Wow! What a whirlwind these past few days have been!
Day 1
After flying from Saskatoon to Toronto, I was able to meet up with another Canadian delegate, Fiona, for our flight to London Heathrow. We survived the 7 hour flight to London and arrived at 11:30 on Saturday morning (that translates to 5:30am MB time). We boarded a bus to Birmingham where we were met by a National Young Farmer's
Council member and delivered to our hosts for the night, Bert and Jen, from Robert Mitchell Farms. After tea we did a walk of their farm, a mixed arable and beef feedlot. They currently have about 650 steers on feed which they house in large open sheds. They strictly feed steers and mainly get in Continental breeds (lots of Limos and Belgian Blues). In Britain animals are graded on the EUROP scale, which includes meat yield and fat covet. Canada's scale includes marbling (fat inside the muscle) which plays a role in meat tenderness. Robert Mitchell Farms also grow wheat, maize (corn), oilseed rape (similar to canola) and potatoes. Most grain is stored in large sheds instead of bins and the potatoes are kept in cold storage to keep them from spoiling and can be kept for months! The farm also has implemented a sorting system and bagging robot to allow them to pack their potatoes for the chip (french fry) market. Waste potatoes from the farm and from nearby potato packing plants are used on the farm in the cattle ration, along with silage and chopped hay - which is a neat way to use up bad potatoes. This was a diverse and forward thinking farm that I really enjoyed touring!
Side note: there are hedges EVERYWHERE! Environmental regulations don't allow them to be removed easily and they are kept as habitat for the songbird population.
Monday, June 29, 2015
Going Global Update #1
Friday, June 19, 2015
Going Global: T-7 Days
Hi there! Thanks for taking the time to check out these
posts. I would like to welcome you along with me as I journey from my hometown
of Swan River, Manitoba, Canada across the Atlantic Ocean to the United Kingdom
for a month-long exchange program with 4-H Canada! I have one week remaining
before I travel and I am getting excited! Also nervous as I have a lot of packing
to do (good thing I am still living out of suitcases from moving home from
college in April).
First off, a bit about the exchange program. I was
selected as one of ten 4-H members, from across Canada, to participate in the
first ever Going Global Exchange Program. The program is offered to 4-H members
ages 18-25. In this reciprocal international exchange, participants are placed
with host families and come home with increased cultural awareness, new
friendships, and unique ways of thinking about sustainable agriculture and food
security issues. It’s a chance for 4-H members to experience a new country,
expand their global perspective, learn about sustainable agriculture practices,
and explore issues related to food security. Delegates selected for this
program were given the opportunity to choose between 5 host countries (Taiwan,
Finland, Jamaica, Japan, and United Kingdom).
If you are not familiar with the 4-H program, I
strongly encourage you to check it out! It is one of Canada’s most widespread
and beneficial youth development programs. Traditionally, 4-H was an
agriculture related program, but it has since evolved into many other areas
allowing it to appeal to a whole new group of Canadian youths! It allows for
development of life skills and establishment of lifelong relationships and
friendships. There are also heaps of scholarships, work, development and travel
opportunities provided to members! If you’re interested in joining a club or
want more information on this fantastic program – check out 4-H Canada’s
website: http://www.4-h-canada.ca/
Next up, a bit about me! I am a small town farm
girl, raised on a mixed beef/grain/horse farm in Swan River, Manitoba, Canada
and avid 4-H member for as long as I can recall (officially, this was my 14th
year – but I attended meetings and did speeches with my older siblings long
before I was old enough to join). I was/am a member of two clubs: Swan Valley
Easy Lopers (equine) and Minitonas 4-H Beef Club. Involvement in these clubs
has shaped who I am today in so many ways, but I will need an entire other post
about all the great lessons and experiences I have gained. In the fall I will
be entering my 4th and final year of post-secondary education at the
University of Saskatchewan, in Saskatoon, SK. In spring 2016 I will graduate
with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, with a major in Animal Science and a
minor in Agribusiness.
Lastly, a bit about my exchange partner! When I
return to Canada on July 23, 2015, I will be bringing a very special guest with
me. Poppy, a member of U.K.’s National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, will
return to Canada with me to spend a month experiencing Canadian agriculture. I
am working to set up a variety of tours and events that will help her get the
most out of her experience.
I KNOW this is getting long – but this is the
IMPORTANT part! Here is where I want your help: if you have any great ideas of
places we could visit (between Swan River, MB and Saskatoon, SK or within a couple
hours of that route) please feel free to contact me! We are willing to come to
your farm/agriculture event and help out (free labor!) to gain experience. She
will be in Canada from July 23 – August 20. Please feel free to contact me and
let me know what sort of fun ideas you’ve got for us to try! (Thanks in
advance)
I want to thank-you again for starting this journey
with me! I will try to share stories and pictures of my travels and experiences
as often as possible. I am truly blessed and so very honored to have received this opportunity and I promise to represent this amazing country well.
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