2010-2011

AGNR Student Newsletter

Exploring Agriculture in TaiwanThree students are given the opportunity to learn about agriculture in Taiwan.

This past summer, Mallan Willis ‘12, Helen Lee ‘11, and Nick Kaplan ‘11 were accepted into a prestigious summer program focused on agricultural education called “Exploring Agriculture in Taiwan,” (E.A.T).

The program’s informational brochure notes that E.A.T’s goal is “to create a short but meaningful experience through which students from both sides of the Pacific Ocean can meet and exchange ideas, hopes, and aspirations about agricultural education.” To apply to this program, one must first be recommended by the director of an agriculture college in a university that has been sent an othat has been sent an official invitation by the program. Once recommended, interested students must submit an application along with teacher recommendations and a 700-word essay about the importance and benefits of cultural awareness and understanding in international exchange activities for college students. If accepted, the National Chung Hsing University covers all costs of the program, including course fees, airfare, all costs of the program, including course fees, airfare, meals, and local transportation.

During the first two days, the students had a conference on higher agricultural education in a changing world. They all were required to give presentations in one of the following categories: course content in agricultural education, practice and apprenticeship in agricultural education, and agricultural education through study abroad. For the rest of the trip, the students toured all overrest of the trip, the students toured all over Taiwan and took part in a number of activities including planting rice on a rice paddy, visiting a Taiwan beer factory, hiking, and visiting an array of temples, museums, and farms.

Not only did the three students learn an immense amount about agriculture and another country’s culture, but they bonded with other students, both American and Taiwanese, and they made memories that will last a lifetime. Willis, a pre-vet/animal science major, found out about the program from a mass email. She learned how to interact with a diinteract with a different culture, and was surprised to see how different farming in Taiwan is than in the U.S.

She comments that unlike in the U.S. where factory farming is abundant, Taiwan is filled with small organic farms and a lot less pollution. Her favorite part of the trip was sitting in the hotel room and talking to her new friends. Lee is an environmental science and technology major with a concentration ecological technology design. While in Taiwan, she learned a lot more about food and where it comes from. Lee more about food and where it comes from. Lee explains that “This trip made [her] really open [her] eyes to all the different problems related to agriculture. A majority of the current generation view farmers as an inferior working class, those who are not intelligent enough to attend college. This generation needs to step up and take charge, this is actually why the EAT program was student focused - it wasn't a conference program was student focused - it wasn't a conference with professionals and those who are faculty.” Lee’s favorite part of the trip was planting rice on the rice paddy, finding the idea that someone was going to be eating the rice that she planted to be really memorable. She is going to be graduating a semester early and plans on working full time in a sustainability field while perusing a Masters. Kaplan, a food science majoperusing a Masters. Kaplan, a food science major, enjoyed learning about the differences between Asian and American cultures, specifically the agricultural practices and commodities, and the importance of agriculture in shaping the world. Kaplan’s most memorable experience was visiting Pierre Organic Farm, where he met and talked with the owner and operatooperator, Pierre H. Loisel. He explains that “Loisel is a former computer engineer who has made vast improvements throughout the country of Taiwan, including waste management and recycling techniques, farming and fertilizing practices, and the general quality of life for Taiwanese people.” After college, Kaplan plans on traveling to remote locales in order to study foods known only by the regional inhabitants.foods known only by the regional inhabitants.

Willis, Lee, and Kaplan agree that the program was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and Kaplan summed the trip up in three words, “enlightening, interesting, informative.” The three students all said that they absolutely recommend it to anyone who has the chance to take part in it.

American students teach Taiwanese students how to do the “Electric Slide” / Students plant rice on a rice paddy / Students at Pierre’s Organic Farm / The students stand in front of the Da Jia Jenn-Lann Temple. / The students had to wake up at 4 AM to visit this fish market. / All of the students that participated in the Exploring Agriculture in Taiwan program pose here for a group photo.

Courtsey Helen Lee

Story by Harper Wayne

Courtsey Helen Lee

Courtsey Helen Lee

Courtsey Helen Lee

Courtsey Helen Lee Courtsey Helen Lee

Courtsey Jesse Yurrow

Courtsey Jesse YurrowJesse Yurrow spends time tending to his

rooftop garden. / Tomatoes are one of the

many varieties of vegetables grown in

Yurrow’s garden.

If you live on North Campus, or if you ever eat at the North Campus diner, you may have noticed that there are plants growing on the diner’s roof. What you probably don’t know, however, is why those plants are there.

This past summer, Jesse Yurrow, a senior majoring in environmental science and technology, was given the opportunity to plant a garden on the roof of the North Campus diner. A variety of herbs and vegetables including peppers, tomatoes, peas, dill, basil, mint, and squash are all grown on the roof by students, for the entire university. Essentially what this means is that anyone who is interested in helping out with the garden can do so, and they can also eat the vegetables and herbs, if they so please. When can also eat the vegetables and herbs, if they so please. When asked what his inspiration for the rooftop garden was, Yurrow responds“I’ve always liked being a nature boy but I haven’t ever had any hands on experience with the land- it’s always been a recreational thing. But when I had the opportunity to live on a farm for three months I got real experience working the land and developing a hands-on relationship with the land, and I wanted to create an opportunity on campus for people to be able to develop a create an opportunity on campus for people to be able to develop a working relationship with the land as well.”

Yurrow then continues to tell us that the Rooftop Garden isn’t the first garden on campus that he planted: “At first I started a garden in front of the Hillel building on campus, but I was looking for another outlet because the garden at Hillel was too exclusive, attracting almost only Jewish students, and only the Jewish students that hung out at Hillel.” He continues, “I then met Greg Thompson, who works for dining services, and he was with experimenting growing things on the roof. He and his staexperimenting growing things on the roof. He and his staff had built a couple of planter boxes and it hadn’t been very successful but they were looking for students to take on the project and make something substantial with the space. I thought that it was an amazing opportunity because it was more inclusive to the whole campus and it’s right in the middle of the freshman high-rises, giving freshman a new opportunity right outside of their dorm room to get involved in something really amazing.”to get involved in something really amazing.”

So far, the garden has been a complete success, and to celebrate, Yurrow hosted a Harvest Festival outside of the North Campus Diner. Students that attended the festival enjoyed live music, free food, and a tour of the Rooftop Garden. When asked what the highlights of the festival were, Yurrow says “I really liked giving tours to people, having people be on the roof experiencing it, and hearing other people’s visions for what that space could become. Seeing people getting excited about creating their vision become. Seeing people getting excited about creating their vision was really amazing.” The Harvest Festival also gave Yurrow the opportunity to meet students that will continue to take care of the garden after he graduates. He wants to establish a student group that grows the garden and runs educational programs there. The Rooftop Garden also provides research opportunities. Yurrow is happy to tell us that he met a PhD student at the Harvest Festival who is doing her research on water issues concerning green roofs, who is doing her research on water issues concerning green roofs, and she expressed a lot of interest in creating research that deals with monitoring the water of rooftop vegetable gardens.

The North Campus Rooftop GardenJesse Yurrow, a senior, spent the summer planting vegetables on the roof of the

Noth Campus diner.

Story by Harper Wayne