ASM Club travels to Brazil
By Kelly Christopherson, 12/5/05

“Whether it’s your first time or your second time, you’ll get a different perspective every time you go,” Leon Schumacher, professor of agriculture systems management, said.

And for a few of the students headed to Brazil, this isn’t their first time traveling abroad.

“Many of the students, eight of them, are going back for their third or fourth time,” Schumacher said.

Doug Ludwig is one of them. He went on the trip to Brazil the last time the Agriculture Systems Management Club went.

“This time the trip is heading farther south,” Ludwig said. “We’re touring production plants and whitewater rafting this time.”

The itinerary for this trip is slightly different than the normal sightseeing trip. Not many trips provide a crash course in the native language or a chance to go inside a few of the country’s processing plants. However, the ASM club’s trip takes the students on a journey through the heart of Brazil’s agriculture industry.

“We’re visiting some dairy and beef farms and a few corn and soybean farms,” Schumacher said. “We’re also going to tour their Caterpillar plant. We had hoped for a tour of the John Deere plant, but it’s looking like that won’t happen now. “

For Laura Beach, these are the kinds of things she wants to see.

“I’m looking forward to touring the farms and comparing their farming practices to our own,” Beach said.

With an International Ag minor, this trip really helps Beach in the long run.

“If I ever decided that working for John Deere is what I wanted to do with my life, going to Brazil and learning the South American culture helps me get my foot in the door,” Beach said. “I’d be able to work anywhere I wanted.”

Ludwig agrees that international travel is something employers look for in a potential employee.

“This will definitely affect my degree,” Ludwig said. “Employers really like to see such experiences.”

The Brazil study abroad trip will run from Dec. 31 through Jan. 13.

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