Twenty-one Nebraska LEAD 40 Fellows recently returned from the 2023 International Study/Travel Seminar to Costa Rica, Colombia, and Panama.
“Our international study/travel seminar is designed to provide firsthand appreciation and understanding of our international community and the potential for people of all nations to work together,” said Terry Hejny, Nebraska LEAD Program Director and group leader.
During the January 5-18 seminar, LEAD Fellows visited and studied at CATIE (Centro Agronomico Tropical de Investigacion y Ensenanza) near Turrialba. CATIE is an international entity with a unique combination of science, graduate education and innovation for development. LEAD Fellows received briefings and tours of CATIE’s research on agricultural practices in cropping, conservation and livestock systems. LEAD 40 also toured the Aquiares Coffee plantations and processing facility.
While in Bogota, the LEAD Fellows participated in briefings that included Don Mason, Project Specialist in Colombia, U.S. Meat Export Federation; Abigail Mackey – Agricultural Attaché and Jose Quintero, Agricultural Specialist with the USDA Foreign Ag Service; and Miguel Galdos, Regional Director, U.S. Wheat Associates. Traveling outside of Bogota, LEAD 40 visited the working cattle ranch of Juan Ramon Giraldo Arciniegas, who shared the history, philosophy, and management of his family’s Normando cow/calf operation. Later, the class visited Ayura Flowers, a carnation flower production farm growing several varieties of export quality cut flowers.
Near Cali, Colombia, the LEAD Fellows visited AGROSAVIA Research Center, which is dedicated to researching production of tropical fruits important to Colombian trade and economics. AGOSAVIA is funded primarily by the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture. In addition to research, they are charged to preserve many of the varieties of tropical fruits common in the region. Near Medillen, Colombia, the LEAD Fellows visited the Colombian Coffee Federation’s scientific investigation headquarters (CENICAFE) and received presentations on coffee cultivation techniques, scientific development, main regions of productions, the role of the small producer, and sustainable development within the industry.
While in Panama, the LEAD Fellows visited the Panama Canal and the Miraflores Locks, visited pineapple and watermelon farms and participated in briefings that included Ana Maria Ballesteros, Regional Director, U.S. Grains Council; Peter Olson, Agricultural Attaché, USDA Foreign Ag Service; Stephanie Bryant-Erdmann, Assistant Regional Director, U.S. Wheat Associates, and Carlos Salinas, Regional Director, U.S. Soybean Export Council.
“The people-to-people encounters provided the members of Nebraska LEAD Group 40 an opportunity to view characteristics, conditions and trends in Costa Rica, Colombia, and Panama allowing them to determine relationships to issues and situations in our country,” Hejny said. “Through this experience LEAD Fellows develop techniques in identifying comparisons and contrasts of the countries they studied in areas such as agriculture, politics, economics, energy, religion, culture and history as well as technology, trade, food, art and philosophy.”
Timothy Hashman, of Hemingford and Blake Wohlers, of Scottsbluff represented the Panhandle on the trip.
The Nebraska LEAD Program includes men and women, currently active in production agriculture and agribusiness and is a two-year leadership development program under the direction of the Nebraska Agricultural Leadership Council, in cooperation with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
For more information, or to request an application for Nebraska LEAD 42, contact the Nebraska LEAD Program, 104 Agricultural Communications Building, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0940, telephone 402-472-6810 or email the Nebraska LEAD Program at leadprogram@unl.edu. The application deadline is June 15.