National FFA Organization

Serve Out Loud!

noreply@blogger.com (National FFA Organization) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:58:00 +0000

Lead Out Loud! At National Convention this week you will see and hear these words everywhere! Before each session the national officers give us words of encouragement on how we can do just that, Lead Out Loud! But let’s take it a step further - the theme of our fourth general session of the week is Serve Out Loud and the National FFA, as you probably already know, has set goals for our organization to do this in a big way. The Million Hour Challenge (MHC) is a special initiative that focuses on service learning and brings together the hours served by FFA members to reach a goal of one million.

According to Michelle Sullivan, leader of FFA’s Living to Serve initiative, there are five categories in which chapters can log hours: education, government, healthy lifestyle, environment, and social and human services. By logging the most hours in these areas a chapter can win $2,500 to reinvest into their service project. Winners of the $2,500 award this year, sponsored by Monsanto, are as follows: Government- Forest Lake FFA Chapter from Forest Lake, MN; Social and Human Services- Perrydale FFA Chapter from Amity, OR; Education- Ponchatoula FFA Chapter from Ponchatoula, LA; Environmental- Rosewood FFA Chapter from Goldsboro, NC; and Healthy Lifestyles- Waupaca FFA Chapter from Waupaca, WI.

The Ponchatoula FFA Chapter was very interested in diversity. The chapter wanted to focus on diversity and helping the community know what diversity is; that it isn’t just race, it is education, age, geographic location and so much more. The chapter held a conference for their community and invited churches, schools, and other organizations. Chapters all across the county have been creative with service projects and are getting actively involved in their communities.

If your chapter hasn’t already gotten involved with the Million Hour Challenge now is the time to start! As members it is our obligation to serve and this initiative is the perfect motivation to do so. By serving out loud, we also LEAD OUT LOUD!

~Kelsey Ross, National FFA Convention newsroom staff

The Challenge of Tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (National FFA Organization) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:10:00 +0000

On Thursday night at the fourth general session the president of Monsanto, Hugh Grant, spoke to FFA members of the challenges that face American agriculture today and that will only get more difficult as we approach tomorrow. Among these challenges he listed food, water, climate change, and hunger; and that agriculture is a big piece of the solution. Grant told members that we need leaders in agriculture now more than ever. “Agriculture is one of the oldest industries in the world,” Grant said, “and today it’s one of the coolest.” FFA members couldn’t agree more!

Grant informed members that we will have to produce more with less, starting with land. In 1850 there was a half acre for every person in the world; today we are down to a quarter of an acre. He also said that we will have to “squeeze more crop out of every drop” of water. And with these constantly decreasing resources we must produce as much food in the next 50 years as we have over the past 10,000.

With 98 percent of the country who do not live on farms, and 2% who do live on farms the country tends to forget how much they depend on farming for our growth. Grant continued, “People don’t even have to think about where food comes from, it’s just there.” For this reason, he said “we need to tell the amazing story of agriculture.”

Facebook was one of his suggestions to do this. Grant believes that by using Facebook, that the 2 percent who do live on farms can share the promise, story, and power of agriculture with the much larger 98 percent who do not.

Of the challenge he presented, Grant asked, “How do we do it?” His answer? “We do it loud!” Grant closed with this motivational and yet bold statement, “More and more the world is counting on you and the decision you will make.”

FFA members: What decision will you make?

~Kelsey Ross, National FFA Convention newsroom staff

Put a Little Sizzle in Your Day—Spontaneous Performances Help the Community Connect to FFA

noreply@blogger.com (National FFA Organization) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:07:00 +0000

The smell of fries, cooked noodles, hamburgers, and fresh baked pretzels all mingle together.

The anxious sounds of two hundred hungry teenagers and adults fill the air. People crowd around tables and stand in line awaiting their turn to order.

Then, the sound of a guitar, fiddle, and banjo joined with harmonic voices to rise above the noise. The strains of “Sweet Home Alabama” fill the four story space—the National FFA Convention Sizzle Performance has begun.

This was the scene that unfolded at the food court in Circle Center mall as the first of a chain of performances—known as Sizzle Performances— began.. By sharing their talents with the Indianapolis downtown community through these impromptu and spontaneous performances, the National FFA Talent group hopes to bring the message of FFA to the public and create another a new way to Lead Out Loud.

According to Mandy Hazlett, coordinator of the Sizzle Performances, the idea behind the performances was to bring spontaneous entertainment to the crowd attending the FFA convention and to the downtown community. The performances were modeled after popular impromptu events put on by a group called Improv Everywhere.

Members of National FFA Convention Talent, such as Aura Smith of Fayette, Missouri, were selected to participate in these impromptu events because of their ability to perform. Those talents helped make an impact on FFA members like Sam Schafer and Amanda Wolfe. Both Schafer and Wolfe joined in the performance by clapping and singing. “It was exciting!” said Schafer.

Another Sizzle Performance will take place at the last convention session. Also, the talents of these performers and many others will be featured throughout the convention and at the National FFA Talent Revue.

~Dorothy Spencer, National FFA Convention newsroom staff

Just a spoonful of Purell keeps H1N1 at bay…in the most delightful way!

noreply@blogger.com (National FFA Organization) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:32:00 +0000

Hello friends,

If you’re like me, you’re a big hugger.

And there is no place like the National FFA Convention to share the love: reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones.

But in this media-fueled atmosphere where H1N1 is a reality, is it o.k. to give a friend a hug? What about shaking hands with the national officers if you’re an award winner?

Most experts say that taking a few simple precautions can help prevent the spread of the flu virus:

1. Don’t touch nose, eyes and mouth! If you touch something diseased (and we don’t mean your little brother) and then touch your face, you can spread the sickness. Don’t!

2. Get enough sleep! Especially during convention when you’re running around, visiting the Career Show, watching the sessions and enjoying our lovely host city, it’s still important to get enough rest.

3. Hand sanitizer is your new BFF! Throughout Conseco Fieldhouse and other convention sites, you will find hand sanitizer. Use it! It contains alcohol that kills those nasty germs.

4. If you’re sick, stay home! Don’t contaminate others if you’re not feeling well. Just stay at home (or in your hotel room) catching up on daytime TV. Glenn Close is on The View today…didn’t you just LOVE her in The Stepford Wives?!

5. Cover your coughs! Speaking of Grandma Betty, she’s been telling you this since you were a wee lad/lass. Take her advice.

6. Wash, wash, wash your hands! No wittiness to add here. Just please do it.

7. DON’T CALL IT SWINE FLU! You can be an educator! Inform anyone who uses the phrase “swine flu” that they can’t get H1N1 from eating bacon or petting a piggy. Millions of swine producers nationwide thank you.

Now by following these easy steps, you can stay as healthy and germ free and keep your fellow convention-goers the same.

Have a great time in Indy!

Peace and love,

Dustin Petty, National FFA Convention Newsroom Staff

Coming Soon: The New Indiana Convention Center

noreply@blogger.com (National FFA Organization) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:00:00 +0000

The difference a year makes at the 82nd National FFA Convention.

A year ago, standing in between the Indiana Convention Center (ICC) and the brand new Lucas Oil Stadium (LOS) was a downtown Indianapolis landmark on the verge of destruction -- but in the name of new construction. The RCA Dome was visibly under demolition and behind barricades along south Capitol Street last year as FFA members walked from different convention sites.

This time around, however, the Dome is gone and a rapidly advancing addition to the convention center is already well underway -- an improvement FFA members will see in completion at the 84th National FFA Convention in 2011.

With an anticipated completion date in December of 2010, ICC will be expanded to a whopping 1.23 million square feet -- or more than 28 acres under one roof. Currently, it offers just over 500,000 square feet of convention space to the FFA.

All of that area -- from the 400,000-square foot open area housing this year's Career Show and shopping mall to the many separate rooms housing events ranging from delegate meetings to the FFA Alumni Auction -- is used up by the folks in blue and gold for this week's convention. That space, of course, doesn't include the meeting rooms and other spaces used in downtown Indianapolis hotels as well as events at Conseco Fieldhouse (CF), LOS and the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

As for the Dome, the former home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts came tumbling to the ground in December of 2008 thanks to a controlled demolition -- roughly two months after 2008's 81st National FFA Convention. Since then, work on the ICC site has been in fast forward.

FFA members transitioning between the ICC and CF (site of eight of the nine general sessions) or LOS (home of Wednesday night's Toby Keith concert and Saturday's prestigious American Degree Ceremony) will certainly notice the skeleton of Indianapolis' convention center upgrade taking shape.

But in just a year -- remember the difference it makes? -- that metal frame skeleton will be completely covered and the workers will be hustling to finish the details inside the new ICC, bringing Indianapolis' convention profile even higher.

So after four great years for FFA in Indy, FFA members still have more to look forward to in the coming years.

What more can you ask for?

~Geoffrey Miller, National FFA Convention Newsroom Staff

Last Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy Hefner) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:25:00 +0000

Hello Friends and Family!

This morning we left our very plush accommodations at the Marriot on the Pacific Ocean to head back to San José, the capital of Costa Rica. On our way we stopped at a gift shop and saw crocodiles at a bridge over a national park. Upon arriving in San José, we had time to shop at the Mercado, a street market with various handicrafts and souvenirs. Afterwards we headed out to Café Britt, a coffee processing facility. The staff there gave us an interesting, informative, and entertaining tour of the farm, complete with costumes and coffee. We ended the evening with supper and cultural dancing!! We have had a great time, but are tired and ready for tomorrow's VERY EARLY flights!

La Cosecha- Victor, Janet, Brian, Shane, Garrett, Melody, Eric, Patrick, Lisa

Free Day in Paradise

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy Hefner) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:38:00 +0000

Today everyone got to do whatever they wanted. From zip lining and sand volleyball to massages, shopping, and tanning by the pool, we had fun. The adventure-seeking members flew across 6 zip lines, swung on a Tarzan swing, and repelled quickly down a tree. The beach was a slight disappointment. Instead of gorgeous white sand, it was muddy and rocky. But not everything can be perfect, right? After attempting some pool volleyball (which the girls lost by about 50 points) we tried sand volleyball. That went much better. We visited the nearby town of Jaco and ate lunch there. We quickly found KFC, Subway, and a little pizza shop. Definitely a nice break from rice and beans. We did a little shopping and found some sweet souvenirs: dresses, jewelry, t-shirts, and wooden trinkets. After returning from town, we played a little soccer match. Brian G1 (aka Brian Gray) caused injuries on the field. From nailing Elizabeth in the stomach to hitting Kristin in the head, Brian was kicking butt and taking names. He scored three goals, tying with Gustan, our soccer-loving tour guide. (He calls it football and says that our football should be called "rugby lite".) Surprisingly, it did not rain today. We ended our activities with supper at the Mariott. Today was "super fun" and we really enjoyed our day of relaxation at the resort!

Pura vida,

the Penguins

Day 4 Costa Rica Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy Hefner) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:34:00 +0000

Blog for June 21

Welcome from the Kinkajoos (a type of monkey)! Today after leaving from our host families, we traveled to a sugar cane plantation. We learned how to convert sugar cane into brown sugar or Dulce T. We sampled it with coffee and ate potato mash with crepes and molasses. Afterwards, we went to the actual sugar cane plantation where we saw different varieties of sugar cane and learned about their organic practices. We had lunch at La Hacienda which was a buffet lunch overlooking the beautiful valley. They showed us how to extract the juice from sugar cane and made us some molasses candy and brown sugar. It was amazing! We saw Macadamia nut trees and surrounding plants related to the potato family that gave off natural pesticide. Next, we saw the sorting proccess of the macadamia nuts and even cracked a few. We played games with the local youth including: volleyball, basketball, electricity, and corners. Kirk even found a couple of Snickers at the local super market(It was kind of a big deal)! After meeting up with our host families the group got together for an exciting fiesta, complete with bar-b-que and dancing! This is where Kyle found his future sweet woman from Holland (This was another big deal). We learned to Salsa, Dan did some shagging (big deal), Kyle tried dancing with the woman from Holland, and we all danced the night away! We went home with our host families for the second night, which was the biggest deal of all! (Btw, Kyle got locked out of the bathroom and Mr. Big Deal himself- Kyle- got it open with a credit card.)

Day 5 Costa Rica Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy Hefner) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:57:00 +0000

Blog for June 22

The day started off on a sad note as we departed from our "new" houses (a.k.a. our host family's houses). Then we were off to start our adventure at the local farmer's cooperative where we were given the opportunity to purchase an authentic machete. After that we split into our different buses and headed to the mini-vegetable farm. We were able to see how they grow and package different types of produce including: carrots, broccoli, beats, celery, parsley, and cabbage. It was interesting to learn that just four employees work over eleven acres of land doing everything by hand. The majority of the vegetables went to a local market but some was exported to the United States, primarily Miami, as well as Italy. We then traveled to a coffee plantation, where we learned how coffee beans were harvested. We were able to learn the process from seed to store. This was also a family operated farm where all of their merchandise is distributed over the Internet and in local stores. We drank lots of coffee and ate yummy chocolate covered coffee beans. Some of us bought wayyy too much stuff for our beloved family back home. Afterwards, we had a very late lunch. Followed by a very, very long bus ride through the rain....with only one bathroom break! We finally arrived at our hotel (airconditioned!! yippee!!) at 7:15pm. We were greeted with a refreshing pineapple drink as we departed from the bus and checked into our hotel rooms. We were also able to try a mimone fruit, a spiny fruit with a big seed in the middle surrounded by a sweet, fleshy fruit. The day ended with a delicious dinner, and a celebration of Melody's birthday.

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy Hefner) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:48:00 +0000

Post for Saturday, June 20, 2009.....

Good news! Everyone survived whitewater rafting!! What a great time for all who went. We enjoyed a wonderful trip down the Sarapiqui River. The guides were fantastic and we saw several types of wildlife when we weren't paddling! We saw monkeys, toucans, parrots, king fishers, porcupine, and sloth. Our fearless leader, Cindy, took an extra "swim" in the water when she fell out of the raft! We also had 3 other "swimmers" but everyone had a blast! The other thing we did today was tour a pineapple farm. We got to learn all about the whole process from planting shoots to the harvest. The pineapples are planted and harvested by hand. The pineapples are unloaded at the plant by floating in water. They are then rinsed, dried, sorted, boxed and stored at 45 degrees. We learned that pineapple does not have to be yellow in order to be ripe, and should be stored at 45 degrees to prevent it from fermenting. All in all it was a great day!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy Hefner) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 03:33:00 +0000

Friday, June 19th

Welcome to the jungle! Today we started our day with a nature walk through the Arenal Hanging Bridges. We saw an abundance of wildlife and were able to experience the humidity of the rainforest. Three species of monkeys were spotted including the howler, spider,and white faced. Additionally, we encountered some posionous creatures such as the posion dart frog and two viper snakes. Toucans, macaws, and various other bird species were spotted at different times throughout the walk. The highlight of our hike was crossing the suspended bridges, some reaching heights of nearly 250 feet! We then enjoyed lunch on our own in the town of La Fortuna, and were able to have some free time to browse local stores. Loading back onto the bus, we traveled to a local farm where we learned how brown sugar was made in the early days. We then continued to a local school where young children demonstrated traditional Costa Rican dances. Just as the rain began to fall, we made it back to the farm to taste fresh fruits like pineappe, papaya, bananas, starfruit, lime, and passion fruit among others. Next, we ventured to the hot springs to enjoy a relaxing night. We then finished up our day with a dinner of steak, chicken, rice, beans, and rice pudding.

Peace Out
International Harvesters
Melissa McDonald, Lara Davis, Dustin Doherty, TJ Hines, Ben Hutto, Brian Holman, David Gibbens, Rex Price, Kurt VanDeWalle

Costa Rica - Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy Hefner) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:30:00 +0000

Hola! Today was day one of the Costa Rican Proficiency trip. We left Miami and flew to San José. We boarded the charter buses and we were on our way to finally eat some lunch at El Rodeo. We experienced new dishes such as: cold fish soup, palm hearts, and chimchurri sauce; however, some were familiar such as steak and chicken. After eating, we headed to Alajuela to tour the Buttterfly Farm. Our guide Jonathon informed us about butterfly species and anatomy as well as the connection between humans and butterflies as part of the the ecosystem. Following the tour, we took some very winding, narrow roads in the dark and the rain. Finally, after some scary turns, we arrived at our hotel, the Volcano Lodge in La Fortuna-San Carlos. More stories from the trip to come tomorrow!

Adiós from La Cosecha (the harvest):

Melody Brewen, Missouri
Lisa Schluttenhofer, Indiana
Victor & Janet Fiorini, California
Garrett Owen, North Carolina
Shane Blaes, Kansas
Patrick Savelle, Georgia
Brian Hills, Illinois
Eric Kamler, Nebraska

Back in the USA!

noreply@blogger.com (mtatman) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:44:00 +0000

Greetings!

We have all arrived back in the US! What an incredible twelve days we had in Asia. The I-CAL program was fortunate to have twelve amazing college students apart of the program this year. The students truly had a thrust for learning and experiencing international agriculture. Now that they are back in the US, they have been given the challenge of helping others understand international agriculture, marketing and trade. While we enjoyed our time visiting the many cultural sites China and Vietnam have to offer (the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Olympics Bird’s Nest and Water Cube, and dragon boat races), it was the tours of dairy farms, feed mills, and aquaculture operations that truly made the program memorable and educational.

We would like to thank everybody who read the blog while we were overseas. We are lucky to have been able to work with the US Grains Foundation again this year to provide such an amazing opportunity for our collegiate students.

Until next year!

Marty Tatman
Education Specialist
National FFA Organization

Our Last Day in Asia

noreply@blogger.com (mtatman) — Fri, 29 May 2009 20:00:00 +0000

We began our last day on our trip throughout Vietnam and China in Hong Kong at the Dragon Boat Races Festival. The annual festival hosts many teams from across the area to race wooden row boats with carvings of dragon heads and tails. Each boat holds about twenty rowers and a drummer in the front of the boat. It was fun to see the excitement everyone had for this annual race and experience an important Chinese tradition first hand. The Dragon Boat Races Festival was a very enjoyable event and a great close to our tour.

After the Dragon Boat Races Festival, we went to a huge outlet mall in Hong Kong to spend the afternoon shopping. We ended our night with the light show at Victoria Harbor and a celebratory dinner at an Italian restaurant where we shared our most memorable experiences of the program. After dinner, we watched a power point presentation of photos and memories from the past two weeks. It truly was a wonderful last night overseas.

This trip has been a life changing experience for twelve students from across the United States. It is hard to believe that our time in Asia has already come to an end. However, I-CAL team members realize that their work with helping others understand international agriculture and trade is just beginning. After arriving back in the states, I-CAL team members will give presentations in their local communities to share what they have learned about international agriculture and trade.
Heather McLean – University of Tennessee at Martin
Londa Johnson – University of Wisconsin – River Falls

To the Peak of Asian Agriculture

noreply@blogger.com (mtatman) — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:15:00 +0000

After a satisfying breakfast in Guangzhou, we said goodbye to Sam Niu, from the U.S. Grains Council’s office in Beijing, before boarding the train for Hong Kong. We enjoyed the scenic two hour ride to Hong Kong, an administrative region of China.

Our first order of business in Hong Kong was meeting with Philip Shull of the U.S. Agricultural Trade Office and Joel Haggard with the U.S. Meat Export Federation. We discussed differences between the U.S. and Asia, specifically the importance of food in the Chinese language and culture. We also learned about agricultural trading opportunities that include opening up new export markets for the U.S. Digging deeper, we discussed red meat exports and why American beef is currently banned in China. The issue began in 2003 with a BSE scare. Even though there is no food safety concern with U.S. beef, it is still banned due in China. The ban on U.S. beef is partially a political decision due to the fact that the U.S. will not import cooked poultry from China.

But, don’t think that the Chinese don’t like U.S. beef. It has been noted that huge amounts of U.S. beef have recently been exported to Vietnam. This beef eventually makes its way across the Chinese border and restaurants in China can be seen advertising the fact that they serve U.S. beef. Hopefully, in the future trade agreements can be made so that U.S. beef can be exported directly into to China.

After our meeting, we took a tram up the steep mountainside to the top of “The Peak” which overlooks all of Hong Kong. We got a quick view of the harbor before the fog settled in. After some pictures, shopping and dinner, we took a bus down a winding road to a ferry. The ferry took us across the harbor and we walked back to our hotel.

We concluded the evening with a debriefing about the I-CAL program. We discussed all of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to Vietnamese and Chinese agriculture as well as America’s relationship with these countries. As I-CAL participants, we emphasized the importance of sharing our newly gained knowledge with others back at home. We can’t wait to share our new perspectives with you!

Kelly Moyer - Colorado State University
Brooke Jameson - North Dakota State University

Going Hog Wild over DDGS

noreply@blogger.com (mtatman) — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:58:00 +0000

We began our day by visiting the Guangzhou Lizhi Agricultural Industry, a U.S. Grains Council partner swine farm. It was interesting to see and learn how the swine industry differs in China from the U.S. In the United States many producers specialize in a certain part of the growth process, whereas in China they are more geared toward farrow to finish. Chinese swine production is expanding due to government support programs even though they are currently losing money in the industry with supply issues and low prices. We found it very interesting to find out that even though China is the leading pork producer in the world, 50 percent of the pigs produced are by small, backyard farms (less than 50 head). The U.S. Grains Council has partnered with this farm in several key areas. Council programs have led to technological improvement, management development and increased knowledge about high quality feed ingredients. These improvements are helping Lizhi to reach their goal of 200,000 pigs produced per year.

In the afternoon we visited the Guangdong Haid Group Co., Ltd. This is a feed grains company with 20 subsidiary companies. They are currently one of the larger importers of U.S. DDGS and have attended the Council’s DDGS workshops, conferences and have participated in team visits to the United States. We met with them at their headquarters in Guangzhou and then traveled to one of their feed mills and research development sites. In the future the Haid Group, with the help of the Council, hopes to be the largest feed company in China.

Tomorrow we board a train in the morning to travel to Hong Kong where we will wrap up our journey to Asia.

Scott Henry - Iowa State University
Amber Phillips - University of Wyoming

We have arrived in Guangzhou!

noreply@blogger.com (mtatman) — Mon, 25 May 2009 20:49:00 +0000

This morning we got up early and flew from Beijing to Guangzhou which is located in the southern part of China. After the three-hour flight and some much needed sleep for the group, we checked into the China Hotel and grabbed some lunch. We ate at a traditional Chinese restaurant which we are all very much enjoying (minus the sardines…)

After lunch, we took our first venture in a Chinese taxi and went to the supermarket. The supermarket turned out to be similar to a grocery store you would find in the US. However, one difference we noticed was the large amount of employees. Every aisle had someone waiting to help you pick something off of the shelf. Another big difference we found was at the meat counter, where there was a much wider selection consisting of chicken feet, whole fish, turtle shells, and much more. In addition to a grocery store, we also found it to be a shopping mall. We all did some un-needed shopping before taking another first adventure on the subway back to the hotel.

For dinner we met with the Chinese Swine Management Team, which consists of nine producers and farm managers from all over China. Over some excellent Chinese cuisine, we discussed many areas of swine production in China. We learned that the pork industry has progressed rapidly over the last few years and continues to have a great outlook. When asked about the future of pork production in China, the team responded by saying that the outlook remains optimistic, but is dependent upon the government. We also discussed pork production in the U.S. as the team will be traveling to Iowa, Kansas and Indiana over the next two weeks. We gave them some great tips on where to find some great food and places to see.

We truly enjoyed our day and are happy to be in Guangzhou!

Andy Pringnitz – Iowa State University
Michelle Euken – Iowa State University

The Great Wall, Tombs, and Gold Medals – A Day of Touring

noreply@blogger.com (mtatman) — Mon, 25 May 2009 12:04:00 +0000

Our rest day began with touring the famous sights around Beijing. First stop was the Great Wall of China and it was truly breathtaking and we now understand why it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Our group enjoyed a gondola ride to the top of the mountain and was able to hike up and down the wall taking in the sights from numerous vantage points. It was amazing to be in such a historical place and imagine the country’s struggles and toils thousands of years ago.

After lunch, the Ming Tombs were our next stop. Once again we experienced a look back in time into Chinese culture and were amazed at the structures.

Finally, wrapped up the day with touring the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube where the 2008 World Olympics were held in Beijing. We were so excited to see up close what we all watched last August from our homes in the United States. We even came home with our very own gold medals!

Tomorrow we are on our way to Guangzhou to get back to touring agricultural facilities and meeting with some staff of the U.S. Grains Council.

Amy Berry, University of Wyoming
Sara Vandenbos, Utah State University

Experiencing the Dairy Industry

noreply@blogger.com (mtatman) — Sun, 24 May 2009 00:31:00 +0000

To start our Saturday, we toured the Hua Xia Dairy (pronounced “Wa-Shaw”). This dairy is located about one hour East of Beijing in an agriculture industrial park. To begin the tour we met the operators of the dairy in their conference room for informational videos about the dairy. Following the videos we were able to ask questions and sample some “Wonder Milk.” Wonder Milk is the Hua Xia Dairy milk brand; it’s very good!

The Hua Xia group was established in 2004 by several entrepreneurs in California. They began their dairy operation in China with 180 Holsteins from New Zealand. They currently house 5,000 head of dairy cattle, and expect to reach 8,000 by the end of this year.

Computerized milking and feeding systems maximize feeding efficiency. They also produce all of their milk without the use of BST growth hormones or antibiotics. The dairy employs nearly 200 people, with 18 being veterinarians and 4 of those being AI specialists.

The biggest issue that they noted was the inconsistency of feed from local supply. They also mentioned problems with milk quality in China as a whole. Most operations are “backyard” where they do not have good operating procedures or pasteurization processes. After the initial briefing and video we took a tour of the farm. Then we returned to the conference room for Hua Xia Dairy ice cream; again, very good! The tour proved to be very interesting, and their procedures were just as good, if not more tedious, than dairy operations in the United States.
After the dairy we stopped to grab lunch at an authentic Chinese restaurant, which served donkey. We discovered our liking of donkey was better than expected. We also experienced the chance to become Chinese paparazzi. We were obviously one of the very few American groups to stop in.

We were then on our way to practice our bartering skills again at the pearl market. We all were able to walk away with some good bargains. From the pearl market we honed our skills at the silk market. One word to describe this market was “chaos.” Five levels of enthusiastic entrepreneurs, eagerly attempting to sell us their goods! To say the least, our stress levels were maxed out as we tried to make our purchases.

After our afternoon at the markets, we traveled to a local downtown Chinese restaurant for dinner. We then returned to the hotel to get an evening of relaxing sleep. We are all excited for the adventures that lay ahead tomorrow as we travel to the Great Wall, Ming Tomb, the Olympic Stadium, and the Water Cube!

Ashley Mason – University of Western Illinois
Emilie Magnus – Kansas State University

Expanding Our Horizons in Beijing

noreply@blogger.com (mtatman) — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:11:00 +0000

Friday, May 22 brought new knowledge of international trade and marketing. The first full day in Beijing began at the U.S. Grains Council Office. This office is located in the China World Tower. Cary Sifferath, Director of USGC-China Office, started the morning with an overview of corn production and USGC programs such as DDGS promotion, trade servicing, and trade policy. An interesting fact that Mr. Sifferath shared was that an estimated ninety percent of corn harvested in China is done by hand. He also mentioned that no GMO corn is produced in China. We also learned that U.S. DDGS, a corn byproduct, is imported and used in livestock feeds. A main focus of the USGC is to increase demand for DDGS by building the Chinese swine and dairy industry by encouraging commercial growth and providing training to producers. In addition, Mr. Sifferath explained that the Chinese government has discontinued the growth of the Chinese ethanol industry due to the increasing population and need for corn in the food supply.

Phillip Laney, China Country Director for American Soybean Association (ASA), provided the team with some valuable insight about the Chinese soybean market and U.S. soybean trade. It was interesting to learn that China is the number one importer of U.S. soybeans. All imported U.S. soybeans are used for livestock production. This solid Chinese market has already imported 680,509 million bushels of U.S. soybeans since September 1, 2008. Mr. Laney also talked about how ASA is working to increase the demand for U.S. soybeans by working closely with the aquaculture industry. The aquaculture industry is rapidly growing in China and by working with aquaculture producers, ASA is hoping to further increase the demand for U.S. soybeans.

Finally, a representative from U.S. Wheat Associates-China Office provided information about the wheat industry in China. Currently, imports of U.S. wheat in China are basically non-existent due to the increased price of U.S. wheat and sufficient production of Chinese wheat. An interesting fact that we learned was that popular U.S. fast food chains are rapidly increasing in China. From 2005 to 2008, Papa John’s Pizza restaurant had a 594 percent growth in China.

After this educational morning, we ventured to Louis Dreyfus Commodities Company for a tour of a soybean crushing facility. Mr. Alex Dong, General Manager, gave us an overview of the company and its history. He also shared valuable information about the China commodities market. The Louis Dreyfus plant began production of soybean oil and meal in 2007. Currently the plant imports about 500,000 tons of U.S. soybeans per year. Mr. Dong also gave us a tour of the plant and explained how soybean meal and soybean oil is produced at the plant.

To finish off the day, the team ate at a traditional Chinese restaurant. Each day our chopstick skills improve a bit, but we still have a long way to go. After dinner everyone had the chance to have a little taste of home with Coldstone Creamery ice cream.

Londa Johnson - Senior, University of Wisconsin-River Falls
Heather McLean - Graduate Student, University of Florida

Arrival in China and Peking Duck

noreply@blogger.com (mtatman) — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:31:00 +0000

The transition from Wednesday to Thursday was a little blurry for the I-CAL team as we left our hotel for the airport at 1:00 AM on Thursday morning without having a chance to sleep. At the airport, we had to say our last goodbyes to Adel and Chien, our U.S. Grains Council representatives. It was hard to say goodbye because we ha d such a great time with them for the past 2 days! They did such a fabulous job of educating us about the U.S. Grains Council’s role in Vietnam and Vietnamese agriculture in general. We boarded our Air China flight at 3:40 AM and headed for China. This was our opportunity to finally catch some shut-eye.

Upon arriving in Nanning, China, just north of the Vietnamese border, we went through the security customs and health inspection point. While the majority of us moved through immigration with no problems, we realized that Londa had suddenly disappeared. Apparently the infrared system, used to measure body temperature, indicated that she had a higher than normal temperature. After being escorted to an examination room, a man entered, put on a doctor’s coat and latex gloves, and took her temperature. While he was scribbling notes away in Chinese and reading a manual where the only English words on it were “Swine Flu”, Londa felt her body temperature naturally rising due to the fear of possibly being quarantined in China. Turns out, her temperature was 36.6°C and she was thankfully released. Londa said, “I was scared and didn’t want to be quarantined in China. I don’t like it that much!”

Even with the holdup in customs, we were able to catch our connecting flight to Beijing, and safely arrived in the afternoon. After a satisfying Pizza Hut lunch, which lacked the exotic flair of the other cuisine we’ve experienced on our trip thus far, we headed to Tiananmen Square with U.S. Grains Council representative, Rachel. Tiananmen Square is the heart of the old city that includes Tiananmen Tower, the Great Hall of the People, the Monument to People’s Heroes, and Mao Zedong Memorial Hall. You’re probably most familiar with this name because of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, where hundreds of student protestors were killed by the Chinese Army. Today it was pretty low key and scattered with tourists. Being able to see something in person, that has graced the pages of so many textbooks, was very cool.

Tiananmen Square is located directly in front of the Forbidden City, which we had the opportunity to tour as well. The Forbidden City is an Imperial Palace where 24 emperors reigned for over 500 years. The construction of this massive complex, which happens to be the largest in the world, began in 1407 and it includes 9,999 rooms that are surrounded by a 6 meter deep moat and a 10 meter high wall. The whole group felt overwhelmed by the size and detailed intricacy of the many palaces.

After freshening up, we met with the U.S. Grains Council staff from the China office for a Peking Duck dinner. Peking Duck is a local favorite traditional dish that ALL of us really enjoyed. In addition to duck, we ate a variety of “real” Chinese food. The whole meal was delicious and we all left happy and content as well as more aware of what the U.S. Grains Council is currently doing in China. During dinner we had the opportunity to discuss the basics of agriculture, government, and education in China with the staff. It’s safe to say, we all had a great time and are excited to meet with the U.S. Grains Council staff tomorrow morning to learn more about the specific U.S. agricultural products’ roles in China.

Brooke Jameson – North Dakota State University
Kelly Moyer – Colorado State University

Milling Around

noreply@blogger.com (mtatman) — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:09:00 +0000

Our second day went well. We ate a great breakfast with Michael Riedel and Tran Quoc Quan, both with the USDA. Mike works with the Foreign Agriculture Service and gave us a great overview of his position here in Saigon for the FAS. He began by telling us that U.S. exports to Vietnam last year totaled over $1 billion. This is due to the increase in disposable income that the Vietnamese people have. With more disposable income comes and increase in protein/meat intake. There has been an increase in chicken imports in Vietnam from the U.S. These chicken imports include the cheaper cuts such as drumsticks. There has also been an increase in beef consumption (exported from the U.S.), primarily in the nicer hotels, etc. He pointed out that there are still imports barriers on U.S. beef to Vietnam such as the beef must be less than 30 months of age. He is here in Vietnam to help work on trade agreements and he is a liaison with the USDA in Washington D.C. about trade with Vietnam and Cambodia. He also talked about the FAEA (Food and Agriculture Export Administration) and the importance of the FAEA and U.S. Grains Council in showing local producers how they can benefit from things such as the U.S. DDGS. After breakfast we loaded onto the bus and traveled to the Interflour Port towards the south of Vietnam. This port will be one of the first that can handle Panamax ships. Due to this and poor infrastructure, the port in Saigon will be closed at the end of this month because the port is no longer deep enough and there is too much congestion with all of the water traffic and traffic in downtown Saigon. At the Interflour Port on the Ti Vi River, we met with Jim Eckle who outlined the development of the mill and port and the surrounding area. The silos can hold 90,000 metric tons of wheat. The first of June, the first Panamax ship will arrive. This port will only be for agricultural products. The original port had two unloaders that could unload 200 tons/hour and the new unloaders will be able to do 1200 tons/hour. They are also building two new truck bays that will be able to load/unload 40 tons in 15 minutes. The current problem for U.S. exporters is that there are not enough containers to ship things back to Asia. Also, due to the lack of containers, this year no soybean meal was exported to Vietnam where as last year 90,000 tons was exported to Vietnam. After a delicious lunch at the port and mill, we traveled back towards Saigon. On the way we experienced rubber trees and hammocks! We also tasted fruits of many tastes, shapes and smells (all while playing with crabs)! This evening we shopped at a local market, learned how to barter and ate dinner at the Rex (a local GI hangout during the Vietnam War) with U.S. Grains Council staff from this area.

The U.S. Grains Council plays an important role in Vietnam by talking to producers on small, personal level about the potential implementation of U.S. feed grains in the livestock and aquaculture sectors. We were unable to see a swine farm due to the swine flu, but we learned that the main focus of U.S. Grains Council in Vietnam is the swine industry because it is growing rapidly. Government and high demand is leading to very high profits for swine producers ($65-$70/ pig net) and the USGC is competing with local grain options to improve quality of feed thru imports of U.S. grains. We leave at 3:40 AM this morning (Thursday) for Beijing where the adventures and learning will continue…

Scott Henry - Iowa State University

Amber Phillips - University of Wyoming

Arrival in Asia

noreply@blogger.com (mtatman) — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:18:00 +0000

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam late on Monday night after a layover in Hong Kong. Upon arrival, we could already feel the humidity but were excited to step foot on Asian soil and begin our adventure.

After a short night of sleep and a great breakfast featuring signature Vietnamese food at the hotel, we began our day by taking a boat ride down one of the many canals connecting to the Mekong River. We took the boat about two hours up river to our first stop, a local fish farm. At this stop, the importance of aquaculture was extremely evident. Aquaculture is the second largest agricultural industry in the country, trailing only swine production. Since 2006, there has been a big boom in fish farming, and it has created over 100,000 jobs.One of the things we observed at the local fish farm was that they have started to include U.S. DDGS in their feed ration. The U.S. Grains Council has done a great deal of work to make the feeding of DDGS a reality. We learned more about these efforts to include DDGS in fish feed rations by visiting Vinh Hoan, the 2nd largest fish feed mill in Vietnam. The U.S. Grains Council has been conducting a feed trial at this facility to answer producers' questions about how DDGS will affect the quality of their fish. Through this feed trial, they have discovered that including DDGS in the ration does not cause a discoloration in the meat, and it increases feed intake by 150%. Including DDGS in the fish feed ration at a 15% inclusion rate has proven to be very cost effective for the producer.

We very much enjoyed our first full day in Vietnam and have already learned so much. We are looking forward to tomorrow when we will see Interflour Port and experience the local market place.

Michelle Euken, Iowa State University

Andy Prignitz, Iowa State University

Back in the USA

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy Hefner) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 01:31:00 +0000

Greetings!

It is Sunday, January 18 and after many hours of flying, gaining an entire day back after crossing the International Dateline and a couple days of rest we are all safe and sound back in the United States..... and boy are we glad to be home!

It was an incredible trip - once in a lifetime! I had the pleasure of leading an incredible group of individuals on this great adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each and every one of them. We covered a lot of ground in the Peoples Republic of China. We left the hotel each day around 8:00 a.m. and didn't return until 8:00 p.m. in the evening. Seeing everything from the Great Wall of China to the Forbidden City to the Terracotta Warriors - amazing!

Thank you for reading our blogs - we hope you enjoyed reading them as much as we enjoyed writing them.

Until next time.....

Cindy Hefner
Program Manager, Global Programs
National FFA Organization

Our last day in China

noreply@blogger.com (Cindy Hefner) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:49:00 +0000

Well..... Today was our last full day in China! We are still in Shanghai!

We started out with a presentation from Westfalia Surge (a trip sponsor). A representative from the company spoke to us during breakfast and provided us with lots of great information about China's dairy industry.

Today's pace was much slower so we left the hotel a little later than normal. Our first stop was the Yu Garden - a beautiful garden even in the dead of winter and 32 degrees Fahrenheit. It covers over 20,000 meters and is filled with lots of beautiful rocks, halls and pagodas....we are sure it is absolutely breathtaking in the summer months.

After leaving the Yu Garden we were given free time to shop for souvenirs in the nearby stores and then traveled to the Bund and Nanjing Road for more shopping. We had a lot of fun purchasing items to bring home to our family and friends.

We ended the evening with an entertaining dinner where some of our fellow participants provided us with some impromptu singing and auctioneering. After dinner we enjoyed an amazing Chinese acrobat show. We were in awe of the performers talents including a contortionist, juggling hats, balancing plates and much more.

We are back at the hotel and are packing our bags and some of us are getting our final massages (very cheap - $20 US dollars for a one hour massage). We leave for the airport in the morning to head back to the United States. This has been an amazing trip! We can't believe what all we have seen and accomplished in nine days! It has been an experience of a lifetime!

We can't wait to see all of you in a few short days!..... and to eat a nice big steak and baked potato!!