四健會在地方的推展：以民國60年代的新港鄉農會為例

The Development of the 4-H Club in the Local Areas: Using the Singang Farmers’Association in the 1970s as an Example

四健會自美引進臺灣之後，對農業推廣及農青培育卓有貢獻。面對臺灣不同時期農業發展階段，四健會以穩健的步伐、積極的態度，並以農村青年為主體展開各項工作，但臺灣農業於每個階段所面對的問題都有所不同。此前四健會相關研究，以農業領域為主，歷史研究相對少見；近年來，歷史學者開始對四健會展開研究，時間集中於民國（以下同）50年代中期、美援結束之前，其後研究付之闕如。然而，當美援時期結束之時，亦正是臺灣處於工農產業比重翻轉的關鍵時刻。農村青年於此時期大量離農入城，農村勞動力不足日趨嚴重。時至60年代，推動農業機械化實刻不容緩。由於美國四健會籌設初衷，即是為解決美國農青離農問題，故60年代臺灣農村所面臨的問題，正是四健會所專擅之場域。因此，本研究針對四健會如何解決60年代農青問題展開研究。由於過去研究多以由上往下的方式進行研究，本研究則首度嘗試以嘉義縣新港鄉農會檔案的新材料為核心，以由下往上的模式，檢視四健會在地方推展情形並分析成效。我們發現60年代的地方四健會組織承接各項上級政策展開工作，故此時期的四健會是作為政府農業推廣政策的基層執行單位，而地方農青的需求並無法有效傳達。換言之，四健會作為政府末端組織的機能，遠高於其應是地方社團的屬性。最後，透過本研究發現，這農業政策的推動雖無法有效解決農青離農問題，但能減緩步伐，並在此一過程中，農業機械化的進程也有大幅進展。

Since the introduction of the 4-H Club from the US, greatly contributed to the agricultural modernization and professional training of the young farmers in Taiwan. It has ambitiously and steady undertaken manifold projects to assist young farmers in variant stages of agricultural development. Due to challenges of agricultural development varied in different stages, the precedent studies of the 4-H Club largely focus on its agronomical contribution, but rarely examine the developmental history of the organization. In recent years, historians gradually produce studies of the organization, mainly from the mid-1960s to the year American Aid programs ended. However, its development afterwards has not been studied. Nonetheless, the critical period of industrialization in Taiwan happened right after the end of American Aid programs. A large number of young farmers migrated to the cities. The labor force shortage in the agricultural regions slowly aggravated, and agricultural mechanization became an urgent issue in the 1970s. As the founding purpose of the 4-H Club was to cope with the agricultural labor force shortage in the US, its expertise could then lend insights to the agricultural development in Taiwan in the 1970s. This study thereby focuses on the 4-H Club's strategies against the labor force shortage in the 1970s. Since the precedent studies often focus on the governmental policies, this paper examines their implementation and effects in the local areas, mainly through the archives that have been newly acquired from the Xingang Farmers' Association. This study discovers that the local offices of the 4-H Club functioned under the instructions of the authoritative policies in the 1970s, as promotion instruments of these agricultural policies. It did not often vocalize the local young farmers' demands. In other words, the 4-H Club functioned more as an implemental agency of the government than a local community-based organization. finally although these policies could not effectively resolve the shortage problem, they did slow down the migration process and simultaneously brought in agricultural mechanization.