Going Global Update #4

This update is a little late...but better late than never! I arrived at my new host's place on Thursday evening and had another supper! (I'd eaten fish and chips less than an hour before) Needless to say I have been well fed in England! Will and his brother George live in a barn conversion on the other side of Boston from my first host's (Lauren) place. It is really neat to see an old structure done up as a nice home. We took a walk down to a couple oilseed rape (CANOLA!) fields that evening. The crops looked excellent and were nearly taller than me! The oilseed rape is seeded in the fall, grows almost all year and will be harvested soon. On Friday we toured some more crops as well as the family's business. Charles Wright & Sons Ltd.  is an ag merchant company that sells fertilizer, buys and stores grain and does various custom work such as fertilizer spreading and sugar beet harvesting.  I got to spend some time spreading fertilizer with Will's cousin, Charles. The company has implemented some pretty modern variable rate technology (VRT) on their equipment and have monitors on the tractors which shoes you exactly where and how much fert has been spread. They also have technology on some of their machines that measure the level of plant matter and will adjust the application rate accordingly. This would be particularly useful when applying foliar fertilizer, a practice that is widely used in the UK, but is only starting to be used around my area in Manitoba.
Friday night we had a BBQ with a group of people from Lincolnshire YFC. They are just like a family - a similarity that YFC and 4-H share. It was a fantastic evening which finished off with watching pirranaconda (I do not recommend it).
On Saturday morning we went down to Revesby Estates to help set up for the Lincolnshire Young Farmers charity clay shoot on Sunday before heading to the Parrot Zoo! The Parrot Zoo is a local attraction that began as a sanctuary for hurt or unwanted parrots and has since expanded to have every sort of animal! Sophie, another young farmer, joined us for a fantastic afternoon. The weather was beautiful and we got to enjoy talking parrots of all kinds, baby reindeer, tortoise races, the meerkat town and Bengal tigers! The tigers were spectacular and we got to see the mother and her three cubs up close. We talked to the owner about the tigers and he told us that the zoo will be getting another bunch of tigers in the fall. The owner estimates that after they arrive he will be taking care of around 1% of the Bengal tiger population.
On Sunday we were off the the charity clay shoot for a day off grilling, shooting and socializing! The clay shoot was very successful despite some rain and a good time was had by all! I was honoured to receive a Lincolnshire 40th Anniversary shirt from the club and I will wear it with pride. We had a quick try at archery (practicing bear hunting) before we cleaning up/getting rained on and heading home for a relaxing evening off. 

This was my last day in Lincolnshire before heading off to Wales for my second week of adventures. Every tends to use different lingo and phrases - Lincolnshire was no exception! I thought I would share a few of them with you, please excuse the spelling:
1. 'Over yonder' - over there
2. 'Yockon' - hook up to something (like a trailer)
3. 'Collarodeonend'- pick up the other side (to move an object)

The last is my personal favorite but was tough to figure out the meaning of, even in context.

Will drove me up to Wales on Monday and I caught a true glimpse of the weather here as it was 20c leaving Lincolnshire and pouring rain in Wales!

Going Global Update #3

Day 5
On Canada's birthday, Susan(my host) and I caught the passenger train to Lincoln, Lincolnshire. It is the main city in the county and has a population of roughly 95k people. It is also home to Lincoln Castle and Lincoln Cathedral - both of which I got to tour!
Both are located at the top of the aptly named Steep Hill. We followed the 1,380 ft, store lined, cobbled roadway up to the top in the sweltering heat to the entrance of Lincoln Castle. Lincoln Castle was constructed by William the Conquerer in 1068 on an ancient Roman site. In the 1700's it was converted into a prison, but the majority of the castle remains in its traditional form. We toured the prison and walked on the castle wall around the entire castle yard. From the castle wall we had a fantastic view of the city as well as Lincoln Cathedral. 2015 is the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta and the city had a variety of celebratory events on. Including a display and film about its history. 

We enjoyed fresh ice cream before touring up to the Lincoln Cathedral. The Cathedral was absolutely breathtaking! It also is massive. We toured many of the rooms, the library and the outside of the Cathedral. Below are some pictures from inside and outside of it!

We had afternoon tea in on our trip down the hill and walked along the river before catching the train home. I was wiped from the walking and the heat.

Day 6
What a relaxing day! Susan took me to Skagness Beach, so I got to see the sea again! 'Skag' is a stark contrast to Huntstanton - much more touristy and commercial. This beach was also more sandy than Huntstanton so I took the opportunity to swim, play in the waves and relax on the warm sand. We enjoyed beach ice cream and a stroll along the pier and beach followed by a visit to the animal sanctuary. I got to see sea lions, meerkats , and many reptiles. We followed up with fish and chips before heading off to meet up with my next host, Will.

Going Global Update #2

Day 2
The second day of my trip was slower, much to my relief. I was feeling the effects of jet lag and lots of travel and excitement. After a quick orientation with National Young Farmer's Clubs Council and the other exchangees (from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Canada) I travelled from Warwickshire to Boston, Lincolnshire, with the county club chairman, to my next host's home. Lauren gave me a tour of her family's farm, which grows potatoes and onions(mainly) as well as leases out cold storage in the off season - for import crops like sweet potato and butternut squash. We also took a tour to Framptom Marsh, a boggy area along the coast that gaurds the excellent arable land from the sea and is used for grazing. I got to see a few more cattle  which were Belgian Blue and Angus. 

Day 3
Day 3 of my stay was very exciting! Lauren took me up to Huntstanton beach where I got to see the ocean for the first time in my life! It was every bit as breathtaking as I imagined it would be. We walked the shore, collected some beautiful shells then enjoyed a traditional sea side meal... You guessed it... Fish and chips!
After lunch we toured down to Burghley Place (Bur-lee) which is an old mansion and massive estate including gardens, arable land, deer farms, a horse trials area and so much more. The history I am learning about is deep and has been delicately recorded. Below is a photo of me at Burghley House!

Burghley House

That evening we attended the Lincolnshire County YFC's annual general meeting. I was impressed by the quality of the young people involved in this organization as well as the mentors helping to direct the program. The UK farming community can feel confident that their future is in good hands and I look forward to meeting these friends further down the AG trail of life.

Day 4
Onto another neat day of agriculture! Lauren arranged a couple great experiences for me. Her brother is currently working on a custom pea vining crew. They have specialized harvesters that are exclusively for harvesting fresh peas that will be frozen and sent to supermarkets everywhere. 

Neat Facts:
1.The peas must be received at the factory within 2 hours of being harvested so the crew is often waiting on a call from the factory to give them the OK to go.
2.Pea viners harvest at about 3-4km/hr, depending on the crop, and can do about 100ac of peas on a good day.

I had never had the opportunity to learn about fresh pea harvesting, nor had I ever really considered how the y were produced. I will never eat another pea without thinking of Lloyd and the crew!

Unloading the pea viner. When full it will hold about 2T of peas. 

In the afternoon we toured the Bennett potato factory where they purchase, clean, sort and distribute many varieties of potatoes to different markets. I found it very interesting that most potato sorting is still done using 'two eyes and two arms'. With the exception of a size sorting sieve at the start (used only for small potatoes) and weight sorter at the end of on line (not always used) ALL potatoes are sorted by hand.
After the tour it was off to my next host's place near Lincoln, Lincolnshire.

Going Global Update #1

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.

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 14^th 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 4^th 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.

Ciao!

Katie
Twitter: @Kattle_Kate
Facebook: Katie-Jo Stehr