Come to a New Zealand sheep farm. 'Ewe' wouldn't believe it!

Wool is a hot commodity in New Zealand. So of course, we saw lots of sheep on our travels! However, not all these stops were on the itinerary. On day four, we had an unexpected delay when our bus pulled off the side of the road and would not start again. What luck, right? In fact, the best luck came from our professor seeing a sheep farm shearing some ewes that we drove past about one mile down the road.

We had to make a choice. Do we:

a) sit on the side of a highway for two hours awaiting someone from the bus company to help the situation?

b) take a little tramp (Kiwi term for hike) down the road to see if the sheep farmers will let us come on their farm?

Option b was selected!

After risking our lives walking down the highway that seemed to never end, 40 students arrived at this sheep farm. Now, think about if you were working and a large group of foreigners walked up to your farm or business and asked if they could get an inside view of your operation. Would you be caught off guard, uncertain of their intentions and possibly not let the group in?

Kia Ora, New Zealand! A trip of beauty and knowledge.

Kia Ora! Or, hello, I wish you good day! After a 10-day adventure, I made it home from New Zealand just in time for the holiday season. This trip was by far one of the most insightful, invigorating trips I have ever been on. From the food and culture to the landscapes and agriculture me and 40 students from Ohio State witnessed, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

In the next few blog posts, I will elaborate on some specific things I learned during this study abroad. Until then, enjoy some of the photos I captured along the way. The biggest learning moment I had: always, ALWAYS carry an extra battery for your camera. I didn't and was lucky. Next time, I might not be!

Why not disconnect?

Photo from mashable.com

What is the purpose of social media? To stay connected with all your friends, relatives, peers, coworkers, professors, animals and long-lost Abominable snowman, right? It is nice to have the minute-to-minute updates from all the people and news sources in our lives. But sometimes, I think it is down right obnoxious, annoying and tiring.

There are many times I just want to disconnect for a while. It is refreshing to take a break from the hullabaloo of social media that can wear us down. Whenever I go home for a weekend or break, I try my best to keep my iPhone away so I can embrace the present people around me. And you know what? It is less stressful that way!

Leading through food and farming

Mara, Libby, Derek, Lauren and I were a few of the
college students in attendance at OFFLF.

The agriculture industry is filled with leaders. Who are these men and women leading the way for the future of our industry you might ask? Well, after attending the Farm and Food Leadership Forum and a session of the 95th Ohio Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, they are the people who are making efforts each day to advocate about food, fuel and fiber in our country and nation. They are members of Farm Bureau.

The main event I attended was this new Farm and Food Leadership Forum (#OFFLF). Sessions were held to discuss topics in agriculture from leadership, trends and issues, board functions, and more. It was an insightful day and definitely worth postponing my studying for finals this week!

At the bottom of this post is the Storify about the events that have occurred this week. Many young, passionate people have been sharing their experiences on social media. We can see what they are doing and advocating all over the place! However, their are some unspoken voices we should share.