NEW FARMERS AND NETWORKS: HOW BEGINNING FARMERS BUILD SOCIAL CONNECTIONS IN FRANCE

ABSTRACT A significant number of people are moving ‘back‐to‐the‐land’ in search of a fulfilling lifestyle and self‐defined economic success. But do these ‘neo‐farmers’‘find their bliss’? Experiences are mixed. While some report feeling isolated, others tell stories of rapid integration into local agricultural and social networks. Although the literature is clear that networks play a critical role in providing newcomers to rural areas with support, few studies have addressed the specific experiences of beginning farmers and none has compared the networks of ‘neo‐farmers’ with those of farmers from farming origins. The study reported here examines the ways the personal networks of new farmers with differing backgrounds provide access to farm start‐up resources in France.