Costa Rica - Day 6

Each year, national finalists in the proficiency awards and the American Star Awards programs are offered the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica, where they experience different agricultural practices first-hand and learn about the rich history and culture of a country different from their own.

This year, fifty students are traveling on the Costa Rica trip, and have divided into five groups: chupacabra, funky monkeys, shark bait, tree frogs and half sliced pineapples. Each day one of the groups will share the experiences and thoughts from their journey.

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Puda Vida from the Half Sliced Pineapples!

Eggs and Bakey, wakey, wakey. Today our day started with a fantastic, state of the art breakfast at the Los Suenos hotel and resort! There was much variety to choose from, and certainly something for every person to enjoy. Some of the options included omelets, waffles, fresh fruit, pastries, and a variety of other things, the list could continue forever. It was indeed fresh and full of Costa Rican flavor.

Adventure. Thrill. Excitement. Adrenaline Rush. All of these words can be used to describe the feelings that the Zip Lining experience brought to us. Immediately following our breakfast, some of us enjoyed this new adventure. The zip lining was option, but after traveling up a mountain on a tractor wagon we made it to our beginning point. There were about fourteen platforms and twelve cables. It was quite the experience that will last us all a lifetime.

While those students participated in the zip lining, many of us stayed to enjoy our beautiful resort. Students did a variety of things, such as golfing, getting facials, deep sea fishing, riding jet skis in the Pacific Ocean, and simply soaking in the sun and enjoying the water volleyball in the pool.

Once students returned from the zip lining, some of us took a trip into the town of Jaco. This town is known for its surfing and beach side view. There were many shops for us to purchase souvenirs in and restaurants for us to choose from.

In the afternoon, many students participated in a game of soccer known in Costa Rica as futbol. It was a very competitive game. The tour guides, bus drivers, advisors, and students all participated, making it even more competitive; we won’t talk about who actually won.

We finished the day with a delicious meal, starting with the fantastic juice from Costa Rica. Many things that were served that were different from what you might see in America were Yuca, Duck, Mahi Mahi, and many other Costa Rican specialties.

Tomorrow we will begin our travels back to San Jose stopping along the way at the Doka coffee plantation and enjoying a lunch there.

Hasta Luego,

Half Sliced Pineapples

Costa Rica Trip - Day 5

Each year, national finalists in the proficiency awards and the American Star Awards programs are offered the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica, where they experience different agricultural practices first-hand and learn about the rich history and culture of a country different from their own.

This year, fifty students are traveling on the Costa Rica trip, and have divided into five groups: chupacabra, funky monkeys, shark bait, tree frogs and half sliced pineapples. Each day one of the groups will share the experiences and thoughts from their journey.

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Feliz Dia Papa! Happy Father’s Day to all of our dads! We woke up this morning in the beautiful shadow of the Arenal Volcano and were greeted by an amazing breakfast. After breakfast our group checked out and loaded up on buses bound for other side of the country!

Although we spent the day driving there were still many sights to see and interesting lessons to be learned. We learned (some of us the hard way) that the roads here in Costa Rica are steep and curvy! A few of us needed motion sickness medicine.

We departed from the Volcano Lodge and drove high up into the mountains. It suddenly got extremely foggy, but then we realized: it wasn’t fog…it was clouds! We were driving through clouds!

Watching the water in the rivers change direction of travel was one of the coolest things we saw today. We had the privilege of crossing the continental divide a second time during our trip today. Much of our traveling was on the Pan-American Highway which stretches from Alaska to Panama.

A brief pit stop was made in Zarcero where we viewed some very interesting topiary (shaped bushes) in a park near the Catholic Church. The gardener who created these great works of art is world renowned and even turned down a great opportunity with Disney World to continue working with this park. In Zarcero, some of us picked up a little slice of America and had a Coca-Cola!

Today, lunch was at a soda (the Costa Rican Word for café). Not only was the food great, but the scenery was picturesque. En route to our hotel we stopped at the Turcoles River Bridge to view 20-30 large crocodiles in their natural habitat; sunning themselves on the bank.

After an exciting day of sightseeing we arrived at the Marriott in Los Suenos. Everyone is extremely excited to be staying at a five-star hotel. The ocean was gorgeous and many of us took photos and swam in the warm water. We also had a great volleyball tournament in the pool that overlooked the Pacific Ocean.

Looking forward to an action-packed, adventure-filled, fun day tomorrow!

Gracias por leer nuestros comentarios!

Adios!

The Tree Frogs

Costa Rica Trip - Day 4

Each year, national finalists in the proficiency awards and the American Star Awards programs are offered the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica, where they experience different agricultural practices first-hand and learn about the rich history and culture of a country different from their own.

This year, fifty students are traveling on the Costa Rica trip, and have divided into five groups: chupacabra, funky monkeys, shark bait, tree frogs and half sliced pineapples. Each day one of the groups will share the experiences and thoughts from their journey.

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Pura Vida!

It is said that the Caribbean side of Costa Rica receives approximately 200 inches of rain per year. It seemed as though 195 inches of that rain fell last night as a thunder storm rumbled through with nature’s fireworks illuminating the sky.

The soggy morning continued as we ventured to the rainforest. The rainforest lived up to its name as we sported our rain gear. Within the rainforests of Costa Rica, 5% of the world’s biodiversity can be found. We saw everything from Eyelash Pit Viper to Poison Dart Frogs, along with various flora, such as the Elephant Ear plant and the Palm Stilt tree. Within this rainforest we crossed 6 suspension bridges, one of which was 150 feet in the air and 300 feet long.

After the group finished up the tour of the rainforest, we had some downtime to explore the town of La Fortuna. La Fortuna received its’ name for its good fortune as the path of destruction from the volcanic eruption missed their town in 1968. It is a small tourist town that is easy to navigate and mingle with the friendly locals. The clouds finally dissipated giving us a great view of this volcano.

We finished up our night by relaxing in the volcano’s natural hot springs. Six different levels of heat intensity were offered to us as the water cooled downstream. We couldn’t think of a better way to end the eventful day than sitting in nature’s natural Jacuzzi.

After a long day, we are now settling in and preparing for tomorrow’s adventure to the Pacific Ocean.

Buenos Noches,
THE FUNKY MONKEYS.

Costa Rica Trip - Day 3

Each year, national finalists in the proficiency awards and the American Star Awards programs are offered the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica, where they experience different agricultural practices first-hand and learn about the rich history and culture of a country different from their own.

This year, fifty students are traveling on the Costa Rica trip, and have divided into five groups: chupacabra, funky monkeys, shark bait, tree frogs and half sliced pineapples. Each day one of the groups will share the experiences and thoughts from their journey.
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Hello my friends!

This morning we were awakened by the sounds of howling monkeys, tropical birds, and exotic frogs. Some of the group took advantage of the opportunity to get up and bird watch. We saw four toucans, the clay colored pigeon (the national bird), social fly catcher, the long tailed tyrant, and other exotic birds. A delicious breakfast of fruit, eggs, and fried bananas followed the bird watching session.

Then we split into two different groups to continue our day. One group started their day with the pineapple tour. This included learning how many pineapples a worker can plant in a day (8,000-10,000 in an eight hour day). The fruit is all completely organic. They use plastic covering, manure for fertilizer, and other environmentally friendly practices to preserve Costa Rica’s natural environment. While touring on our tractor, our tour guide picked a fresh pineapple fresh from the fields and prepared it for the group with a machete. It was easily the best pineapple any of us have ever had. We learned the four tips for selecting the best pineapple. The fruit should be round, have large eyes, a green crown, and a yellow bottom. A fifth tip that we learned was to eat the pineapple right away or keep it in the fridge. All pineapples are picked ripe and ready to eat.

The two groups then met at the white water rafting location for a quick lunch of delicious tacos before we went to our new activity. We white water rafted down level 2-3 rapids. There were five different rafts with six people in each plus a tour guide. This tour included splashing, beautiful water falls, animals, and a short swim in the Sarapiqui River. Soon after we were off to Volcano Lodge to stay. We were welcomed by a scenic view of steaming active volcanoes. A wonderful meal of tilapia, chicken, beef and flan concluded our day.

Our first night together in Huston, Texas, all of our group members were so different coming from so many different states. Now we all seem to be one being in Costa Rica. Not only are we learning about the culture and lifestyle in this country, but also about other states in our own country. We have ended our days enjoying time together in the pools and hot tubs.

La Pura Vida!

El Chupacobras

Lizards, frogs and crocodiles - Day 2 in Costa Rica

Hello, loyal followers!

Day two in the great country of Costa Rica started out with a delicious breakfast at the Gran Hotel in San Jose. After we loaded the buses we took the scenic route through the mountainous country side seeing many waterfalls, exotic plants, and dangerously curvy and narrow roads.

After crossing the continental divide we made our first stop at a fruit stand where we enjoyed sweet mangos, delicious Nanci, locally grown cashews, fresh bananas, and hearts of palm.

After buying some of the local produce we continued to the cacoa farm where we crossed a treacherous bridge and learned all about the history of chocolate and how it was first made.




After enjoying some freshly made chocolate treats, we had the opportunity to enjoy some more Costa Rican cuisine, which, of course, included fresh pineapple!

As a storm began to brew, we were off to the Dole banana farm for a very informative history and tour of the production process, however, due to the lightening, our trip to the fields were the bananas are grown was cut short. We headed back to the hotel, or rather, our bungalows, in Sarapiqui for some downtime and a fun evening spent with our group.

Lizards, frogs, and crocodiles have all been spotted from our little resort by the river, as well as a few choice bugs currently attacking the computer screen! We are finishing up the night with an evening swim as well as the technologically advanced, air conditioned rooms! Hope all is well on state sides! Lots of love from Costa Rica!


Group Shark Bait signing off!

I-CAL participants say 'farewell' to Columbia and Panama

As we board our flight back to the States we take one more time to reflect on the past two weeks and what an amazing adventure they have been!

Our journey began in Orlando when twelve college students from across the United States came together excited to learn and experience new ways of life and different agricultural practices.

In Panama we got our first glimpse into Tropical Agriculture. Panamanians were very friendly and welcoming people and anxious to teach us about their way of life. We toured many different aspects of the agricultural industry, including a coffee farm, shrimp production facility, agricultural education and experienced global trade first hand when we visited the Panama Canal. We learned how they dealt with issues like deforestation of the rainforest, having a small population (only 3 million in the whole country) and competing with larger nations.

After spending an amazing week in Panama full of new experiences and a new knowledge of agriculture the I-CAL team and Grains Council Staff made our way to Colombia. In Colombia we found ourselves amazed at the modernization, use of cooperatives and vertical integration found in production agriculture. With several busy days in the cities of Cali and Medellian we experienced open air markets, a dairy cooperative, swine and poultry vertical integration, floral production, fruit production and experienced a culture that offered more than we had expected.

Over the past two weeks friendships have been made, a new view on agriculture developed and a broader perspective of global agriculture have made for an experience that each of us will remember for a lifetime.

We would like to take one final time to say “Thank You” to the US Grains Council and the Grains Foundation and the National FFA Organization for making this program possible.

As the twelve members of the I-CAL Team, The Grains Council and National FFA Staff return to our respective locations we know that we have a common thread among us as well as with many other people in this small world. No matter where you go one thing is for sure you can always find someone involved in agriculture. Despite all of the differences in agriculture around the world one thing stays the same, in the words of a Colombian farmer, “Trabajamos con el sol y servimos con el Corazon”. We work with the sun and we serve with the heart.

For our final time from Colombia, Panama and Orlando, Florida, Gracias and Ciao!

Matt Barnhill, North Carolina State University

Chelsy Coen, Kansas State University

I-CAL participants head home

Today we started our final day in Colombia and our final day of programming for the 2011 I-CAL trip. Our day started early so that we could make the most of our final day in South America. Our plan included stops at a chicken and pork processing plant, an avocado cooperative, some small furniture buildings, a flower farm and finally a small corn arepa production facility. With five stops and one day to complete them we had a crammed packed schedule. None the less we did have the help of a local woman Catalina who would be showing us a lot of the local agriculture. We began the day with breakfast at a little shop on the corner of a business street.

Immediately after breakfast we headed to tour a swine and chicken processing and packing plant. The group split up into two groups and chose either the pork or chicken tour. We started our tour from the packaging process and worked our way to the harvesting to prevent contamination.

The plant was surprisingly compact for all that goes on within the plant. Supercerdo; the name of the pork company we were touring slaughters and processes 400 pigs daily. We were able to visually see the entire process from finish to start, as well as we were able to learn a lot about the process in South America.

After the tour we asked a few questions about the chicken facility and were able to get a very quick tour through that facility. Unfortunately there was a break down in the plant and no chickens were being process, but we were still able to walk through the facility and see the infrastructure. In the process we learned they are capable of slaughtering and processing 5,000 chickens every day. Supercerdo and Superpollo are somewhat vertically integrated as well, the processing plant owns the farms that the animals come from.

After our early morning tour of the packing plants we were introduced to Catalina, a 28-year-old Colombian native. She works for Genesis Enterprises, a nonprofit organization working to help small farmers market their products as well as provide them access to processing facilities.

Our first tour with Catalina was at an avocado processing plant. We were able to see how the avocados entered, were cleaned and then sorted. We even stepped in the cooler used to elongate the life of the avocado. It was interesting to learn that 400 growers make up this group harvesting over 1,000 hectares of avocados. The avocado farmers are growing a Hass variety and harvest two crops a year. These are chosen because of their long shelf life and resistance to diseases. Currently, this plant is only exporting to Holland because they don't have the volume to provide to European or U.S. markets.

Immediately following our avocado adventures, we headed to a few furniture stores to view the forestry part of agriculture. Furniture in Colombia is significantly less expensive than the United States. The carpenters were using a wood from the Pacific Forest south of Panama; these woods were also known to be a very hard wood and are high in quality. It was refreshing to see something so varied than our few previous stops.

After a very quick lunch stop at a local restaurant, we visited a local farm. This is a flower farm which produces five types of flowers. We were able to view the growing process, the harvesting process, as well as the post-harvest process. Eighty-five percent of the farms exports go to the United States under the Sunburst Farms label. The flower industry is very important to the country of Colombia. Currently Colombia is the second largest exporter of flowers in the world, second only to the Netherlands.

Upon completion of the flower farm visit we saw a small arepas operation. Arepas are hard to describe. Imagine something that looks like a pancake and tastes like a sweet corn biscuit. This operation is run by a mother, father, and daughter. They produce 1,600 arepas weekly for restaurants and stores that place orders. They begin with corn, grind it cook it, cool it off as well as seal and package the product. The ingredients are as simple as combining corn, sugar, and water. It was pretty neat to see all of this happening in the same room and of course the best part was being able to test the product.

After our long day full or exciting adventures, we dropped off Catalina and headed to a craft market to purchase our Colombian souvenirs and then ate our last dinner together at a steak restaurant. The day was jammed packed with a diverse array of visits and allowed for a successful last day in Colombia. Reflecting on today most of us saw a side of agriculture we are not used to and saw from the perspective of a foreign producer. Perspective is one of the biggest things we learned today and that has been a theme for our whole program. Overall I think we will all miss Medellin a lot. The moderate weather, beautiful scenery, and twisting and turning roads provided for a great few days in a great Colombian City.

Sarah Marten – Kansas State University
Dakota Hoben – Iowa State University

I-CAL: Meat and Dairy Processing in Columbia

Collegiate agriculture students who were selected to take part in the International Collegiate Agricultural Leadership (I-CAL) program are currently traveling in Columbia and Panama and blogging about their adventures.

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Getting up before 4 a.m. is not usually a college student’s cup of tea, but today we had just such a morning, and were richly rewarded with an aerial view of magnificent mountaintops as our plane landed in Medellin, Colombia. After breakfast at our new hotel, our tours today started off like none other: dressing up like Michelin Men to stay warm as we took a tour of a swine, cattle, and veal processing plant.

When we arrived at the plant, we were greeted with kind handshakes and Colanta branded souvenirs. Colanta, our host for the day, is a Colombian cooperative that handles meat and dairy.

Like many of our experiences as part of this program, there was more than meets the eye with their mission including education, collecting milk from the farms, operating stores, and marketing. Overall, they provide a highly integrated service for farmers from three to 450+ cow operations.

At their processing facility, we dressed in our “Michelin Man” apparel and went through several rounds of decontamination. This sanitization is just one part of their impressive biosecurity measures that are strict enough to achieve approval from the USDA and the Mexican government for exports. We toured the plant backwards: starting with the finished product and working back to the beginning of the process.

After leaving the processing plant, once again in our normal clothes, we headed out to a small dairy farm featuring the familiar Holstein breed of dairy cattle. The cows were treated to lush grass and a nutrient dense feed ration. We observed how some farmers still manage to be profitable milking by hand while others use more modern milking units. To better understand the full dairy production aspect encompassed by the member-owned Colanta, we stopped by one of the cooperative’s Agro-Colanta stores which offers everything from medicines and feed to shoes and fertilizers.

Then, we headed on to the Colanta cheese processing plant just up the road. Once again, we donned some new apparel for biosecurity and after the now familiar scrubbing of the boots and hands, we entered the cheese plant. We were able to watch various varieties in production and even sampled some fresh “queso”. The plant also makes yogurt and powdered milk. (Some types of Colanta cheese are available at Publix and Winn-Dixie stores in south United States and are very tasty!)

We were all tired after our long and educational day, but as we headed back to the hotel, the team realized just how beneficial a cooperative can be to both small and large producers. We also appreciated the processes and efforts that go into putting protein in a diet. Retiring after a full day, we all look forward to a busy tomorrow, our last day touring this beautiful Colombian mountain town.

Lauren Geiger – Kansas State University
Thomas Marten – Southern Illinois University

Columbia's pork producers and exotic fruits

Collegiate agriculture students who were selected to take part in the International Collegiate Agricultural Leadership (I-CAL) program are currently traveling in Columbia and Panama and blogging about their adventures.

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Que dice el cerdo (What does a pig say)? Oink Oink. (ha ha).

Today we visited a local swine producer who raises hogs from farrow to finish outside of Cali, Colombia. Everyone was delighted when we were each handed a pair of blue coveralls, plastic booties and a hair net before entering the facility.

Paradise Farms, the swine operation, is locally owned and operated. A featured technology of the operation is the process used to convert animal waste into compost and heat.

The owner is a member of the Colombian Pork Checkoff and a past president of the Colombian Pork Producers Association. The checkoff program was started in 1994 and now helps members by offering trainings to producers and spending time lobbying to the government.

It was interesting to be able to see the entire process from farrow to the final marketed product in a tropical environment. Paradise Farms is a very profitable and productive business, some production highlights include:

• 5% mortality rate
• 90% conception rate
• Average of 11 piglets/litter
• Each sow will average 28 piglets/year

Upon leaving the swine operation, we made our way to an open-air Colombian produce and meat market. All fresh foods are domestically produced. Did you know that Colombia is home to 1100 different fruits? Many of these fruits were exotic to us, and we even were able to sample a few.

It was a different experience for us to see the fresh meat market as well with meat hanging in the open air. The market allowed us to experience how the majority of local, small scale producers sell their products.

After a quick outdoor lunch and the opportunity to take a look at the neighboring nursery, we visited a local tropical fruit orchard. The most unique fruit we learned about was the Atamoya fruit, which is a new hybrid fruit created from the Naon and the Chirimoya fruits.

Atamoya is a very sweet and expensive fruit because the tree doesn’t begin producing fruit until three to four years of age. This orchard is the only Atamoya producer in the world, giving them competitive advantage in Colombian markets.

Mangos, macadamia nuts and guanabanas are also found in the orchard. The guanabana fruit is about the size of a football, green and covered in spikes. We ended the tour by seeing how macadamia nuts are cleaned, sorted and dried on location.

We finished the day with a relaxing BBQ dinner as tomorrow will be a very early wake-up call when we fly to Medellin, Colombia.

Jarvis Pace – Utah State University
Gracie Weinzierl – Illinois State University

I-CAL's 2nd day in Panama

For the next two weeks, collegiate agriculture students who were selected to take part in the International Collegiate Agricultural Leadership (I-CAL) program will be traveling in Columbia and Panama and blogging about their adventures.
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Buenos Dias everyone! This is the 2011 I-CAL Team reporting Day 2 in Panama City, Panama. We began our day by conducting a short meeting about the U.S. Grain Council efforts abroad, with Mr. Kurt Schultz, Regional Director for U.S. Grains Council in the Panama City, Panama office. The U.S. Grains Council promotes U.S. grains in four different areas. These different areas being; market intelligence, market development, market defense and access. After our informative meeting with Mr. Schultz we were off to see the Panama Canal!

Completed in 1914 the Panama Canal is America’s only trans-oceanic waterway. The Canal is the main transformational hub for International trade in North America. The canal is welcomed each morning by one of the approximately thirty five ships that will pass through the canal each day. This transit generates revenue of approximately five million dollars per day for the country of Panama.

Logistics play a key role in the success of the Panama Canal, large freight ships are able to cross the America’s cheaper and more efficiently, than if they were to travel around the tip of South America. Fright transportation is all about volume economics. Each Panamax ship can contain up to five thousand individual containers, weighing up to twenty two tons each, thus creating high volume low cost freight.

The nationalization of the Panama Canal has led to the emergence of many Panamaian owned freight terminals. Today, we had the opportunity to visit Manzanillo International Terminal (MIT). Logistics, logistics, logistics, is the name of the game for MIT, a highly integrated computer system tracks and documents each individual container that arrives and departs the terminal. MIT has the capability of handling thirty-two containers an hour and eighty-five thousand containers a month.

The workforce is made up of mainly union workers, of which they have an excellent working relationship. MIT charges two hundred and sixty five dollars per container that is removed and put back on a ship. A container never sits more than twenty one days in MIT’s fright yard. The mass of product that is moved within this company was simply amazing to all of us.

Last stop of today was the Desarollo Posicional Elevator, through this company all of Panama’s feed corn and soybean meal is delivered and picked up at this location. We toured the new grain quality lab, to gain a better understanding on why it is important to test grain shipment qualities. We also toured the grain bins and horizontal grain storage facilities. All followed up by a very cultural Panamaian dinner in downtown.

Amazing day here in Panama, until we meet again,
Caleb Wurth- Kanas State University
Kelli Fulkerson- South Dakota State University

The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)

For the next two weeks, collegiate agriculture students who were selected to take part in the International Collegiate Agricultural Leadership (I-CAL) program will be traveling in Columbia and Panama and blogging about their adventures.
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Buenos Dias, Otra Dez from the 2011 I-CAL Team in Columbia!!


This morning we departed from our beautiful hotel here in the city of Cali, Columbia for the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). CIAT is an international organization sponsored by the United Nations, Rockefeller Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, as well as many others.



Fun fact about an I-CAL team member and the W.K Kellogg Corporation, Miss Kelli Fulkerson’s hometown is twenty minutes from the corporate headquarters which is located in Battle Creek, MI.

The foundation of CIAT mission is to, “Produce Eco-Efficient Agriculture for the Poor.” They fulfill this mission by contributing household and global food security in a way that is eco-efficient, and adds value nutritionally and economically.

Today, while at the Central CIAT office we were able to see four different sectors of the CIAT programs. These included; cassava research and production, bean genomics, the economic analysis program referred to as DAPA, and rice genomics improvement.

Cassava is a starchy tuberous root that is the major source of starch here in South America and all over tropical regions. This starchy tuberous root can be compared in the United States to a potato. Cassava production in South America is vital to their food, fuel and animal feed source production.

Bean and rice genomics are a very large part of CIAT’s research and development. CIAT host’s one of the largest bean DNA libraries in the world. This library comprises over 36,000 different bean varieties. CIAT is the site of the development of several varieties of rice that are utilized worldwide today. We were taught about how these varieties were developed.









DAPA is a large part of CIAT’s perspective on International agriculture. They must look at what the world’s market trends are, and how they are occurring, in order to utilize and develop a strategic method for what new or existing crops they will research. There are five team members that assist with the DAPA program.

The night was ended with a cultural dinner and Salsa dancing. The entire team enjoyed showing our American two left feet. There were many dance instructors that offered their numbers to us for lessons. Great way to spend our first full day in Columbia!

Until we meet again,

Caleb Wurth- Kanas State University
Kelli Fulkerson- South Dakota State University

Hacienda la Estrella

McDonald’s? It is a common breakfast in the United States, but upon arrival in Panama, fast food was not expected. Nonetheless, we got to enjoy it this morning! McMuffins, McCafes, and pancakes filled our trays.

Our second stop took us to Hacienda la Estrella in Coclé. Marquette University educated Hans Hammerschlag, executive vice president, greeted us and gave a presentation throughout the morning about the company model. The enterprise produces shrimp, sugar cane, rice, various fruits, sheep, animal feed, and seed and does seafood processing, all on 60,000 acres of land.

The business brings in $92 million each year through the efforts of 3,000 permanent employees.

Next, we jumped on the bus and rode to the shrimp pond location. The roads were reminiscent of American red dirt with lots of sugar cane fields and a few rice paddies along the way. Before entering the shrimp area, our bus was required pass through a checkpoint with a disinfectant dip for the bus tires to prevent contaminants that might harm the shrimp.

When we arrived, we met in the conference room to talk about their shrimp production which extends to 265 - 1 hectare ponds just over 4 feet deep pumped full by two pump stations including 13 pumps each moving 3,000 gallons per minute.

The ponds are stocked to approximately 10 shrimp per square meter. Their breed of shrimp matures from 150-220 days, reaching almost 1 ounce. The shrimp produced at the farm obtain a 65 percent survival rate and are marketed to the European Union, Taiwan, and the U.S.

A problem for shrimp production in general has been White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) which can wipe out large populations of shrimp. Camaco, the shrimp division of Hacienda la Estrella has invested large sums into developing shrimp that are resistant to WSSV and other common diseases. This flourishing endeavor has been successful in being able to find profitable new marketing strategies.

As we left the shrimp farm, we headed to the rice milling facility where they dehull rice seed, leaving brown rice. Like Americans in the U.S., Panamanians prefer a white (polished) rice. White rice is simply the brown rice that has had the bran and germ removed which is, coincidentally, is the most nutrient dense portion of the rice grain. This bran is then used as a feed additive for their livestock operations, including beef and sheep operations.

Our final destination was their livestock facilities which had a sight familiar to those in the U.S.--biosecurity procedures! At multiple stops throughout the tour, we dipped our shoes into a decontaminating solution to reduce risk of introducing diseases to their farm. They focused their operation on genetics and meat production for marketing locally. To reduce the incidence of recurring diseases, they utilize rotational grazing on a 21 day rotation.

The day ended with a pleasant visit to El Galeόn for dinner and a celebration for Marty’s birthday. A debriefing with the sound of waves crashing on the shore was the perfect end to our time on the beach in Las Sirenas.

Lauren Geiger – Kansas State University
Thomas Marten – Southern Illinois University

Coffee beans, beaches and broilers

For the next two weeks, collegiate agriculture students who were selected to take part in the International Collegiate Agricultural Leadership (I-CAL) program will be traveling in Columbia and Panama and blogging about their adventures.
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Les enviamos una hola de Santa Clara, Panama! (We send you our greetings from Santa Clara, Panama!)

Today we had the amazing opportunity to tour some small scale agricultural producers here in inland Panama. Our first visit was to a small-scale coffee producer. We had the chance to see firsthand how coffee is produced and processed. Did you know that the coffee bean isn’t actually a bean? It is the seed from a coffee cherry!

In this region coffee is the main cash crop. This particular farm markets their finished product to locals as natural and organic. A struggle that they have is marketing their product outside of their local community.

One of the issues that they have is getting their product to the city to market due to the transportation restraints and distance from the concentrated population. They have, however, expanded their operations to de-hull, grind, and toast their coffee and offer these same services to other local coffee producers. By doing so they are able to sell their product for a higher premium and make a 400 percent greater profit.

Farming organically is important to this farm because they are interested in protecting the environmental conditions of the Panamanian Watershed, and their soil. It was interesting to see how they are self-sustainable because they mix their own organic fertilizer using what is available to them. Their mixture contains rice husks, coffee hulls, chicken/cow/horse manure, yeast, kitchen compost and molasses to feed the yeast for the fermentation process. It amazed all of us that they mixed this fertilizer by hand. It took them almost three weeks to completely mix it--and we thought our chores on the farm were tough!

They also harvest all of their coffee by hand and then dry it on large tarps in the sun, which is no easy task in this humid climate! The way to tell if the coffee bean his been sufficiently dried is that the coffee bean turns from white to brown.

In 1990, a group of small producers joined together and formed the UCC. The UCC is a local coffee growers association which is made up of twelve communities that share ideas and resources. One of the producers that we visited today is the current vice president of the UCC.

We were also able to meet the area Peace Corps Volunteer, Jim O’Neil. Jim grew up in the United States and has been in Panama since last July. He helps out local farmers by teaching them new sustainable methods of agriculture. He also showed us his humble living conditions and his own personal sustainable garden. His best friend Canella, was overjoyed to have new friends to play fetch with.

After several hours on a bus, we ended up in Santa Clara, Panama where we had the chance to meet with Jesus Armenteros. Jesus is a UC Davis graduate and owns a small poultry operation.

Even though his primary focus is pasture feed broilers, Jesus also farms other commodities as well. He has 150 laying hens, 3 acres of yams, 1 acre of tomatoes, a few beets and beans, hogs, African sheep, and a lot of different varieties of fruit trees. He markets all of his products to local restaurants and the Jewish community as organic and humane to receive a higher premium.

Most of us had the opportunity to sample the infamous cashew fruit, and local mango. The cashew fruit is highly deceiving, because before the cashew nut is properly processed it is toxic to humans. Upon eating the fruit itself, which is non-toxic, you found that your mouth immediately goes dry even though juice gushes everywhere when you bite into it!

We finished our day by walking across the beach to make it to our dinner reservations where we were able to eat some authentic Panamanian food. Our hotel for the next two nights resides on the beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We give you permission to be jealous!

Stay tuned for what adventures the I-CAL team will experience tomorrow!

Gracie Weinzierl – Illinois State University
Jarvis Pace – Utah State University

The I-CAL Adventure has Begun!

For the next two weeks, collegiate agriculture students who were selected to take part in the International Collegiate Agricultural Leadership (I-CAL) program will be traveling in Columbia and Panama and blogging about their adventures.

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Upon arrival in Orlando, Florida, we began our orientation and training process in which each I-CAL participant was charged to present on a topic pertaining to Colombian and Panamanian agriculture. After spending a day preparing, we were ready to begin our adventure to Panama bright and early the next morning. Aside from the unexpected flight delay and a turbulent and steep landing, the morning went extremely smoothly. We even made it through customs in record time.

We made a new friend today. His name is Christopher and he will be helping us in our travels- guiding, translating, and answering any and all questions we might have. Today we were lucky enough to see first-hand Panama City and learn briefly about its history.

Since Panama City never experiences earthquakes or hurricanes, it is home to gorgeous skyscrapers reaching 85+ stories high. After checking into our hotel which is shore of the Panama Canal, we met with our U.S. Grains Council representative, Kurt Schultz, over lunch.

Kurt briefed us on our itinerary for the coming week in Panama, beginning with an educational day tomorrow at the Panama Canal and the world’s second largest grain container port. Both of which will allow us to witness international trade first-hand.

It is hot and humid here in Panama, raining off and on, with lightning illuminating the sky for moments at a time. Perhaps the most interesting part of the day was the fish market, both a culturally shocking and eye opening experience for all of us. The newly built facilities provided an excellent opportunity for small vendors to sell their products, which make up the largest sector of their agricultural industry.

We then toured downtown Panama City, where we visited some notable historical sites: monuments, a cathedral filled with gold icons, a seawall once used to guard the city from pirates, and much more.

We are extremely excited to learn about Panamanian and Colombian agriculture over the next few weeks!

Does climate affect global food prices?

A new study featured in the Washington Post says that global warming has stunted the growth of corn and wheat crops in Russia, China, Mexico and elsewhere, contributing to a long-term rise in food prices:

Report: Global warming already crimping crop production, pushing prices higher

But, a University of Nebraska professor contends that it’s not clear that the study captured how well farmers can respond to changing temperatures.

Some experts say that studies like these should motivate governments and seed companies to develop heat and drought-resistant crops.

What do you think? How can farmers around the world adapt to changing temperatures while keeping food costs down?