CAFNR students experience unique learning opportunities over intersession break
By Taryn Dameron, posted 02/06/06     

Most students view winter break as a chance to go home, relax and catch up on some overdue sleep. Getting up early and going to classes doesn’t sound like something most students would be up to during their “vacation.” So why would 36 CAFNR students choose not only to sacrifice precious R&R, but to do so thousands of miles from the comforts of home?  Perhaps it’s because participating in the study abroad programs in Brazil and New Zealand means you aren’t most students.

CAFNR students used a free day to visit Kiakora Beach, New Zealand.

A river of ice flows down the Franz Josef Glacier. While many glaciers have been retreating, the Franz Josef still flows almost to sea level. Students had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to climb the glacier.

A dog herds sheep at the Lincoln University sheep farm near Christchurch, New Zealand.

On Dec. 27, 2005, 17 CAFNR students traveled to New Zealand’s south island to study at Lincoln University near Christchurch. While at the university, students had the opportunity to earn three agriculture elective credits through an intro to agriculture class. Students took part in lectures ranging in topics from forestry to farm management to the history and culture of New Zealand. Educational field trips were taken to several farms and ranches, helping students understand how farms in other countries survive without subsidies.

Students on the trip included:

• Ashley Bergthold, senior, agribusiness management
• Megan Cooper, senior, agricultural journalism
• Sarah Crisp, junior, food science and nutrition
• Sara Ensinberger, masters, education and counseling psychology
• Justyn Foth, junior, fisheries and wildlife
• Megan Fox, senior, agribusiness management
• Nicole Green, senior, animal science
• Lauren Kilbane, freshman, agricultural education
• Tyler King, junior, forestry
• Monika Lusiak, senior, biochemistry
• Hannah Nelson, senior, agricultural education
• Ashley Noblitt, junior, agricultural education
• Benjamin O’Neal, senior, parks, recreation and tourism
• Megan Priebe, freshman, animal science
• Colleen Risinger, junior, animal science
• Angela Roam, junior, fisheries and wildlife
• Jameson Scoggin, senior, animal science
• Jana Thies, senior, agricultural education
• Elizabeth Weilbacher, senior, biochemistry

Accompanying the students on the trip were Karen Ellersieck, horticulture instructor and Mark Ellersieck, experimental station statistics professor.

While education may have been the reason for the trip, it wasn’t all business. Students also had the chance to experience once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, such as whale watching and climbing the Franz Josef Glacier.  

“I really enjoyed whale watching. I had never been out on the sea in a boat before. It was amazing because they usually hope to see one whale on these outings and we saw two sperm whales and then some dolphins and killer whales on the ride back. It was just amazing,” Ashley Noblitt said.

Meanwhile, back in the western hemisphere, 19 more CAFNR students were learning about precision agriculture in Brazil at the University of Sao Paulo de Queiroz College of Agriculture.

This stay kicked off with a crash course in Portuguese and was followed with lectures over agricultural practices in Brazil, including topics like meat and animal prices, ethanol and sugar production and Amazon deforestation.

CAFNR Agricultural Systems Management students spent their semester break learning about precision agriculture in Brazil. Here they take time to pose for a group photo at CAROL Cooperative, a large farmer coop.

ASM club president, Andrew Mann, presents Case-IH representatives in Piracicaba with an ASM cap and CAFNR pin to thank them for letting the students visit.

Students also had time to do some site seeing including the courtyard

Students participating in this trip included:

• Laura Beach, junior, agricultural education
• Chris Beach, senior, agricultural systems management
• Bruce Bishop, sophomore, agricultural systems management
• Matthew Bollinger, freshman, animal science
• Brandie Bryson, junior, natural resources
• Thomas Coleman, senior, general agriculture
• Andrew Davis, senior, agricultural systems management
• Danny Guffey, senior, agricultural systems management
• Clint Kendrick, senior, agribusiness management
• Kayla Lindsey, junior, agribusiness management
• Doug Ludwig, senior, agricultural systems management
• Andrew Mann, junior, agricultural systems management
• Justin McAllister, senior, agricultural systems management
• James McCormack, junior, agricultural education
• Jenny Prange, junior, agricultural education
• Clayton Randol, senior, civil engineering
• Anthony Schneider, freshman, agricultural systems management
• David Strobel, masters, agricultural economics
• Lindsay Studer, junior, agribusiness management

Leon Schumacher, agricultural systems management professor, and Sandra Zaring, administrative assistant accompanied the students to Brazil. 

The students visited some of Brazil’s most advanced farming operations including the countries largest flower producer, Veiling Holambra; Beef and Dairy research farms; Camboy farms, Brazil’s largest commercial farm; TaTu Machesen machinery manufacturer; Carol Cooperative; and the Case-IH coffee picker and sugarcane harvester plant.

“I was most impressed with Brazil’s precision agriculture. The John Deere GreenStar GPS system doesn’t work down there so they made their own version. They are really coming around as far as precision ag,” Andrew Mann, ASM Club president said.

For more information about CAFNR study abroad programs, visit the Web site or contact:
Roy Robinson
Director, CAFNR Study Abroad Programs
2-64 Agriculture Building
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211
Phone: (573) 882-0087
Email: robinsonre@missouri.edu

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