new farmers become established is the fact that the relationship between support farmers and new farmers is ongoing. In the early period,just after one starts to farm, support that relates to sponsorship and coaching is important. Later, as these farmers become more established, support that relates to role models, exposure, and challenging work is important. These results indicate that the role of support farmers changes during the process by which new farmers become more established.
