of international agriculture
Touring farms, agribusinesses and cultural sites of Ireland and Scotland, 10 students in N.C. State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences spent two weeks this summer gaining a better understanding of international agricultural production and marketing systems.
It was a first-of-its-kind tour for the College, with the undergraduate students traveling to small farms as well as to large corporations. They also got a glimpse into European home life, when the farmers they met invited the students to join them for tea and a game of hurling.
Amid a rising level of concern about the safety of Americans traveling abroad, the College chose Ireland and Scotland for the tour because the countries “were as safe as we could choose,” said the tour leader Dr. Sam Pardue, a professor in the Department of Poultry Science.
While in Ireland, the students visited Alltech, a firm that produces feed additives, as well as three dairy farms and a mountain sheep farm.
A high-speed ferry took them to Stranraer, Scotland. From there, they went to Aviagen, the world’s largest poultry breeder, and to wild boar, beef cattle and sheepdog farms. They also visited a whiskey distillery, a woolen mill, a beef cattle farm and an agricultural center.
Penny Page was one of the students making her first trip overseas. Page, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in animal science, said she signed up not only to see farming and agricultural systems in another country but also to explore another culture.
“I signed up for the tour because I had never been abroad before, and I had always wanted to go,” said Page, a Kinston native. “I thought it would be great to see what farming and agriculture were like outside the United States. I also went to learn how the general culture was different ... what people my age did during the day [and for] nightlife, what their concerns and interests were ... . I think that it is important to understand how other societies act and function.”
Dr. Kenneth Esbenshade, the College’s associate dean and director of academic programs, said that gaining such an international perspective is increasingly important both to students and their future employers.
“These international experiences enhance the education and understanding of these students and prepare them for a workplace that is becoming more international in scope,” he said.
And that preparation gives students an edge when it comes to starting their careers. As Dr. Larry Nelson, assistant dean for international programs, said, “Those who have had some international exposure will be more valuable employees to certain employers, and the employers are aware of this in their recruitment. It is becoming more that way all the time.”
Pardue said the students were especially attuned to the varying role governments in the United States and in Europe affect agricultural production.
“Our operations tend to be much larger, while Europeans have made a commitment to keep small family farms viable through subsidies and quotas,” he said. “They also saw environmental aspects of European production. Our farmers are just now facing some of the same issues that European farmers have faced for the better part of a decade.”
Esbenshade said the College hopes to offer similar opportunities to even more students in the future.
— Dee Shore
