Minnesota FFA Alumni Annual Meeting

Today I not only caught up on my blogging, I had the opportunity to attend the Minnesota FFA Alumni Annual Meeting and see many familiar faces. Katie and I presented a workshop about generating community support and member excitement. It was a good chance to present to a different audience. As state officers we don't get the chance to present to adults and alumni, rather we work quite a bit with FFA members. The National FFA Alumni President elect, Diane, also presented a workshop at the meeting. I attended that workshop and we were able to cut out out "modes of transportation" from spam. This allowed us to identify keys for affiliate chapter improvement.

I truly appreciate the continuous support that FFA alumni gives to FFA members as coaches, mentors, fundraisers and friends. I look forward to joining the alumni once my year of office is over. Thank you Minnesota FFA Alumni!

Caitlin

FFA Day at the Capitol

Despite the winter weather, over 80 FFA members from across Minnesota gathered at the Captiol in St. Paul to share their pride for agriculture and FFA with their local representatives on Thursday, February 26. A topic that came up often while meeting with representatives and senators was the concern over recent budget cuts in local schools. If you are an FFA member with this concern, I encourage you to do your research, talk to your representatives and to your school board. I learned that these people will listen to you and value your opinions. 

After a long day of visiting with representatives and being introduced on the House floor during session, the state officer team ventured out into the blizzard to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. We met with Commissioner of Agriculture Gene Hugoson for an hour and a half and discussed agriculture issues on the local level and internationally. It was also a nice surprise to see Robin Kinney, my mentor and Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture at the MDA as well. 

It was nice to see FFA members on Thursday. You represented Minnesota FFA and agricultural education in a very positive fashion. Thank you for coming!

Caitlin Kasper

FFA Day at the Timberwolves

What a way to kick off FFA week! On Sunday, February 22 our state officer team traveled to the Target Center to meet with FFA members from Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. This event put on by the Minnesota FFA Foundation occurs every year and is a great way to meet FFA members from across the midwest and enjoy a good game of basketball. After eating some great food at Champp's and meeting Randy Breuer and the voice of the Timberwolves, Rod Johnson, we were ready for a great game. 

This was the first Timberwolves game I had ever been to and the Timberwolves put up a good fight against the Lakers. In the end the Lakers won by just three points. I encourage FFA members and chapters to join in FFA Day at the T-Wolves in the future. We could use some more Minnesotans at the game!

Caitlin

SOPD at CHS

It was refreshing to take a Friday off school and go to CHS for a State Officer Professional Development Day. CHS is a very generous cooperative that provides a lot of support to the FFA organization. During the day on Friday, February 13, our state officer team met with various CHS employees to learn about grains, stewardship, energy, member cooperatives and careers in agriculture. This gave me a lot of insight into what I can do to better prepare myself for internships and jobs in the future. It also gave me a better understanding of CHS and what their company does.

We also met with some employees in preparation for FFA Day at the Capitol. They got us thinking about key messages that we can share with our representatives during FFA week. Thank you, CHS!

Caitlin Kasper

Metro Area FFA Alumni Banquet

I attended the Metro Area FFA Alumni Banquet on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 at Axel's Bonfire on Grand Avenue in St. Paul. I had a great time catching up with FFA Alumni that I haven't seen in a couple months. I enjoyed a meal with alumni and cannot thank them enough for all they do for FFA. It is great to see a group of people so dedicated to making a difference in the lives of FFA members. Thank you!

Caitlin Kasper

ILSSO: Friday, January 16, 2009

Getting everything packed back into one suitcase and one carry on was a miracle! I never thought I would fit my souvenirs in my luggage. I even had to sit on my suitcase to get it closed. We are leaving for the airport before noon and taking the Maglev train part way there. This train travels at speeds over 350 mph. When we leave from the airport, we will arrive in San Francisco on the same day before we even left for the United States since we cross the International Date Line.

We have a couple hours' layover in SF and then have about a four hour flight to Minneapolis. (Oh, and Katie does get to come home with us! She picked up her new passport this morning.) I will get home at about 6:00 on this Friday even though it's technically 38 or so hours from now. I hope you all enjoyed following my trip to China. I appreciate your encouragement, support and donations. This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip from which I learned a lot about culture and international agriculture. Thank you!

Caitlin

ILSSO: Thursday, January 15, 2009

After breakfast we loaded the bus for the Yu Garden. We went shopping near the Yu Garden and then Justin, Katie and I decided to eat lunch at the McDonald's nearby. While at McDonald's Katie's purse was stolen, which contained her passport, additional ID's, money and cell phone. Our Chinese tour guide contacted the police and Katie spent over five hours at the police station and the American Consulate to get paper work done for a new passport. Everyone in the group was worried about her not being able to go home with us tomorrow. 

Our group also spent some time shopping at Nanjing Road. Apparently this is the busiest shopping area in the world. Many street vendors were flashing brochures of name brand purses, watches, shoes and sunglasses and trying to convince us to follow them to their shops which are located in alleys away from the main street. I actually did visit a few of these shops with 20 or so others from my group. I would not have felt safe going into the alleys with fewer than that many people. I didn't buy anything there, but others from the group were bargaining with the shop owners in English for a better deal. These items were sold in back alley shops since it is illegal to sell stolen, copied or pirated items in Shanghai. The shops were almost like something you would see in a movie. We entered one shop that seemed really small but there were shelves of shoes that moved like a trap door into a bigger area of the shop. 

After our shopping excursion we had one last Chinese dinner and then went to an acrobat show. Tomorrow we go to the airport in the afternoon and get ready for a very long trip home.

Caitlin

ILSSO: Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Ni hao!

This morning we took a boat cruise on the Suzhou canal. Suzhou's nickname is "Venice of the East" since their canals look a lot like Venice. The canals used to be used for trading and markets, but today they are just a major tourist attraction. 

After our beautiful morning cruise, we went to the Suzhou Silk Institute to learn how they spin silk and make products from it. This tour was similar to many other tours of factories in China. Our tour guide showed us around the factory and then took us to the gift shops to buy some real silk. This was one of my favorite stops so far and I did bring home quite a few souvenirs. 

We then visited the milk processing plant where the dairy farm that we visited yesterday ships their milk. It was interesting to find out that China does not have a demand for cheese because the Chinese just don't eat it. They also only processed whole milk at this plant. You would never find skim, 1% or 2% milk in China. They make a product called "student milk" as well. This milk contains even more nutrients than whole milk. After the tour of the plant I had the opportunity to try their yogurt, which is packaged in a cup and is drank through a straw. This was the first time I have eaten dairy products on this whole trip. Their milk is packaged in single serving bags and is drank warm in the winter and cold in the summer.

The last stop of the day was at the Suzhou Vegetable Research Institute. After visiting about five greenhouses in China, I am realizing that plant research is a specialty of theirs. 

We had a long bus ride back to Shanghai tonight. Thanks for reading!

Caitlin

ILSSO: Tuesday, January 13, 2009

After breakfast we boarded a plane to fly to Shanghai. Once we landed we were off to visit another greenhouse. Shanghai Sun Qiao Modern Agriculture was a plant research facility near Shanghai. 

We didn't actually stay in Shanghai tonight, but we took a long bus ride to Suzhou. Before heading to our hotel we visited a dairy farm. I grew up on a dairy farm so this was one of the most interesting visits so far. There were about 200 dairy cows on the farm, but they were still milking in stanchion barns. The herd was comprised of all Holsteins, but they were half the size of those in the United States. Their dairy farm was much different from one you would see in the United States. In fact, they were expanding their herd but instead of building a milking parlor they were constructing another stanchion barn. 

On the ride back to the hotel I got some sleep. I am starting to miss American food very much. 

Caitlin

ILSSO: Monday, January 12, 2009

Today we visited Northwest A&F University, a huge agricultural university. We toured part of their campus and talked and ate lunch with some of their students. Many of the Chinese students were in awe at how little Americans study throughout their schooling. It is common for them to study 12 hours per day, while we may study 3 hours outside of class.

We then visited the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and finished the day with dinner and a show. We were served an 18-course dumpling meal, and each dumpling had a different stuffing. The pork dumpling was in the shape of a small pig and the chicken dumpling look like a chicken. I even tried shark fin dumpling. At the restaurant we enjoyed the Tang Dynasty Show after our meal.

Caitlin

ILSSO: Sunday, January 11, 2009

We had time to freshen up at the hotel and eat breakfast upon arrival in Xian. Then we took a bus to the City Wall. This is the last remaining one in China and the perimeter is 9 miles. I rode a double bike with Katie and got to see a lot of people setting up decorations for their Spring Festival. One thing that I noticed this morning is that there is a lot of air pollution here. Visibility is about 1/4 mile.

This was a shorter day than yesterday. When we were done biking at the City Wall, we went to a Terra Cotta factory where they make replicas of the Terra Cotta Warriors. Then we toured the actual museum where the warriors were found. The pit of clay soldiers is huge! 

Caitlin

ILSSO: Saturday, January 10, 2009

We began our day by touring a Cloissone Factory near Beijing. This is where pots and figurines are handmade from copper and painted with minerals to make nice, authentic and decorative Chinese art. All of the work here was done by hand. After getting a tour from our guide, Babbit, we were able to visit the gift store. I bought some beautiful figurines including a rooster for my grandma.

Our next stop was the Great Wall of China. I actually didn't realize how many stairs there were! We had a little over an hour to explore near the Great Wall. I didn't go all the way to the top, but did get some great pictures of the surrounding mountains. I even bought a metal certificate that has my name and the date engraved on it and confirms that I climbed the Great Wall.

On our way to the pearl and jade factory, our bus stopped near the Olympic stadiums, the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube. We didn't get very close to them, but it was neat to be in the same area where the Olympics were held not too long ago.

Next, we went through a museum at the jade and pearl factory that showed us the different qualities and colors of jade. After eating lunch at the factory we had some time to wander around the very large pearl and jade gift shops. One thing I have realized is that at every tourist attraction there are places to eat and buy things. I did end up purchasing some pearl earrings and a pearl ring. They were a lot cheaper in comparison to pearls in the United States and our tour guides informed us that this was the best place to buy them because they are guaranteed to be real.

Even though our day was very full already, we had a couple more stops to go. We went to the Temple of Heaven. Surrounding the Temple was a large park area where local Chinese people were singing, dancing, playing cards, playing hackey sack, knitting and selling items to tourists. It was like an outdoor community center. I was able to barter with a lady to buy a small knitted purse.

The rest of the group's final hours in Beijing were spent shopping while the Minnesota group met with American Soybean Association Director Phil Laney. We learned about soybean marketing and the relationship between the United States and China. Before we went to the Beijing Railway station, we had just enough time to stop and eat at McDonald's. There are actually quite a few McDonald's, Pizza Huts and KFC's in China. The most popular is KFC followed by McDonald's. I ordered chicken nuggets and fries which tasted exactly the same as if I had ordered them in the U.S.

Today I also learned to appreciate American toilets. Chinese toilets are simply a hole in the ground and are not the most pleasant facility to use. We also take for granted free refills at restaurants. Refills at Chinese restaurants need to be purchased.

Getting on the sleeper train was quite the experience. Our group got split up once we got off the bus to find our train. The tour guide that was with us had a dead cell phone and didn't know which train number we were supposed to be on. Needless to say, after our group boarded the train it left right away. We left Beijing at 9:00 pm and arrived in Xian at 9:00 am on Sunday.

Caitlin

ILSSO: Friday, January 9, 2009

We started theday off by going to the Beijing Market, which is one of the largest in China. Meat, fruit, vegetables, nuts and spices could all be found for sale here. A lot of restaurant owners and individuals come to the market to buy their food. I was surprised at how little regulations there were in the meat market sector. We entered a large shed through some canvas curtains to see five rows full of wooden booths where hog carcasses were sitting out and being cut up  by hand. There was no refrigeration in this building, so I can't imagine what that would be like in the summer time. People come into the meat market and can touch the meat they want which is packaged in a plastic grocery bag. 

Next, we visited the fruit and nut sections of the market. The fruit section had very nice packaging and was much cleaner than the meat market. The nut market was in another location. Some people from our group tried buying nuts there, but nobody spoke English and we know very few phrases in Chinese.

This was another busy day as we rode

 on our buses to have lunch and visit the Largest Ecological Farm in China. Yet another authentic Chinese meal was served t

o us. This time we had egg drop soup, some chicken, boiled cabbage and a whole fish. Dessert was watermelon. They eat very healthy in China and do not have nearly as many sweets as 

we do. So far, dessert has always been watermelon, apples or mandarin oranges. After our lunch we toured their organic greenhouses and saw their biogas plant that heats the small villages' water supply.

Next, we went to Fu Hua beef farm where they raise about 10,000 head of cattle per year. I was very surprised at how much manual labor was used on this farm that had so many animals. One of the pictures shows a man hauling a cart of manure behind him. The workers shoveled all of the manure by hand, and there was only one small tractor on the farm. 

After touring the beef farm, we had supper at their on-farm restaurant. This was the fanciest meal we had, beef hot pot. During the meal there was American music that I had never heard of playing on the karaoke tv's. Our Chinese tour guide encouraged us to sing and dance because that is the image they have of Americans from watching movies. When we were finished with our meal we actually did have a short disco party in the same room. Even some of the Chinese waitresses were learning how to line dance from us. This was a very interesting experience and I am sure some of their stereotypes of Americans were confirmed and some were refuted.

After our dance we had an hour drive back to the hotel. Tomorrow we pack our bags before getting on the bus as we are traveling to Xian on a sleeper train in the evening.

Caitlin

ILSSO: Thursday, January 8, 2009

Thursday was packed full of cultural experiences. In the morning we went to Tiananmen Square. This is a big wide open square in Beijing, and it was really cold out this morning because it was very windy. I am sure glad I packed plenty of warm winter clothing. Something that surprised me, though is that there is no snow on the ground. In fact, even though it is nearly as cold as Minnesota now, they only get snow twice a year. We also visited the Forbidden City and had our first experience with street vendors. Our tour guides taught us how to say "no thanks" in Chinese (boo yao). We also practiced our numbers and some key phrases in Chinese such as "pretty girl" (mei nu) and "handsome boy" (shuai ge).

After Tiananmen Square, we went to eat lunch at another authentic Chinese restaurant. This time we didn't have the option of eating with forks and got a hands-on lesson in using chopsticks. Then we headed over to the American Embassy. There was intense security at the Embassy and we had to leave cell phones and our cameras on the bus. Once inside, our group was led into a meeting room and we were able to speak with the representatives that deal with Chinese and American agriculture relations on a daily basis.

Before going to a Peking Duck Banquet, we had time to learn about Chinese Tea Culture. I was able to try five different Chinese teas including Jasmine tea, green teas, white teas and black teas. After trying some tea, I bought souvenirs at their gift shop including different types of tea and teacups. This was a really neat and fun experience. 

We then ate a Peking Duck Banquet which is a really famous dish in China. I had never eaten duck before so it was a great chance to try it. So far I am eating a lot of rice and vegetables. Their Chinese food is very different from the Chinese we have in the United States. I am not use to the different tastes yet. In Beijing, they don't have noodles, but they do have a lot of sticky rice. There is also no sesame, spicy or orange chicken.  

Finally the day ended with a Chinese Kung Fu Show. It was an interesting mix of commentary about the history of Kung Fu combined with theatrical performances. I am looking forward to visiting farms and the Beijing Market tomorrow.

Caitlin

ILSSO: Wednesday, January 7, 2009

After arriving in Beijing at 3:00 in the afternoon, we loaded the bus to drive to a restaurant for supper. The first thing I realized is that I was definitely not in the United States anymore. The older buildings and apartments in Beijing are very tall and they all look the same due to government regulations.  

We ate supper at an authentic Chinese restaurant. The tables we round with a lazy susan at each. The waiters put dishes of food on the lazy susan and everyone at the table used their chopsticks to dish up their plates. It was also interesting to see that their plates and cups are less than half the size of those that you would see in American restaurants.

Today I realized that I have to be open to understanding the Chinese culture and to giving things a try. Their food, customs, language and way of life is different from anything I have ever experienced. I am really looking forward to the rest of the trip.

Caitlin