MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College celebrated a major milestone this week, marking the 60th anniversary of its Japanese Agricultural Training Program (JATP), a unique international partnership that has connected thousands of Japanese agricultural trainees with farms and communities across the United States since 1966.
This year’s group of 31 trainees, JATP alumni, host farm families, agricultural partners, and community members gathered on campus to celebrate six decades of educational exchange.
Founded in 1966, the Japanese Agricultural Training Program was established to help improve Japan's agricultural industry through the sharing of U.S. technology, farming methods, and best practices while fostering international relationships and cultural understanding. Over the past 60 years, more than 5,000 trainees have attended Big Bend Community College through the program.
Today, trainees begin their experience with eight weeks of classroom instruction at Big Bend, studying agriculture and English while learning about American farming practices through field trips and cultural activities. They then spend 14 months on host farms throughout the United States, gaining hands-on experience in specialties ranging from dairy, beef, swine, and poultry production to potato farming, vegetables, fruit production, and coffee cultivation.
JATP Director Larry Rimple said the program's longevity reflects the many people and organizations who have supported it throughout the years.
“Reaching our 60th anniversary is a milestone, and a testament to the enduring support of our host farms, families, our agriculture communities, and everyone who has encouraged our trainees to achieve their goals of helping Japan’s food sustainability through new, advanced farming methods” he said.
Throughout its history, the program has provided opportunities for participants to develop professional skills while building meaningful connections that extend well beyond their time in the United States. Many former trainees have gone on to become agricultural leaders in Japan, while maintaining relationships with the farms, families, and communities that welcomed them during their training.
Big Bend President Sara Thompson Tweedy said those relationships continue to be one of the program's most enduring legacies.
“Over the years, hundreds of participants have come to our region to learn, to work, and share their talents,” she said during the celebration. “And in doing so, you have enriched our college, strengthened our agricultural community, and created lifelong relationships that continue to span the Pacific Ocean.”
The anniversary celebration recognized not only the trainees who have participated in the program over the decades, but also the host farms, families, agricultural employers, and community partners whose support has made the program possible.
For more information about the Japanese Agricultural Training Program, or how to become a host farm, visit the JATP website.
In the News: Read more about the 60th Anniversary Celebration in the Columbia Basin Herald.