Hello. I am Haratake, a part-time farmer.
As I was finalizing the land and progressing with ridge preparation, I decided to become a member of the JA cooperative to sell my crops in the future.
My goal is to sell my vegetables at a store called “Toretate Genki Ichiba Tonari no Nōka Ten” operated by the JA in Higashi-Hiroshima City.
Here, many farmers can set their own prices for the vegetables they harvest and display them on the shelves.
I visited the nearby JA office, opened an account at JA Bank, paid the minimum capital contribution of 1,000 JPY (cheap!),
and officially became a full member of JA.
Then, at the adjacent Agri Center, I completed the necessary paperwork for selling at the Fresh and Healthy Market and for market shipments through the agricultural cooperative.
If my vegetables sell at the Fresh and Healthy Market, I can immediately see the results online.
Here’s a simple overview of the process for selling at the Fresh and Healthy Market:
① Print the barcode. Enter the vegetable and unit price into the system, then click the print button.
② Attach the barcode to the vegetable.
③ Display the vegetable on the shelf yourself.
④ For older vegetables, you can replace the barcode with a new one showing the reduced price.
Setting the price and selling the vegetables you’ve grown yourself.
That was the moment I realized I had become a self-employed business owner.
