I am writing this from the Amsterdam, Netherlands airport. Bags were packed early this morning, breakfast eaten not long after. When we were finished it was time to load luggage onto the bus. It took awhile with 70+ people traveling.
Even though this is the last day in Holland meetings were not finished. We traveled to Koeppert Cress Monster. My initial thought was it might be a cousin to the Loch Ness Monster. However, "Monster" means sample.
This business is a greenhouse that sells high end plants for cooking. They grow them right there and have a kitchen that is also set up as a studio. Top chefs come there to learn how to use these plants and how special they can be for culinary masterpieces.
Our time there started with a speaker talking about marketing agriculture products to the public. His presentation was pure gold for a farmer to utilize if they want to market their crops directly.
After that it was time for lunch. I skipped out on the question portion to take pictures of a meal that you would pay a fortune for in a restaurant. Each item was centered around a plant that was grown in the greenhouse.
The meal was started off by being handed a test tube of a lemon grass drink. Even though it looked nasty it was very refreshing and delicious. Then we had a free for all...wine included.
During lunch a person showed up that looked kind of suspect. However he was very interesting to talk to and his profession was a plant explorer. He travels around the world searching for plants that are rare and for ones that have unique characteristics for cooking.
He was a virtual encyclopedia of plants. It was amazing at his memory of the scientific name of plants, where seeds can be obtained, and who the contact for a certain plant was. Interestingly enough he has been to Moscow, Idaho.
Then we listened to the owner of Koeppert Cress, Rob Baan. He owns a movie studio and is also a farmer. He talked to us about his business and were given different plants to sample. One tasted like oysters. That was very interesting.
Rob then took us on a tour through his green house operation that is state of the art. What he has been able to do is find the light spectrum to make them grow the best and then they are shipped all over the world.
After that we headed directly to Amsterdam and the airport. Checked my luggage in without any overweight fees and got through customs fine. I finally was able to find power to charge my laptop to take pictures off the camera card .
Had a Big Mac, fries, and a coke and went through security. The plane ride was good and I was able to catch a cat nap to take the edge off.
Made it through customs at London Heathrow (it is huge) and onto the bus. I am finishing the blog at a Holiday Inn with my same roommate. I gained an hour so there is only an 8 hour difference. It is now 1:30am and the alarm is set for 5:30...going to be a long day tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
SECOND DAY WITH THE NUFFIELDERS
Dang 5am comes early when only having minimal sleep the day before. Wake up call was 5am to be on the bus by 6. We grabbed out box breakfast and headed out to the flower auction. It is dark when we arrive at Flora Holland, the larges flower auction in the world.
We drive around for awhile and then disembark the bus. We head upstairs for some coffee, chatting, and dividing into groups to go on the tour. I could not believe how insainly large this auction was. We are given headphones and a power pack to listen to our guide and head out.
We go onto a walkway above the working part of the flower warehouse. I can't believe how many flowers there are and the variety. The floor looks like an anthill that someone stuck a stick into. Things are moving everywhere.
We do the tour and then head into the conference room to listen to a board member of the Flora Holland Co-op. This is the 100th anniversary of the first flower auction in the world. We spent most of the day in the conference room listening to experts talk about co-ops and then doing a couple group exercises.
From there we get back on the bus and make our way to the Port of Rotterdam for a dinner cruise. What a great time being with the Nuffield Scholars and seeing the sights of one of the busiest ports in the world. We also saw the largest dry dock in the world as well. There are cranes there that look like an erector set on major steroids.
All of the ships, tugs, and containers is something of the likes I have never seen. I can't imagine how much money is in the infrastructure let alone all of the containers and products that are waiting to be loaded or unloaded.
Well, we got back to the hotel around 10pm after starting at 6am...one long day. It almost felt like it was harvest time with those hours. I am finishing up my picture processing and getting ready to head for bed for another early cock-a-doodle-doo. I will try my best to keep up with the posts.
We drive around for awhile and then disembark the bus. We head upstairs for some coffee, chatting, and dividing into groups to go on the tour. I could not believe how insainly large this auction was. We are given headphones and a power pack to listen to our guide and head out.
We go onto a walkway above the working part of the flower warehouse. I can't believe how many flowers there are and the variety. The floor looks like an anthill that someone stuck a stick into. Things are moving everywhere.
We do the tour and then head into the conference room to listen to a board member of the Flora Holland Co-op. This is the 100th anniversary of the first flower auction in the world. We spent most of the day in the conference room listening to experts talk about co-ops and then doing a couple group exercises.
From there we get back on the bus and make our way to the Port of Rotterdam for a dinner cruise. What a great time being with the Nuffield Scholars and seeing the sights of one of the busiest ports in the world. We also saw the largest dry dock in the world as well. There are cranes there that look like an erector set on major steroids.
All of the ships, tugs, and containers is something of the likes I have never seen. I can't imagine how much money is in the infrastructure let alone all of the containers and products that are waiting to be loaded or unloaded.
Well, we got back to the hotel around 10pm after starting at 6am...one long day. It almost felt like it was harvest time with those hours. I am finishing up my picture processing and getting ready to head for bed for another early cock-a-doodle-doo. I will try my best to keep up with the posts.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
New World Travels to the Old World
I know that it has been awhile since last writing. I have traveled to Chicago, Boise (3 times) and Washington, D.C. along with getting things done. Oh, Christmas and New Years was in there as well.
Right now I am on another adventure in my Fellowship life. I and the other 2011 Eisenhower Ag Fellow (Rhett Proctor) were invited to attend the Nuffield Scholars Contemporary Scholars Conference in Holland and the UK.
I left home Friday morning from Lewiston (5:30am flight) via Salt Lake, Detroit, and then Amsterdam, Netherlands (Holland). I arrived at 6am (9 pm home) and sailed through customs. I was also lucky enough to have my suitcase be one of the first 10 onto the carousel.
Schipol airport is home to the largest Burger King in the world. I also knew I was in Holland when I saw a large bronze sculpture of a clog. From he airport I took the train to Rotterdam and a cab to the hotel. I checked in, unpacked some, Skyped home, and tried to sleep. It felt good to get horizontal for a little. I was just getting to sleep when my roomate from Tasmania walked in.
We chatted for awhile and got to know each other a little. We both changed to get ready for our tour of Holland with the other Scholars from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, France, and Holland. We hopped on the bus and headed to the aiport to pick up the ones that were coming in at noon.
After picking them up we toured through Holland and stopped at a little fishing/tourist village for some pickled herring. I was able to take some good picts and see a shop where you stick your feet into a tank and have fish "kiss" them.
From there we went to a 150 head dairy. It also produces energy with large windmills and biofuel from dairy waste. A housed generator produced the energy for the dairy. They also had a settling pond and extracted the water from the solids, which were dropped into a pile for future use as compost.
That night we had a dinner with all sitting at tables. It was informal, but a good chance to get to know each other. I left there around 9:30 (been up 33 hours with just a 1/2 hour of nap in that time) and went to bed.
With our schedule I don't know when I can write again and have to cut this short to head for lunch and today's functions. Take care and keep it in the fence rows!
Right now I am on another adventure in my Fellowship life. I and the other 2011 Eisenhower Ag Fellow (Rhett Proctor) were invited to attend the Nuffield Scholars Contemporary Scholars Conference in Holland and the UK.
I left home Friday morning from Lewiston (5:30am flight) via Salt Lake, Detroit, and then Amsterdam, Netherlands (Holland). I arrived at 6am (9 pm home) and sailed through customs. I was also lucky enough to have my suitcase be one of the first 10 onto the carousel.
Schipol airport is home to the largest Burger King in the world. I also knew I was in Holland when I saw a large bronze sculpture of a clog. From he airport I took the train to Rotterdam and a cab to the hotel. I checked in, unpacked some, Skyped home, and tried to sleep. It felt good to get horizontal for a little. I was just getting to sleep when my roomate from Tasmania walked in.
We chatted for awhile and got to know each other a little. We both changed to get ready for our tour of Holland with the other Scholars from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, France, and Holland. We hopped on the bus and headed to the aiport to pick up the ones that were coming in at noon.
After picking them up we toured through Holland and stopped at a little fishing/tourist village for some pickled herring. I was able to take some good picts and see a shop where you stick your feet into a tank and have fish "kiss" them.
From there we went to a 150 head dairy. It also produces energy with large windmills and biofuel from dairy waste. A housed generator produced the energy for the dairy. They also had a settling pond and extracted the water from the solids, which were dropped into a pile for future use as compost.
That night we had a dinner with all sitting at tables. It was informal, but a good chance to get to know each other. I left there around 9:30 (been up 33 hours with just a 1/2 hour of nap in that time) and went to bed.
With our schedule I don't know when I can write again and have to cut this short to head for lunch and today's functions. Take care and keep it in the fence rows!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Merry Christmas From The Blair's 2011
 |
| At Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro |
 |
| At a church in Rio |
First off, we hope that this finds you and your family doing well. If you are like us we can’t believe that another year is gone and passed. If you paid any attention to the news it seemed like the world was going to implode with unrest in the Middle East due to bread prices, regime change in North Korea, economic instability in Europe, Japan’s tsunami, and our own troubles in the U.S. Just think, the Mayan calendar calls for complete destruction in 2012. With that in mind you had better of enjoyed 2011 ;)
 |
| Dillon & Logan in the shop with Dixie Dog |
My name is Wally Weather Station and I will be your host this year. I am in position to give you a great account of what happens on the farm. Not only with weather, but with everything else. I live on a pole in the center of the farm, giving me a bird’s eye view of everything that happens. Since weather played a big role in 2011 I was asked to do this.
And what a year 2011 turned out to be. You could say that it was the year of different weather. We had snow into May, rain that prevented us from planting crops this spring, tropical weather in Brazil, and freezing cold when we arrived home. May set a record for rainfall, causing haying and harvest to be late. Even Bandit was tired of the weather. Without any spring crops harvest was done in eight (8) days, but we have more winter wheat planted than we have ever had on the farm. And it is looking really good.
Dillon turned 15 in February and has his learners permit so watch the roads next year. Logan turned 13 while in Brazil (will talk about that later) and had the best present of his life. Rhonda and Robert celebrated 17 years of marriage, meeting each other in Sao Paulo, Brazil on their anniversary. This is the first year they have been able to spend that day together without anything going on for several years. However, I won’t tell you their age because they will unplug me.
Sports and school take up the most time. Dillon is a sophomore and Logan is in 7th and both carry straight A’s. Both boys played basketball. Dillon spent time on JV, but played some varsity earning his letter. Logan played on an AAU team from the Craigmont area and his class was moved up to play Jr. High basketball. The 7th Jr. High almost went undefeated, losing in overtime on the last game. They both played 3-on-3 at Locust Blossom and Logan had his cousins as teammates. They attended a basketball minicamp with a former coach at LCSC and Dillon played summer league. Dillon also went to NBC Camp and won the “Grit” award.
 |
| Dillon & Logan with coach Walker |
Dillon played on the Kendrick Golf team and they made it to State. Logan played baseball, was a pitcher and played different positions. Logan and some of his friends played in a baseball tournament in Potlatch…for Genesee. It was tough for Robert to see him in those colors, but he said a Genesee uniform never looked better. Both played football this fall and Dillon received his letter in that. Now basketball is in full swing again.
Chris (Robert’s brother) started working full time on the farm taking place of Dean King who had worked for 7 years. Dean had been diagnosed with cancer and beat it. Dean is doing well and was able to drive truck at harvest and helped with fall fertilizer. Chris started at the right time helping to clean up the 23 trees that blew down or were topped out during a windstorm last November. We also had lots of fence to fix due to that.
In June the America’s Heartland film crew was at the farm. They were interested in what was being done with Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) and precision agriculture. It was an interesting experience that everyone partook in. You can watch the video from our website www.threecanyonfarms.com or this link http://vids.kvie.org/video/2169504176.
 |
| Brazilian Whitetails |
The biggest news was Robert being named an Eisenhower Fellow. In April Robert traveled to headquarters in Philadelphia to meet the other U.S. and International Fellows. General Colin Powell is the Chairman and there are just over 2,000 Fellows worldwide with 18 being Ag Fellows. In May Gong Weibin, a Fellow from China, visited the farm starting what they hope will be many visits from people around the world. To learn about the Eisenhower Fellowship you can go to http://www.efworld.org/ .
Robert’s Fellowship took him to Argentina, Uruguay (where he spoke in front of 1,000+ farmers), and Brazil where he learned about their agriculture, precision farming, remote sensing, and UAVs. He met with Eisenhower Fellows in the respective countries creating a closer bond between the countries. He spent a total of 6 weeks down there totaling 51 meetings.
 |
| Rhonda & I with Flavio Nogueira & family |
Rhonda joined him on November 5th in Sao Paulo and as mentioned, they were able to celebrate their anniversary together. They traveled north of Sao Paulo to different towns for meetings along with stops in Brasilia and Belo Horizonte. In Belo they spent time with Robert’s friend and 2011 Brazilian Fellow Flavio and his family. They had a weekend together seeing some sites and celebrated Robert’s birthday and their last day having dinner with Flavio’s family and other Fellows.
Then the fun really began, Dillon and Logan arrived in Rio de Janeiro on November 19th. They traveled alone and met up with mom and dad at the airport. During the week in Rio they toured the sites like Sugar Loaf and Christ the Redeemer along with playing on the beach. Everyone became sunburned at some point and there was not enough aloe in Brazil to sooth the pain.
 |
| Dillon & Logan with the Girls from Brazil |
The highlight of their time in Rio was traveling to Petropolis (north of Rio). Petropolis is the home to the summer palace of the last monarch of Portugal and Brazil. There is also a strong German community there because farmers were needed to harvest their cash crop, coffee. It is something of a retreat and there had been a casino there built in Bavarian style architecture that is tourist site…and that is where the real fun began.
While going through the old casino a group of students were on a fieldtrip there. We walked down a hallway and a group of girls followed and went past. Robert saw them huddle up, look back, and giggle. He motioned to the group and Dillon and Logan to get together for a picture. That picture started about a ½ hour of picture taking with many girls.
 |
| Dillon & Logan going bananas in Brazil |
Since it was Logan’s birthday (the driver told the girls this as well), it is customary for girls to give the birthday boy a kiss and they lined up to do it. Dillon was watching and said “I wish it was my birthday” prompting the driver to tell the group of girls this and they started kissing him as well. Needless to say Dillon and Logan both want to return to Brazil.
Now it is time to finish up and get back to work tracking weather. It is cold, but there is no snow. We hope that you had a great year and wish you a Merry Christmas and an Awesome New Year! Take care and God Bless! Adios, Feliz Navidad y Feliz Ano Nuevo! (Spanish) Feliz Natal e Feliz Ano Novo! (Portuguese)
SINCERELY,
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Three Weeks Down
 |
| We watched the tower do different things for about an hour. It was spectacular. |
We both arrived in Sao Paulo on Satuday, November 5th which happened to be our 17th anniversary. She arrived before I did, but because of baggage claim and getting through customs she didn't have to wait that long. What a sight for sore eyes she was.
We were both tired. Her because she hadn't been sleeping much while getting ready to travel, the last night home and then over a day of travel. Me because I couldn't really sleep and was worried about catching my flight from Montevideo to Sao Paulo (I had to leave the hotel by 3am).
We made it to the airport, through security, and to the hotel. Then we met my program officer Luciano and his wife and daughter. We went over the schedule and then went for lunch to a restaurant built around a 100 year old fig tree (the restaurant is called Figueira). It was awesome.
 |
| The time was 8:11, but I took it because it represents the year! Go The EF Class of 2011! |
We also tried the local drink made from sugar cane alcohol and limes. They also brought another type of drink to the table with 4 shot glasses. There were two types of alcohol (same base) but one was straight and the other had honey. They were delicious.
We finished lunch after 3 hours, went back to the hotel and grabbed my cell phone for Brazil. We had to put a new sim card in, buy credits, and set it up. Now I have contact within the Brazil. We went to our room, took some pictures and went to bed around 8 or 9 pm. We were exhausted.
Today we didn't do much except work out, eat breakfast and pack our luggage for easy use. We combined clothes into certain cases for easier access. I organized pictures, cleaned powerpoints off my thumb drive to make room, and sized pictures from previous adventures for use later this week.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Time Flies on Fellowship
I can't believe that two weeks have past already. It seems like yesterday that I left my family early in the morning and dogs with looks that would make even the toughest of men break down.
This is definitely an experience of a lifetime. Although the schedule has been demanding with travel, tight time frames between meetings, little chance for communication home (except at places with WiFi), and buses being canceled I would not have missed this for the world.
I know that I have skipped a bunch of time since the last posting, but managing data, laundry, pictures, farming, and travel leave me little time for this. I am also writing a column a week (deadline Wednesday/Thursday) so those things are taking priority.
Camera batteries (two), two computers, keyboard, and a Gopro video camera takes time and juggling to keep charged. The priority is the ipad and camera batteries. When I download pictures to the windows computer I put excess onto a 500 GB hard drive.
Anyway, the information that I have learned has been very useful, I just hope that it does not get wasted by not being able to share it with people. The way they manage their farms in Argentina is at a higher level than in the U.S.
The youth that is involved in agriculture at all levels is something we in the U.S. should envy. The average age of a farmer is 55-59 in the US, but my guess is around 35-40 in Argentina. This youth brings a love for technology and a hunger for being successful in agriculture. I am jealous of their country for this.
The Pampas is a top notch production area in the world and the logistics for export are better than the US. However, their could be improved by building an extra lane of road each way. When traveling in the country I thought that it sucked because the side roads were dirt, but after learning there are no rocks on the Pampas and hauling rock for gravel roads is cost prohibitive.
Wind erosion is the main concern ecologically. Because the early use of the land was mainly for beef production, many trees had been planted to stop the wind, but to mainly give cows shelter. Otherwise trees are not native to the Pampas. I wonder what the environmentalists would say if they were to be cut down.
I had a great learning experience with all of my meetings. This one-on-one learning from biotechnology to precision theory and practical use to politics makes me (as a friend and EF Alumni said) the only person in the world with that knowledge base. It is pretty humbling when you think about it like that.
I was fortunate to arrive a week before their Presidential Election and to see all of the propaganda and campaign material makes the US look cheap by comparison. The incumbent won and I had an opportunity to sit in on an explanation of the the results by a famous Argentine political analyst (name in other suitcase that is still checked in with the hotel). I could not have planned things better if I had tried. It would be like Bill O'Reilly or someone of that level giving the presentation to a small group of people. What an opportunity.
Finally I traveled to two Estancias (farms) for my last weekend in Argentina. I was picked up by a car and driven 6 hours basically west of BsAs to Rufino. I was picked up around 8pm by the Chief Production Officer (Julio) and we headed off to the farm. I was put into my own casa and dinner was served to the two of us along with the agronomy team (Jorge-Head, Gustavo and Arturo). After some small talk we went to bed for a 7am start.
I woke up without an alarm (John Denver said it best - "Thank God I'm A Country Boy) at 5:30 and a good thing too, my battery died. Julio and I had breakfast together after meeting with the crew in their quarters. Then out to the field with Julio and the crew of three.
Our first stop was a corn field being fertilized with UN32 by a Rogator. I hopped on board and road two passes with Julio standing on the steps. The fertilizer was being placed according to a prescription map and it was fun to watch it increase, decrease, or stop according to the zones or areas already treated.
Next we head to a field that was being seeded to sorghum by an Argentine no-till drill and an Agco tractor. We hopped on board and at the end of the pass I took over. I set the drill to seed, reved the tractor, and engaged the auto steer. Finally I have driven a tractor in both hemispheres. At the end of my pass I make the turn and head back and make the next turn and hop off for the next adventure.
A field of last years corn was being seeded to soybeans with an air seeder, JD 9220, and fertilizer. They were just finishing filling up the fertilizer and we hopped on. No auto steer on this one yet but I drove it back seeding my first soybeans and straight and true. AWESOME!!!
We head back to the farm and I hop on a motorcycle and a worker hops on another one and we take a ride around the farm before lunch. We stop at the feed lot holding over 3,000 head of beef of different weights. We drive around some more and grab lunch.
After lunch I give a presentation of what I am doing on my farm and how the UAV is being used and then we head to another Estancia that is rented by Caldenes. This Estancia is also owned by the 3rd EF in Argentina who happens to be my Program Officer's father.
We tour the corn, with the Julio and Jorge, head back to the farm for tea, and I walk around taking pictures before it rains or the light leaves. After siesta and showering time, I meet Conrado Etcebarne again. We talk for almost two hours and then dinner and bed. What a day of learning and experiencing.
The next day I sleep in a little and finally head outside at 7am to find a quite spot to process images and catch up on my journal. I finish and am served breakfast around 9am.
I grab my camera because the grounds keeper Carlos is getting the wood ready for Argentine BBQ. Lamb is on the menu and I get some great pictures. I head back to my room, grab my windows computer, and show Carlos and his wife the pictures of him and the farm from the day before and they were pleased.
We ate around 2pm (as is customary) and I bring my bags down to the car to catch my bus. We head to Rufino and learn at the bus station that my 4:30 bus is canceled and the next one is at 11:30pm. We grab that ticket and head back to the farm.
I rest a little, have dinner at 9pm, and the car arrives to take me to the station. I was saddened parting my new friends on my last evening in Argentina and I was definitely not looking forward to the bus ride at that time.
It worked out fine because I spent more time with my friends and did catch about 5 hours sleep on the bus. Not bad, but I was definitely tired. Arrive BsAs at 6am, hotel at 6:15, and my room just a little after. I had to take a shower to get the travel off of me. Ate breakfast and the took a dip in the jacuzzi tub...very relaxing after the travel debacle.
I will sum things up better after I get home, but the experience is something that I will never forget. I have fallen in love with Argentina and it's people. The knowledge that I gained can never be replaced and I hope I am better for it and can live up to the expectations of the EF goals and motto. Until next time keep it between the fence rows!
This is definitely an experience of a lifetime. Although the schedule has been demanding with travel, tight time frames between meetings, little chance for communication home (except at places with WiFi), and buses being canceled I would not have missed this for the world.
I know that I have skipped a bunch of time since the last posting, but managing data, laundry, pictures, farming, and travel leave me little time for this. I am also writing a column a week (deadline Wednesday/Thursday) so those things are taking priority.
Camera batteries (two), two computers, keyboard, and a Gopro video camera takes time and juggling to keep charged. The priority is the ipad and camera batteries. When I download pictures to the windows computer I put excess onto a 500 GB hard drive.
Anyway, the information that I have learned has been very useful, I just hope that it does not get wasted by not being able to share it with people. The way they manage their farms in Argentina is at a higher level than in the U.S.
The youth that is involved in agriculture at all levels is something we in the U.S. should envy. The average age of a farmer is 55-59 in the US, but my guess is around 35-40 in Argentina. This youth brings a love for technology and a hunger for being successful in agriculture. I am jealous of their country for this.
The Pampas is a top notch production area in the world and the logistics for export are better than the US. However, their could be improved by building an extra lane of road each way. When traveling in the country I thought that it sucked because the side roads were dirt, but after learning there are no rocks on the Pampas and hauling rock for gravel roads is cost prohibitive.
Wind erosion is the main concern ecologically. Because the early use of the land was mainly for beef production, many trees had been planted to stop the wind, but to mainly give cows shelter. Otherwise trees are not native to the Pampas. I wonder what the environmentalists would say if they were to be cut down.
I had a great learning experience with all of my meetings. This one-on-one learning from biotechnology to precision theory and practical use to politics makes me (as a friend and EF Alumni said) the only person in the world with that knowledge base. It is pretty humbling when you think about it like that.
I was fortunate to arrive a week before their Presidential Election and to see all of the propaganda and campaign material makes the US look cheap by comparison. The incumbent won and I had an opportunity to sit in on an explanation of the the results by a famous Argentine political analyst (name in other suitcase that is still checked in with the hotel). I could not have planned things better if I had tried. It would be like Bill O'Reilly or someone of that level giving the presentation to a small group of people. What an opportunity.
Finally I traveled to two Estancias (farms) for my last weekend in Argentina. I was picked up by a car and driven 6 hours basically west of BsAs to Rufino. I was picked up around 8pm by the Chief Production Officer (Julio) and we headed off to the farm. I was put into my own casa and dinner was served to the two of us along with the agronomy team (Jorge-Head, Gustavo and Arturo). After some small talk we went to bed for a 7am start.
I woke up without an alarm (John Denver said it best - "Thank God I'm A Country Boy) at 5:30 and a good thing too, my battery died. Julio and I had breakfast together after meeting with the crew in their quarters. Then out to the field with Julio and the crew of three.
Our first stop was a corn field being fertilized with UN32 by a Rogator. I hopped on board and road two passes with Julio standing on the steps. The fertilizer was being placed according to a prescription map and it was fun to watch it increase, decrease, or stop according to the zones or areas already treated.
Next we head to a field that was being seeded to sorghum by an Argentine no-till drill and an Agco tractor. We hopped on board and at the end of the pass I took over. I set the drill to seed, reved the tractor, and engaged the auto steer. Finally I have driven a tractor in both hemispheres. At the end of my pass I make the turn and head back and make the next turn and hop off for the next adventure.
A field of last years corn was being seeded to soybeans with an air seeder, JD 9220, and fertilizer. They were just finishing filling up the fertilizer and we hopped on. No auto steer on this one yet but I drove it back seeding my first soybeans and straight and true. AWESOME!!!
We head back to the farm and I hop on a motorcycle and a worker hops on another one and we take a ride around the farm before lunch. We stop at the feed lot holding over 3,000 head of beef of different weights. We drive around some more and grab lunch.
After lunch I give a presentation of what I am doing on my farm and how the UAV is being used and then we head to another Estancia that is rented by Caldenes. This Estancia is also owned by the 3rd EF in Argentina who happens to be my Program Officer's father.
We tour the corn, with the Julio and Jorge, head back to the farm for tea, and I walk around taking pictures before it rains or the light leaves. After siesta and showering time, I meet Conrado Etcebarne again. We talk for almost two hours and then dinner and bed. What a day of learning and experiencing.
The next day I sleep in a little and finally head outside at 7am to find a quite spot to process images and catch up on my journal. I finish and am served breakfast around 9am.
I grab my camera because the grounds keeper Carlos is getting the wood ready for Argentine BBQ. Lamb is on the menu and I get some great pictures. I head back to my room, grab my windows computer, and show Carlos and his wife the pictures of him and the farm from the day before and they were pleased.
We ate around 2pm (as is customary) and I bring my bags down to the car to catch my bus. We head to Rufino and learn at the bus station that my 4:30 bus is canceled and the next one is at 11:30pm. We grab that ticket and head back to the farm.
I rest a little, have dinner at 9pm, and the car arrives to take me to the station. I was saddened parting my new friends on my last evening in Argentina and I was definitely not looking forward to the bus ride at that time.
It worked out fine because I spent more time with my friends and did catch about 5 hours sleep on the bus. Not bad, but I was definitely tired. Arrive BsAs at 6am, hotel at 6:15, and my room just a little after. I had to take a shower to get the travel off of me. Ate breakfast and the took a dip in the jacuzzi tub...very relaxing after the travel debacle.
I will sum things up better after I get home, but the experience is something that I will never forget. I have fallen in love with Argentina and it's people. The knowledge that I gained can never be replaced and I hope I am better for it and can live up to the expectations of the EF goals and motto. Until next time keep it between the fence rows!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Argentina Day 2
Had an awesome nights rest and get up at 8am to work out. They have nice weight equipment and a decent eliptical. Spend about an hour there, head back to my room, and get ready for breakfast and the day.
The breakfast is included and is buffet style. Lots of different breads and pasteries, runny eggs, Argentine bacon, small sausages, seasoned potatoes sliced thinly, meets (like lunch meats) and cheese, fruit, and yogurt. I grabbed what I wanted and poured my OJ and had coffee. The differences that I see between meals in Argentina and the U.S. is it is treated as an occassion. No one was dressed in shorts or pajamas and time is taken to enjoy the food.
I head back to my room to check email, Facebook, and call home. I decide to grab my tripod and EOS camera and head out. I go the opposite direction from last night and walk past the French and Brazilian Embassys. I walk along the main avenue towards the "Oblisk" and the building with Eva Peron.
As I am walking I look down a side street and see an awesome building with it's reflection in another one. I walk past a huge building with security and think it is something political. After taking pictures and moseying around a little I come upon the signs describing what the big building is...a world renowned opera house.
I take more pictures of it and the park across the street. It had "music stands" as decorations with pigeon nests in them. Rhonda would freak because of her "love" of birds. I walk some more with my camera still on the tripod. I figured I am a big boy and not many people would probably mess with me. Also, 90% of all people are good and would help out if needed. Also it was Sunday.
I scramble around and finally find my way back to the main avenue (me, directions, and cities don't always jive) and see the "Obleisk." I take pictures of side streets (I hope they capture the mood I was feeling) and make my way to a better place to see the monument. As I look around I can see 3 McDonald's and a Burger King.
I head towards the hotel with tripod and camera in tow taking pictures here and there of things that catch my eye. One thing that popped out most was a marquee that said TANGO in big silver letters with a black background. I had to have that picture since Argentina is the birthplace of the Tango.
Back at the hotel at 4pm I start to get ready to meet my Program Officer (PO) Ines at 5pm. She called not long after I get into my room and says that they will be an hour late due to the ash coming down from a Chilean volcano. That explains why it was kind of hazy out and I was coughing a little (I was also fighting being sick).
Ines and her husband, Sebatian, arrive and we tour the city. We stop at a coffee shop called Tortino that is a local favorite. We go over my agenda and grab a bite and a beer (Ines has OJ because she is pregnant) and then head to a community center in the city where she had set up a
"Jazz" concert.
When we arrive the local people are doing the tango. It was awesome to see something that was not a tourist attraction. We take pictures (and I took some video) and then the band came on around 9:30. They played dixieland music and were not bad.
We then head to dinner. In their culture dinner starts around 9 or 10 pm. We try a restraunt that was their first choice but the wait was long...it was Mother's Day in Argentina. We go to a German restraunt and I have bbq ribs (pork chops).
Back to the hotel around midnight and I see the light dusting of ash on their car. To my room and off to bed for a car that will pick me up at 6am for my first meeting. Now the Fellowship really starts.
The breakfast is included and is buffet style. Lots of different breads and pasteries, runny eggs, Argentine bacon, small sausages, seasoned potatoes sliced thinly, meets (like lunch meats) and cheese, fruit, and yogurt. I grabbed what I wanted and poured my OJ and had coffee. The differences that I see between meals in Argentina and the U.S. is it is treated as an occassion. No one was dressed in shorts or pajamas and time is taken to enjoy the food.
I head back to my room to check email, Facebook, and call home. I decide to grab my tripod and EOS camera and head out. I go the opposite direction from last night and walk past the French and Brazilian Embassys. I walk along the main avenue towards the "Oblisk" and the building with Eva Peron.
As I am walking I look down a side street and see an awesome building with it's reflection in another one. I walk past a huge building with security and think it is something political. After taking pictures and moseying around a little I come upon the signs describing what the big building is...a world renowned opera house.
I take more pictures of it and the park across the street. It had "music stands" as decorations with pigeon nests in them. Rhonda would freak because of her "love" of birds. I walk some more with my camera still on the tripod. I figured I am a big boy and not many people would probably mess with me. Also, 90% of all people are good and would help out if needed. Also it was Sunday.
I scramble around and finally find my way back to the main avenue (me, directions, and cities don't always jive) and see the "Obleisk." I take pictures of side streets (I hope they capture the mood I was feeling) and make my way to a better place to see the monument. As I look around I can see 3 McDonald's and a Burger King.
I head towards the hotel with tripod and camera in tow taking pictures here and there of things that catch my eye. One thing that popped out most was a marquee that said TANGO in big silver letters with a black background. I had to have that picture since Argentina is the birthplace of the Tango.
Back at the hotel at 4pm I start to get ready to meet my Program Officer (PO) Ines at 5pm. She called not long after I get into my room and says that they will be an hour late due to the ash coming down from a Chilean volcano. That explains why it was kind of hazy out and I was coughing a little (I was also fighting being sick).
Ines and her husband, Sebatian, arrive and we tour the city. We stop at a coffee shop called Tortino that is a local favorite. We go over my agenda and grab a bite and a beer (Ines has OJ because she is pregnant) and then head to a community center in the city where she had set up a
"Jazz" concert.
When we arrive the local people are doing the tango. It was awesome to see something that was not a tourist attraction. We take pictures (and I took some video) and then the band came on around 9:30. They played dixieland music and were not bad.
We then head to dinner. In their culture dinner starts around 9 or 10 pm. We try a restraunt that was their first choice but the wait was long...it was Mother's Day in Argentina. We go to a German restraunt and I have bbq ribs (pork chops).
Back to the hotel around midnight and I see the light dusting of ash on their car. To my room and off to bed for a car that will pick me up at 6am for my first meeting. Now the Fellowship really starts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)