Everyone's Blog Posts - Ontario Agriculture2024-03-19T02:05:27Zhttps://ontag.farms.com/profiles/blog/feed?xn_auth=noVisiting a citrus cooperativetag:ontag.farms.com,2020-01-16:3646443:BlogPost:786652020-01-16T15:00:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>AALP class 17 left Seville the morning of January 15 heading to Sunaran Citrus Coop near the town of Palma De Rio. We were greeted by our tour guide Rosa for an informative tour of one of the biggest citrus coops in Spain. The coop consists of 98-100 members, all of which are farmer members.</p>
<p>The coop has 1500 acres of land growing a wide variety of orange variety’s with the main being “Salustiana” which is a juice press variety. Besides oranges they also do grapefruits with the main…</p>
<p>AALP class 17 left Seville the morning of January 15 heading to Sunaran Citrus Coop near the town of Palma De Rio. We were greeted by our tour guide Rosa for an informative tour of one of the biggest citrus coops in Spain. The coop consists of 98-100 members, all of which are farmer members.</p>
<p>The coop has 1500 acres of land growing a wide variety of orange variety’s with the main being “Salustiana” which is a juice press variety. Besides oranges they also do grapefruits with the main variety “Esta Red”.</p>
<p>On a yearly basis the plant handles 52 million kg of citrus fruits from October to July. After the fruit is received it is washed before three bins are examined and tested for weight and quality. Once cooled the citrus is once again washed, cleaned and dried. Before sorting the citrus is dried. Citrus is sorted based on size, imperfections and colour. Sorting removes the oranges that have visual imperfections and they are sent to be processed into juices.</p>
<p>Sunaran prides themselves on strict quality control. Parameters are met and measured every step of the process. Every product gets analyzed for a rating of juice and sugar content. If oranges arrive not fully ripened, they use ethylene gas to accelerate maturity. By controlling gas and temperature the oranges will change colour on the outside but change nothing on the inside.</p>
<p>In the factory there are about 200 workers and seasonally there are 300 to 400 extra workers in the fields. Many of the workers are from Poland and Romania. The oranges are sent to most of Europe but also China, UAE, Columbia, Korea and some to Canada. Canada receives about 200 containers annually with 21 pallets or 24,000 kg. The oranges destined for Canada take approximately one week from field to packaged and then two weeks of travel before arriving.</p>
<p>Following the tour, the class ventured to small, quiet town of Palma del Rio for lunch. The old city is walled using the cement style of the Muslim inhabitants, serving as a defensive point for the area until 1720. Shortly after, the Iglesias de la Asuncion was constructed. The visit was capped with a leisurely lunch at the former monastery, Monasterio de San Francisco.</p>
<p>Following lunch, the class ventured to Cordoba to visit one of Spain's national treasures, Mezquita. Tucked behind the 2nd century Roman walls of the UNESCO World Heritage City, Mezquita is a massive (understatement) former mosque now with a 16th century church rising up from the middle. The mosque was once the centre of western Islam that breathed math, art and philosophy into the region and was the heart of a cultural capital that rivalled Baghdad and Constantinople. Dating back to the 8th century, the mosque was influenced by classical Roman design and considered a wonder of the medieval world and a shining example of the Islamic Cordoba in its prime. </p>
<p>The AALP Class stayed overnight in Cordoba and made its plan to travel to Madrid the following day.</p>Picking strawberries in Januarytag:ontag.farms.com,2020-01-14:3646443:BlogPost:786632020-01-14T15:00:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>Day 7 of AALP Class 17 IST contintued with one of the highlights so far on the trip, a fruit cooperative named Cuna De Platero. We were lucky enough to be taken on a tour of their greenhouses where they allowed to try some of the different varieties of strawberries that they grow. The greenhouses are once again made with plastic and are of similar style to our previous visits this trip. They have a cooperative structure, which is something we have come to find is very common here in Spain.…</p>
<p>Day 7 of AALP Class 17 IST contintued with one of the highlights so far on the trip, a fruit cooperative named Cuna De Platero. We were lucky enough to be taken on a tour of their greenhouses where they allowed to try some of the different varieties of strawberries that they grow. The greenhouses are once again made with plastic and are of similar style to our previous visits this trip. They have a cooperative structure, which is something we have come to find is very common here in Spain. In this case they have approximately 80 growers that contribute towards the production of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and black berries, which strawberries being their biggest crop.</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3828228171?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3828228171?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="400" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>There are many different microclimates in Spain which allows different areas to produce different products, even when they are in relatively close proximity to one another. This cooperative grows both hydroponic and field strawberries. In the hydroponic system they are very accurately able to control and monitor the water and nutrients that the crops require. This system allows them to grow twice as much fruit as they can in a field system. They have external inspections completed by the supermarket chains that buy their product and must keep strict records for traceability purposes. 85% of their product is exported to Europe including Germany, France, Italy, Austria and the Netherlands.</p>
<p> Quick facts about strawberry growing in Spain:<br/> - 6,800 Ha grown<br/> - 342,000 tonnes of berries produced<br/> - 70% of total production exported (mostly within Europe)<br/> - Total value of exports is approx. $471.5 million</p>
<p>Day number 8 started out with a trip to the Sierra Mountains on our way to the Eiriz Iberian ham farm. This stop provided a contrast to some of the pork production that we have in Ontario. The model they use is limited by the space they have to process the pigs and are maxed out at 2,000 pigs per year through their current facilities. The tour started with a visit to the fields where the Iberico pigs are pastured. Each animal requires between 1-2 ha of land and this is a requirement by law in order to get the Iberico certification. Prior to harvest the pigs need to consume between 10-13kgs of acorns from oak and cork trees for 60 days during acorn season. This is monitored with blood tests by the government to ensure the high quality of the product. Our tour guide Manuel was very knowledgeable on the production system since it is a family-owned business, that was founded in 1840, with a small workforce that all assist in looking after each aspect of the operation. The trip was rounded out with an incredible tasting of the different pork products they produce, and some local wine and sherry.<a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3828231461?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3828231461?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="400" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p>Next up was travelled to Jerez de la Frontera, which is a town that is known for it’s wine and sherry production. We toured Jose Estevez S.A. who produce sherry, brandy and vinaigrettes. The company was founded in 1974 and is now run by Jose Estevez’s three sons. The expanse of the compound was incredible, with 52,000 casks of product being produced on site, magnificent art work throughout all of the buildings including a Picasso exhibit and a stable of horses that has turned from a hobby into another line of business for the company.</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3828233128?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3828233128?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="400" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>Rounding out day 8 we attended an evening Flamenco & dinner show at The Restaurante El Palacio Andalusia Cartuja back in the city of Seville. Flamenco is a staple of Spanish culture that we have seen throughout our travels through the country and while not all of us understood the language we certainly felt the passion for which the performers have for their art.</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3828234552?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3828234552?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="400" class="align-center"/></a></p>Exploring traditional and modern agriculture in Spaintag:ontag.farms.com,2020-01-13:3646443:BlogPost:784662020-01-13T18:00:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>Jan 12 - Sunday</p>
<p>Our day began leaving the sunny Mediterranean coast and travelling to the small rural village of Alameda. We visited the Centre Tematico del campo Andaluz. This was a museum dedicated to teaching people about the past farming practices and traditions. We were met by a museum guide, and two local farmers, a father and son – Antonio Sr. and Antonio Jr. Antonio Sr. was 90 years old and had, in his lifetime, farmed in the traditional way which, for olive oil production,…</p>
<p>Jan 12 - Sunday</p>
<p>Our day began leaving the sunny Mediterranean coast and travelling to the small rural village of Alameda. We visited the Centre Tematico del campo Andaluz. This was a museum dedicated to teaching people about the past farming practices and traditions. We were met by a museum guide, and two local farmers, a father and son – Antonio Sr. and Antonio Jr. Antonio Sr. was 90 years old and had, in his lifetime, farmed in the traditional way which, for olive oil production, had not changed substantially since the Roman times 2000 years ago. Practices finally started to modernize in the mid-20<sup>th</sup> century.</p>
<p>Three main exhibits were set up in the museum: olive oil, buckwheat, and lime (CaC02). Traditional implements and small models of old equipment were on display. An olive oil press was on display from the 17<sup>th</sup> century, and another model that showed the Roman version of the same process. These two processes were essentially the same, with slightly different materials and technologies. A lime baking oven was reproduced on site, showing how villagers took limestone and processed it into lime that could be used for whitewash, insulation, and disinfectant, as well as a preservative for fruit, and moisturizing skin creams. The oven was made with clay and shaped like a dome, the limestone was heated to separate the lime from the mineral stone. Lime was also used as a soil amendment.</p>
<p>We then toured the local church which housed the grave of Jose El Tempranillo, a famous bandit who robbed the rich to give to the poor. Sunday morning Mass was about to begin, and we could hear the choir getting ready for the service. Even in a small rural town, the church was very ornate with beautiful gold structures. They told us about their traditional processions that take place during Holy Week, which everyone in the village participates in. Faith is obviously a very important part of their lives.</p>
<p>We then drove to Seville, passing acres and acres of olive trees along the way. We were greeted by Inmaculata, or Inma for short. She took us on a walking tour of the city centre. Seville has a population of 750 000, and is the fourth largest city in Spain. Christopher Columbus is buried here and his influence is a part of the identify of Seville. Palm trees adorning the city came from California and Africa. Many of the buildings were decorated with whitewash and yellow trim. Yellow paint, a colour that attracts mosquitos, was created using a pesticide which helped control malaria and other insect-borne diseases in the population.</p>
<p>We saw the Roman aqueducts which were originally made with lead pipes, replaced with clay by the Moors in the 9-10<sup>th</sup> century, which resulted in a dramatic increase in life expectancy for the citizens.</p>
<p>The main palace, Royal Alcazar, was used as the set for High Garden in Game of Thrones, and the Plaza de Espana was used as the setting for Star Wars, Attack of the Clones, the Nabou location where Anakin and R2D2 and Princess Amydala were. Plaza de Espana was constructed between 1914- 1929 for the 1929 world expo. It sat abandoned for 20 years after the expo because of the economic hardship caused by the great depression. It is a spectacular site, and is now well used for tourism and other city services.</p>
<p>We visited the Jewish quarter and saw the Santa Maria Cathedral. This is the third largest cathedral in Europe, after St. Peter’s (the Vatican), and St. Paul’s in London.</p>
<p>We enjoyed a meal at our hotel and turned in for the night.</p>
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<p>January 13 – Monday.</p>
<p>We set out for a one-hour ride from Seville to the region of Huelva, where we visited USISA, a fish canning factory at Isla-Cristina. Our guide Elena toured us through the factory, owned by the Vasquez family, who grew the business over the last several decades by acquiring smaller fishing companies and expanding their canning factory. The new building was built in 2000. There are currently 250 workers employed by the company.</p>
<p>The factory processed sardines, mackerel, melva, anchovies and tuna.</p>
<p>Women only work on the fish processing floor, where they hand process the fish – skinning and fileting it. Many workers drive from Portugal to work at the factory. This hand-processing is the traditional method, and differentiates the product from many others. Oil (olive and sunflower), salt and water are the only items used in the processing. They also produce whole sardines which is rare these days, as tastes are changing and mainly older people enjoy the product.</p>
<p>The fish comes from the Gulf of Cadiz and surrounding coastal areas, but the tuna comes from the open Atlantic Ocean. The EU regulates fishing quotas.</p>
<p>Dry tuna is the most popular product, it is a traditional food for Spain and Portugal. Red tuna is very rare and expensive and all the red tuna caught is sold to Japan. The wholesale price would be 30 euros/kg and a whole fish would retail for 2 million euros.</p>
<p>Processing and cutting tuna is men’s work and three men work at this factory to do this job. They cut tuna twice per week. We saw a demonstration of the traditional method of cutting the fish into quarters. They are one of the only factories that cuts by hand, without electric knives. The method is often passed down from father to son.</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3828226120?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3828226120?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="200" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>We were able to sample many products from the factory such as anchovies, salted sardines, mackerel, melva and dry tuna.</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3828220425?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3828220425?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="400" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p> </p>Ag and city tours make up our first few days in Spaintag:ontag.farms.com,2020-01-10:3646443:BlogPost:782012020-01-10T22:00:08.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>The AALP Class left the beautiful Toledo to head to a feedlot outside the city. We were toured around a feedlot that is part of a cooperative that consists of 9,500 head of cattle. Our host, who is the president of the cooperative, has two feedlots and 600 hectares of crop land. It was interesting to learn that the cooperative’s major export market outside of Spain are Lebanon, Turkey and Israel. These destinations have particularly stringent standards for how the beef must be treated and…</p>
<p>The AALP Class left the beautiful Toledo to head to a feedlot outside the city. We were toured around a feedlot that is part of a cooperative that consists of 9,500 head of cattle. Our host, who is the president of the cooperative, has two feedlots and 600 hectares of crop land. It was interesting to learn that the cooperative’s major export market outside of Spain are Lebanon, Turkey and Israel. These destinations have particularly stringent standards for how the beef must be treated and exported for religious reasons. For example, the cows must be butchered by local butchers and the cows can only be transported at night.</p>
<p>We then rode onto Granada. On January 9 we visited a dairy coop that supplies fresh milk to the Granada market. The coop has 17 active members, 30 non-active members and 15 employees. The coop processes 10,000 – 15,000 liters of milk per day. We then went onto visit one of the farms that supplies about 90% of the milk to the coop. The farm has 600 head of cattle and 88 hectares of arable land. The farm had a milking parlour and interestingly, their animal feed contained orange rinds and cotton seed along with the typical corn and soymeal.</p>
<p>We then spent the afternoon touring Granada and taking in all the history of the city, including the Alhambra, which was a Moorish centre of arts and mathematics in Spain that was built in the 9th century. Today it is a popular tourist destination.</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3813433237?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3813433237?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>We drove south to Almunecar where we spent the night. In the morning we visited an organic vegetable cooperative, Procam in Motril, where we discussed the dynamics of the organic vegetable market such as logistics and financial opportunities. The class was surprised to learn that organic avocados can sell for up to $7 each in parts of Europe!</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3813437570?profile=RESIZE_710x" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3813437570?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="300" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>We then proceeded to visit some of the greenhouse facilities that are part of the cooperative. The entire lowland of this part of Spain was covered – literally covered – by greenhouses. These greenhouses are covered in plastic rather than glass for financial reasons. They face many of the same labour challenges that we face in Ontario.</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3813441032?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3813441032?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="400" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>We then travelled on to a family-run tropical fruit farm called Finca San Ramon, where we saw numerous exotic fruits, including avocado, kumquat, guava and starfruit.</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3813431358?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3813431358?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="300" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>They have diversified their operation and now also run a restaurant that serves local flavour. We then travelled to Malaga on the coast to catch Happy Hour on the beach. Cheers!</p>AALP Class 17 leaves for Spaintag:ontag.farms.com,2020-01-09:3646443:BlogPost:780872020-01-09T22:00:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>Sadly, one class member, Bernice Weber Passchier, is ill and was unable to join us for our rescheduled International Study Tour. The rest of AALP Class 17 met at Pearson airport and boarded the plane to Philadelphia; after a short layover we were on an overnight flight to Madrid, Spain. </p>
<p>Once we landed, we met up with Rafa, our bus driver, and Ismael, our tour guide. We were happy to learn that Ismael had an agricultural background and has been doing ag-focused tours for the last five…</p>
<p>Sadly, one class member, Bernice Weber Passchier, is ill and was unable to join us for our rescheduled International Study Tour. The rest of AALP Class 17 met at Pearson airport and boarded the plane to Philadelphia; after a short layover we were on an overnight flight to Madrid, Spain. </p>
<p>Once we landed, we met up with Rafa, our bus driver, and Ismael, our tour guide. We were happy to learn that Ismael had an agricultural background and has been doing ag-focused tours for the last five years. </p>
<p>The trip started with a bus tour and subsequent walking tour of Madrid, Spain's capital city. We saw many of the main attractions, including the Royal Palace, multiple plazas with different purposes and Kilo Zero, the center of Spain, and stopped for lunch at a market.</p>
<p>From there, we headed to the historic city of Toledo and checked in to our hotel in the old part of the city. We met up with a local tour guide, Nando, and set out on a two-hour walking tour of the old city. They city has a lot of old buildings built by Muslims under Christian rule. It was interesting to learn how the power has shifted over the years. After the tours, we went tback to our hotel for a late dinner (common in Spain!) and most of us called it a day. </p>Using UAVs and the Crop Imagery Data they Collect to Improve Crop Yields and Performancetag:ontag.farms.com,2019-05-04:3646443:BlogPost:760692019-05-04T17:10:57.000ZOntAG Adminhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/OntAGAdmin
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</p>How to Use Precision Agriculture Data - Veritas Farm Management & Deveron UAS.tag:ontag.farms.com,2019-05-04:3646443:BlogPost:761652019-05-04T17:06:53.000ZOntAG Adminhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/OntAGAdmin
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</p>Telling our story in Planotag:ontag.farms.com,2018-07-18:3646443:BlogPost:736732018-07-18T15:30:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>Out last day in Texas had the AALP Class visit <a href="http://www.bnsf.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">BNSF Railway</a> headquarters (the air traffic control of the railway) a 23-billion dollar company situated outside of Fort Worth in an impressive, modern facility. We were greeted by James Titsworth, General Director of Business Development. We viewed the impressive state-of-the-art dispatch area, where over 250 people work together 24/7 ensuring safety of the railway system West of…</p>
<p>Out last day in Texas had the AALP Class visit <a href="http://www.bnsf.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BNSF Railway</a> headquarters (the air traffic control of the railway) a 23-billion dollar company situated outside of Fort Worth in an impressive, modern facility. We were greeted by James Titsworth, General Director of Business Development. We viewed the impressive state-of-the-art dispatch area, where over 250 people work together 24/7 ensuring safety of the railway system West of Mississippi. An impressive display of maps, graphs, live feeds were seen as data flows into dispatch in real time, making real time decisions. Truly a technology driven railway, busiest in North America.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404555513?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404555513?profile=original" width="320" class="align-center"></a><br> After touring the dispatch area, we met in a boardroom to gain a better understanding of BNSF and Canadian agriculture. (Western Canada)</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404556299?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404556299?profile=original" width="320" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>The Class learned that tonsumer, industrial, coal, and agricultural products are all transported (ag is a small piece of pie). This is very much a trade-dependent business, they are very concerned with NAFTA. North Gate Saskatchewan is the main inland port in Canada (crude, chemical, grain, primarily wheat and canola for Canada).</p>
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<p>It was explained that it is a market-based system, working together with clients, giving them a competitive edge as the company is flexible to change with changing markets.</p>
<p><br> It was noted that many people who hold executive positions at BSNF come from agricultural backgrounds.</p>
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<p>It was very interesting to have an insight of all the people and systems in place to have BSNF run smoothly. It is a well-run machine where efficiently and safety were paramount.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404557295?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404557295?profile=original" width="320" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>The afternoon was spent with Jim Prewitt of <a href="http://landmarknurseries.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Landmark Nurseries</a>. Jim also happens to be the chairman of the board of the <a href="https://tall.tamu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TALL</a> program.</p>
<p>Jim introduced us to his good friend Rutledge Haggard who lent us the use of his beautifully decorated hall for the meeting.</p>
<p><br> Rutledge gave us the background of his family and how they settled the area of Plano in 1866. He and his brother took over the family farm and continue to farm it today but the city is eating it up. They have no more cattle but continue to farm milo (grain sorghum) and wheat.</p>
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<p>Jim was a very modest man. He grew up on a dairy farm but knew that was not his calling. He went to college, got married and took on his first job with a plumbing company but would only stay one year. After buying a new home, he began to landscape it. Others saw what he did and asked him to do theirs. His new career had started. He did 28 houses that year.</p>
<p><br> He acquired his parent’s farm (200 acres) and started the nursery. He currently has six nurseries and about 2500 customers all on the commercial side of landscaping. He sells everything from 4-inch pots to 45-gallon trees. He is moving from annuals to perennials, which is what his customers want. Jim has 278 employees and believes in giving them responsibilities. He has a problem with labour because so much of it is manual labour. He believes in reinvesting in people and that is his connection to the TALL program. He believes in relationships. He was very interested in knowing more about us than telling his story.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404557507?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404557507?profile=original" width="314" class="align-center"></a></p>Going back in time in Dallastag:ontag.farms.com,2018-07-15:3646443:BlogPost:735782018-07-15T15:00:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>Sunday, July 15th saw AALP Class 17 visit the <a href="https://www.jfk.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Sixth Floor Museum</a> <a href="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjZscm896jcAhVPWoYKHZbxDHcYABAAGgJ2dQ&ohost=www.google.ca&cid=CAESEeD213Lm1CfD1QABrxLgOqQg&sig=AOD64_01MwbA1ndMTLrVyQFlIGAIrYxJlA&q=&ved=0ahUKEwj7wMO896jcAhVtxFkKHXvdAgQQ0QwIJw&adurl=" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Sixth Floor Museum</a>in Dallas. This is the floor…</p>
<p>Sunday, July 15th saw AALP Class 17 visit the <a href="https://www.jfk.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sixth Floor Museum</a> <a href="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjZscm896jcAhVPWoYKHZbxDHcYABAAGgJ2dQ&ohost=www.google.ca&cid=CAESEeD213Lm1CfD1QABrxLgOqQg&sig=AOD64_01MwbA1ndMTLrVyQFlIGAIrYxJlA&q=&ved=0ahUKEwj7wMO896jcAhVtxFkKHXvdAgQQ0QwIJw&adurl=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sixth Floor Museum</a>in Dallas. This is the floor from which the shots were fired and killed JFK. The exhibit took us back in time and showed us the political climate that JFK was navigating during his term, the events surrounding his assassination, and the confusion and questions that followed, as well as an overview of the inquiry.</p>
<p>The afternoon saw us visit the <a href="http://cattleraisersmuseum.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cattle Raiser's Museum.</a> The AALP Class enjoyed the lighter atmosphere that this visit provided. </p>History, Culture and Cowboystag:ontag.farms.com,2018-07-14:3646443:BlogPost:737752018-07-14T14:30:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>Our day began in the historic <a href="https://www.fortworthstockyards.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Stockyards District of Fort Worth</a>, once called "Cowtown". This was once the great livestock exchange of the region, as animals made their way into the area by rail. The economy and infrastructure has changed, but the industry has adapted.</p>
<p><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404557023?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350"></img></p>
<p>At <a href="http://www.superiorlivestock.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Superior Livestock Auction</a>,…</p>
<p>Our day began in the historic <a href="https://www.fortworthstockyards.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stockyards District of Fort Worth</a>, once called "Cowtown". This was once the great livestock exchange of the region, as animals made their way into the area by rail. The economy and infrastructure has changed, but the industry has adapted.</p>
<p><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404557023?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"></p>
<p>At <a href="http://www.superiorlivestock.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Superior Livestock Auction</a>, bimonthly livestock auctions are held in the original Livestock Exchange. With a twist. It's all done remotely via satellite and web, and has been since the 1980s (using television at that point, not web).</p>
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<p>The auction has a network of hundreds of field representatives throughout the country, working with farmers and ranchers to improve their herd health and genetics, obtain the necessary certifications and film video footage of the animals for buyers to see via the website. A single lot of cattle will sell in 30-90 seconds. As you can imagine, auction days are action packed and buyers need to be ready with their bids.</p>
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<p>After visiting Superior Livestock, we headed into The Stockyards in Fort Worth to watch the cattle drive and explore the area. The cattle drive runs every day at 11:30 and 4:30 out front of the historic stock yards building. After managing to find a bit of shade, we were greeted by 13 longhorn cattle meandering down the street, slowly but surely. When the cattle made it down the street some of us ventured over to watch the historic reenactment of a shootout.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404557978?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404557978?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>The group then split up and headed to grab food at various spots in the area, ranging from <a href="http://coopersbbqfortworth.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cooper’s Bar-B-Que</a> to the <a href="https://whiteelephantsaloon.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White Elephant</a> to the highly recommended chicken fried steak, (a battered & deep fried seasoned steak) at <a href="http://horseshoehillcafe.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Horseshoe Hill</a>.</p>
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<p>After lunch (Texas BBQ for some, the local saloon for others) the class headed to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bondsranch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bonds Ranch</a> in Saginaw, an extensive ranching business with locations throughout the southern USA, which moves hundreds of thousands of head per year. With a goal of obtaining the best return on investment, Bond's purchases cattle from smaller operators and feeds them until they are sold to a finishing operation. We enjoyed a frank discussion of the industry with Pete Bonds, who chewed tobacco as he answered questions. Yes, we are really in Texas!</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404559955?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404559955?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center" height="404"></a></p>
<p>From Bond’s Ranch, we headed to the <a href="http://www.mesquiterodeo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mesquite Championship Rodeo</a>. On our way, we stopped for ice cream treats for those who wanted them. First up at the rodeo was the barbecue buffet with delicious ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket and ribs.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404560441?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404560441?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>The rodeo was about two hours of western fun, with everything from bucking broncs to steer wrestling, roping and even bull riding!</p>In the fields of Texastag:ontag.farms.com,2018-07-13:3646443:BlogPost:735732018-07-13T11:00:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>Friday morning saw the group continue its NAST with an early morning visit to the <a href="http://www.texasfarmbureau.org" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Texas Farm Bureau</a> (TFB). Located on a 70-acre campus outside of Waco, the Texas Farm Bureau advocates for the agricultural needs of all Texas farmers at the local, state and national level. With over 500,000 member families, the TFB prides itself as being the “Voice of Agriculture”.…</p>
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<p>Friday morning saw the group continue its NAST with an early morning visit to the <a href="http://www.texasfarmbureau.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas Farm Bureau</a> (TFB). Located on a 70-acre campus outside of Waco, the Texas Farm Bureau advocates for the agricultural needs of all Texas farmers at the local, state and national level. With over 500,000 member families, the TFB prides itself as being the “Voice of Agriculture”.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404555188?profile=RESIZE_320x320" target="_self" width="300"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404555188?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-center"></a> The pride and professionalism of the organization was clear from the moment the AALP class entered the campus. Mr. Si Cook, Chief Executive Officer, and his colleagues provided an overview of the organization and its role in analyzing the problems of farm and ranch families and in formulating actions to address these challenges. Discussion on trade, tariffs, and advocacy were centre stage during our visit. </p>
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<p>Afterwards, we enjoyed the (HOT!!) weather of Texas with tours of cotton, grain sorghum and corn trails conducted by local extension experts.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404556577?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404556577?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="240" class="align-left"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404557649?profile=RESIZE_320x320" target="_self" width="300"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404557649?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="238" class="align-right"></a></p>
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<p>Mr. Shane McLellan, the local county extension officer, provided a fascinating overview of the disease, pest and weather challenges facing local farmers. The impact of the current drought was clearly evident by the state of the corn fields (IMAGE 4), some of which were expecting to yield 60 bu/acre or less. That said, the spirit and optimism of the farmers we met was unshakeable. Truly inspiring.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404560307?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404560307?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="269" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>Following a fantastic lunch at the farm shop of Mr. Greg Westerfield (tip: wear pants with an elastic waistband when you come to Texas; the food is delicious and the plates are huge!), the AALP class said an emotional goodbye to Dr. Jim Mazurkiewicz. Dr. Jim had to depart to prepare for the <a href="https://tall.tamu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas Advanced Lifetime Leadership</a> program which he will lead next week. Dr. Jim was a wealth of information and epitome of the perfect host. Thanks Jim and see you in Poland (wink, wink)!!!</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404561220?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404561220?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>The day ended with a trip to the historic <a href="https://www.fortworthstockyards.org/history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Old Stockyards of Fort Worth</a> for an incredible dinner at <a href="http://www.losvaqueros.com/stockyards/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Vaqueros</a> followed by country music and line dancing. To protect the innocent, no pictures were taken :).</p>From the Capitol to cattletag:ontag.farms.com,2018-07-12:3646443:BlogPost:737692018-07-12T21:00:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>Day 5 of our tour started with the drive from College Station to the capital city of Austin. We headed to the Capitol, taking in the architecture and city sights. We also learned a few fun facts about the Capitol building, such as it is taller than the US Capitol building!</p>
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<p>Our first speaker was Christi Craddick, Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission.…</p>
<p>Day 5 of our tour started with the drive from College Station to the capital city of Austin. We headed to the Capitol, taking in the architecture and city sights. We also learned a few fun facts about the Capitol building, such as it is taller than the US Capitol building!</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404556909?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404556909?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>Our first speaker was Christi Craddick, Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission. Although the Texas Railroad Commission started in the 1920’s regulating the Texan railroads, today the agency regulates the oil and natural gas industry, in addition to coal and uranium mines.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404557962?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404557962?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"></a><br> Texas produces three million barrels of oil each day, with over 450,000 miles of pipeline, accounting for one third of the USA oil demand.</p>
<p><br> Chairman Craddick shared further information on the oil and gas industries with us, and also provided her insights on leadership. She is the only statewide elected woman in Texas (other than judges), and is instrumental in mentoring other women and encouraging them to take on leadership and political roles.</p>
<p><br> Next we heard from Jennifer Rabb and Joaquin Guadorrama from the Budget Office of the Texas Lt. Governor. They shared with us that Texas is open for business with a strong economy, and further explained the Texan tax structure and overall state budget. We were surprised to learn that Texas can’t run budget deficits!</p>
<p><br> After lunch in the Capitol, we then met with Jason Fearneyhough, Deputy Agriculture Commissioner. We enjoyed an excellent question and answer session with him, discussing a wide range of topics. We learned that 1 in 7 Texan jobs are in agriculture, and Ag is the second largest economy in Texas (after oil and gas). Farmers in Texas experience similar challenges to farmers in Ontario, such as weather, cyclical markets, increasing regulation, declining rural populations, and mental health. Jason also discussed the impact social media can have on agriculture.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404559985?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404559985?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"></a></p>
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<p>To wrap up our Capitol visit, Dr. Jim Mazurkiewicz gave us a guided tour of the building. We saw all the highlights, including the Legislature, Senate, and even the Lt. Governor’s reception room! We learned that the Texas Legislature meets for five months every two years. We really appreciated Dr. Jim’s knowledge and connections that let us see behind the scenes!</p>
<p><br> As we left Austin, Brendan and Bernice provided a Sponsor Spotlight on the <a href="https://ofa.on.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ontario Federation of Agriculture</a>. We learned more about OFA and their areas of focus. A big thanks to OFA for their support of AALP.</p>
<p><br> Our last stop of the day was to <a href="https://www.cllnet.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Schwertner Land & Cattle Company – Capitol Land & Livestock</a>. Established in 1946, this is a family business on 20,000 acres of land, and we were happy to have Jimmy Schwertner as our host. They buy farm and ranch fresh calves and yearlings in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. This provides a market opportunity for smaller cattle farmers, and they are known for their 45-day weaning program. Thanks to Jimmy for an informative and fun tour of his operation.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404560967?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404560967?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p><br> We finished off a great day by heading to our hotel in Waco. This officially marks the halfway point in our tour. Time is flying by as we discover more about Texas!</p>Farms.com 20 Years Helping Farmers and Agri Business.tag:ontag.farms.com,2018-07-11:3646443:BlogPost:735622018-07-11T14:17:08.000ZOntAG Adminhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/OntAGAdmin
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</p>Everything's bigger in Texastag:ontag.farms.com,2018-07-10:3646443:BlogPost:737662018-07-10T11:30:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>Our first visit of the day was to <a href="https://www.jdhudgins.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">J.D. Hudgins</a>, a family business breeding registered <a href="http://www.thatsfarming.com/news/brahman-cattle-breed" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Brahman cattle</a> for sale in 38 states and 43 countries, most located around the equator. This breed is very well suited to tropical and subtropical climates, having originated in India. We got to "meet" Manso, the bull bought by Hudgins in…</p>
<p>Our first visit of the day was to <a href="https://www.jdhudgins.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J.D. Hudgins</a>, a family business breeding registered <a href="http://www.thatsfarming.com/news/brahman-cattle-breed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brahman cattle</a> for sale in 38 states and 43 countries, most located around the equator. This breed is very well suited to tropical and subtropical climates, having originated in India. We got to "meet" Manso, the bull bought by Hudgins in 1933. The entire present day herd can be traced back to Manso.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404555856?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404555856?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>We then had a great visit over lunch at <a href="http://www.hlavinka.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hlavinka Equipment Company</a>, another multi-generation family business focused on equipment sales, commercial grain elevator, and their newest venture, a water park! We learned a lot about cotton farming and precision Agriculture and authentic Texas barbecue!</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404556877?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404556877?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-center"></a></p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404556959?profile=RESIZE_480x480" target="_self" width="350"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404556959?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>After a quick stop to see grain sorghum and cotton growing,</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404556999?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404556999?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"></a></p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404558224?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404558224?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>We continued to the Star of The Republic Museum, to learn more about the history of the state. We saw the very building where the Declaration of Independence (not that one, another one) was signed to declare the independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in 1836.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404560079?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404560079?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>Our last stop was at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SexingTechnologies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sexing Technologies</a>, a company offering bull testing and sexed semen and conducting research on increasing feed efficiency. They use some Canadian technology to do this, with the devices that measure individual feed intake coming from Canada. With nine labs across the world, (including one in Listowel, Ontario) Sexing Technologies and ST Genetics is leading the way in genetic improvement in agriculture. A highlight of this visit was meeting Delta, who was until last year the top proven bull in the world.</p>
<p>We also had a speaker from <a href="https://www.tamu.edu/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas A&M</a> over dinner to provide a perspective on the current NAFTA negotiation and trade between our two countries.</p>
<p>It was a very diverse and informative day and we all grew a little fonder of Texas on our journey.</p>AALP class takes NASAtag:ontag.farms.com,2018-07-09:3646443:BlogPost:736632018-07-09T11:30:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>Houston, we have landed. On day two of the North American study tour AALP class 17 stopped in at <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/home/index.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">NASA Johnson Space Center.</a> We had the chance to see the historic mission control center where they navigated the first man to the moon, in addition to many other missions to space.</p>
<p>The control center, which closed in 1992, still features the speaker where many historic words were said –…</p>
<p>Houston, we have landed. On day two of the North American study tour AALP class 17 stopped in at <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/home/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NASA Johnson Space Center.</a> We had the chance to see the historic mission control center where they navigated the first man to the moon, in addition to many other missions to space.</p>
<p>The control center, which closed in 1992, still features the speaker where many historic words were said – including “Houston, we have landed” and “We are on our way, Houston” – the first and last words spoken from the moon.</p>
<p>The mission control center is currently under renovation in preparation for the 50<sup>th</sup> anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing on the moon.</p>
<p>We took a ride through rocket park en route to the training centre where the astronauts train for missions to the International Space Station. It was an incredibly high tech facility full of Iron Man-like looking space suits.</p>
<p>Good thing we got lost on the way to our next stop – the Port of Houston – because we got to drive by a number of ‘small’ -- by Texan standards -- oil refineries. We finally arrived at the Port of Houston and had an impressive tour of one of the largest ports in the United States. </p>
<p>Our last stop of the day was at the El Real Tex Mex restaurant where we were privileged to meet and hear from Mr. Joel Cowley, the President and CEO of the <a href="https://www.rodeohouston.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo</a>. This show is the largest in the world, with over 2 million people attending during the 3 weeks it runs each March.</p>
<p>Next Stop – College Station!</p>Howdy from Texastag:ontag.farms.com,2018-07-08:3646443:BlogPost:736672018-07-08T21:00:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>AALP Class 17 arrived at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, and were greeted by Dr. Jim Mazurkiewicz, the leadership program director and professor of <a href="https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service</a>. Jim is also the director of <a href="https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/programs/texas-agricultural-lifetime-leadership-program/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership…</a></p>
<p>AALP Class 17 arrived at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, and were greeted by Dr. Jim Mazurkiewicz, the leadership program director and professor of <a href="https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service</a>. Jim is also the director of <a href="https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/programs/texas-agricultural-lifetime-leadership-program/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership (TALL).</a> Jim gave the group at brief history of Texas, and outlined the importance of agriculture to the Texas economy. Jim noted that Texas is the second largest agricultural state, with cattle being the largest commodity -- 90% of farmers have 100 cows or less. Texas is home to over 11 million head of cattle. Jim spoke of dairy farmers moving from California to Texas due to ever-increasing regulations and costs, “Texas is wide open for business," says Jim. Another memorable quote from Jim was, “leadership is about building bridges and making contacts and leaving the world a better place than we found it."</p>
<p>Following lunch we got back on the bus for a tour of Houston. The tour was given by Keith, who was very funny. It was an interesting view of Houston that we would not have seen on our own. The highlight of the ride was the water wall in downtown Houston. It is actually a water cooling system that was architecturally beautiful. Houston is the 4th largest city in America. Houston does not have any zoning rules. Keith showed us how that makes for some very interesting neighbourhoods. One of the homes we saw was made out of beer cans!</p>
<p>The day ended with dinner at the <a href="http://www.aquariumrestaurants.com/downtownaquariumhouston" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aquarium Restaurant</a> where we were able to dine under the sea surrounded by magnificent marine life. We all over ate and left feeling very satisfied. This was a great start to our Texas Adventure, y’all.</p>What's New at the London Farm Show at Western Fair District - March 7-9, 2018tag:ontag.farms.com,2018-02-20:3646443:BlogPost:727072018-02-20T15:15:33.000ZJoe Daleshttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/JoeDales
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</p>AALP Class 17 continues with their leadership journey at Seminar 3 in Sarniatag:ontag.farms.com,2018-01-30:3646443:BlogPost:726862018-01-30T20:00:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>Sixteen of the eighteen current and emerging Agricultural Leaders in agriculture, agri-food and rural sectors have been continuing their leadership journey with their third seminar in the Advanced Agriculture Leadership Program. For Class 17’s seminar in Sarnia, the customized leadership program explored the theme of “Shaping the Future, Dynamics of Change, Decision Making and Responsibility”.</p>
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<p>During their time in Sarnia, the AALP Class 17 group had the opportunity to expand…</p>
<p>Sixteen of the eighteen current and emerging Agricultural Leaders in agriculture, agri-food and rural sectors have been continuing their leadership journey with their third seminar in the Advanced Agriculture Leadership Program. For Class 17’s seminar in Sarnia, the customized leadership program explored the theme of “Shaping the Future, Dynamics of Change, Decision Making and Responsibility”.</p>
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<p>During their time in Sarnia, the AALP Class 17 group had the opportunity to expand their learning with host Don McCabe, Director and Past President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture, who gave an insightful tour of the growth and development in the area. The tour continued to the UWO Sarnia Lambton Research Park, Canada’s largest clean-tech incubator, focused on large-scale industrial biotechnology.</p>
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<p>Class learning experiences over several days included tours and information sessions at Roelands Plant Farms Inc., Truly Green Farms Greenhouse, GreenField Specialty Alcohols Inc., Michigan Sugar Company and Cargill Sarnia Terminal.</p>
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<p>The Rural Ontario Institute, the organization that delivers the program, values learning from diverse perspectives and includes a focus on collaboration in its mission statement. Guest speakers such as Graham Hoogterp AALP Class 14, who discussed Understanding First Nations Issues in Ontario, gave the class significant insight into these issues from a historical and present-day perspective.</p>
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<p>One of the highlights of the seminar was the Dean Tiessen Legacy Dinner. In honor of Dean, an AALP Class 10 graduate, his AALP classmates established the Dean Tiessen Memorial Fund to help support the third seminar of each AALP class. This seminar is traditionally hosted in Dean’s home region of southwestern Ontario and is focused on the theme of “change,” which his classmates feel very appropriately describes Dean’s approach to his agricultural businesses. An innovator, early adopter, always driven to look for solutions, as well as his energy and passion for agriculture, and most importantly, his community and family, exemplifies what the Advanced Agriculture Leadership Program is all about.</p>
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<p>AALP participants will continue their learning about leadership and organizational development theories and practices, government and political processes, economics, trade policy, global affairs, sector and industry-related issues in Ontario and globally through North American and international study travel components.</p>
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<p>AALP is delivered by the Rural Ontario Institute (ROI). For more information visit <a href="http://www.ruralontarioinstitute.ca/aalp">www.ruralontarioinstitute.ca/aalp</a></p>
<p> -30-</p>
<p>For more information contact:</p>
<p>Rob Black, Chief Executive Officer, Rural Ontario Institute</p>
<p>(519)826-4204 (Ext.222) | <a href="mailto:rblack@ruralontarioinstitute.ca">rblack@ruralontarioinstitute.ca</a></p>Farms.com Technology Report - Using Imagery To Check Plant Healthtag:ontag.farms.com,2017-12-15:3646443:BlogPost:723632017-12-15T17:42:31.000ZJoe Daleshttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/JoeDales
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GKPZWiBNV8I?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GKPZWiBNV8I?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</p>Farm Show Highlights: Action Trailers Walkaround Videotag:ontag.farms.com,2017-10-15:3646443:BlogPost:706682017-10-15T18:01:21.000ZOntAG Adminhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/OntAGAdmin
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k3Fqs9jcrV4?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k3Fqs9jcrV4?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Corn Report: Tips To Prepare Farm Machinery For Harvesttag:ontag.farms.com,2017-10-15:3646443:BlogPost:706662017-10-15T17:57:59.000ZOntAG Adminhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/OntAGAdmin
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nUn3y6LgMq4?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nUn3y6LgMq4?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>AALP Class 17 begins their leadership journeytag:ontag.farms.com,2017-10-13:3646443:BlogPost:709722017-10-13T15:30:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404554929?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404554929?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="450"></img></a></p>
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<p>A group of 18 agricultural professionals began their leadership journey as part of the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) with a three-and-a-half day session in Guelph, Ontario.</p>
<p>The diverse group of leaders-in-training, which includes primary producers as well as those in the banking and insurance industries, regulatory affairs,…</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404554929?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404554929?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="450" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p></p>
<p>A group of 18 agricultural professionals began their leadership journey as part of the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) with a three-and-a-half day session in Guelph, Ontario.</p>
<p>The diverse group of leaders-in-training, which includes primary producers as well as those in the banking and insurance industries, regulatory affairs, communications and outreach, among other areas, began their leadership journey with some perspective from previous AALP class members, and a crash course on proper business etiquette with Jodie Beach from The Etiquette Advantage.</p>
<p>On the second day of the session the AALP participants began a two-day workshop on effective leadership and change. The session was led by Gavin Robinson of Robinson Leadership who introduced the class to the concept of GridWorks. This approach to effective change helps to embed mutual trust, respect and candor into an organizational culture.</p>
<p>That evening the AALP participants took part in a Class 17 Opening Banquet, which drew some 50 program alumni, sponsors and supporters to welcome the new class members. Taking the stage as the keynote speaker for the evening was author and performance coach Alan Mallory, who spoke about his journey to the top of Mount Everest with his family. His story highlighted the critical importance of planning, ongoing evaluation and communication, all of which are the difference between failure and success - and in his case, life and death.</p>
<p>On the final day of the session, AALP Class 17 members had the opportunity to visit the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, housed at the University of Guelph. They learned about the International Barcode of Life project from Dr. Rob Young. This initiative is the largest biodiversity genomics initiative ever undertaken and the students learned about its potential applications in agriculture.</p>
<p>Finally, the students visited Woodrill Farms where owner AALP Alumnus Greg Hannam toured the class through his impressive, multi-faceted operation, which includes a grain elevator, a seed growing operation and a crop input supply business. Greg spoke to the power of innovation in driving his business – and the agriculture industry writ large – forward. <br> <br> Over the next 19 months, AALP participants will learn about leadership and organizational development theories and practices, government and political processes, economics, trade policy, global affairs, sector and industry related issues in Ontario and globally through North American and international study travel components.</p>
<p>To follow Class 17’s journey, connect on Twitter at @AALPClass or #AALP17.</p>
<p>AALP is delivered by the Rural Ontario Institute (ROI). Established in 1984, the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP) has graduated almost 450 leaders who are making a positive difference across Ontario and beyond. For more information visit <a href="http://www.ruralontarioinstitute.ca/aalp">www.ruralontarioinstitute.ca/aalp</a>.</p>
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<p>For more information, contact: Rob Black Chief Executive Officer Rural Ontario Institute (519) 826-4204 (Ext. 222), rblack@ruralontarioinstitute.ca</p>When things don’t go according to plantag:ontag.farms.com,2017-08-10:3646443:BlogPost:703822017-08-10T16:25:06.000ZOntario Veterinary Collegehttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/KMantel
<p><em><span lang="EN" xml:lang="EN">Each summer DVM students from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph delve into hands-on, practical experience at veterinary clinics across Ontario and additional locales during their Externship Veterinary Course. Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), students must complete an eight-week Externship Course between third and fourth year in a rural veterinary practice that works with food animals…</span></em></p>
<p><em><span lang="EN" xml:lang="EN">Each summer DVM students from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph delve into hands-on, practical experience at veterinary clinics across Ontario and additional locales during their Externship Veterinary Course. Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), students must complete an eight-week Externship Course between third and fourth year in a rural veterinary practice that works with food animals and/or equine, as well as companion animals. These Externship blog posts are an opportunity to tag along with students during their externship. Here student veterinarian Shannon talks about the importance of problem solving when things don’t go according to plan. Check out all the student blogs</span></em> <span lang="EN" xml:lang="EN"><em><a href="https://externship.ovc.uoguelph.ca/" target="_blank">here</a></em>.</span> </p>
<p><font face="Calibri" size="3">I’ve been very fortunate to have excellent veterinary mentorship during my weeks at Milverton-Wellesley. When I’m on farm service, I get to perform almost every procedure we do on our cattle calls, and this has been a huge boost to my competency and confidence. This is all due to excellent teachers who are ever so patient, and of course wonderful farmers who are willing to let me learn on their animals.</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri" size="3"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404554310?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" class="align-left" style="padding: 3px;" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404554310?profile=RESIZE_320x320"></a>When I do a procedure, I have a plan in my mind for how it should go. If I’m going to give calcium intravenously for the treatment of milk fever, I think “occlude the jugular vein, look for the vein to pop up, feel the vein, take the cap off my needle, stick it in, watch for blood so I know I’m in the vein, and attach the IV line to let the calcium to flow in slowly over 5 minutes.” Our ideal plan is one that goes smoothly and quickly, but I’ve learned that it doesn’t always go that way. Needles slide out of veins and you have to take it out and redirect it, some cows have smaller veins that are hard to visualize, sometimes cows are obstinate and hard to restrain… the list goes on!</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri" size="3">It’s very easy as a student to be hard on yourself when things don’t go perfectly. I often get frustrated with myself if I struggle with something that I’ve done several times before. Your inner voice can be your harshest critic. But it is helpful to remember that this is the <i>very best time</i> for you to experience what happens when things don’t go according to plan!</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri" size="3">First, you learn that things don’t always go perfectly, even for the most seasoned veterinarian. This helps you to stop being so hard on yourself! The other great thing is that right now you are completely supervised by a veterinarian – so if you need help or advice, someone is right there to coach you through a sticky spot. This is incredibly valuable, because you learn lots of strategies for how to help yourself should you ever need to in the future! When I learn one of these helpful pieces of advice I write it down in my notebook under the heading “TIPS” so I can refer back to these if I ever need to.</font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri" size="3">I don’t think the best veterinarian is one that does everything perfectly every time. Maybe I used to think that and aspire to that. But animals are unpredictable and so is medicine… no two cases are alike just like no two animals are alike. The best veterinarian is one that can think on their feet and improvise to solve a problem to achieve the best outcome when a wrench is thrown into their plan. I think <i>that</i> is something worthy of aspiring to! </font></p>
<p><font face="Calibri" size="3">Photo: <em>"Speaking of improvising, we needed a place to hang our fluids from for this sick cow, and a quick thinking farmer improvised with a ladder!" </em></font></p>
<p></p>We're home!tag:ontag.farms.com,2017-02-28:3646443:BlogPost:684132017-02-28T16:00:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>After 7 flights, 2 countries, 5 hotels, 4 different buses and a dozen or more farm visits, we are home again! What an adventure we all shared over the last 12 days. We experienced so much as a class, whether it was learning new leadership skills, to eating crickets, to meeting with fellow Canadians working in Vietnam. We also have a new appreciation for how certain foods are grown – like bananas, coffee, tea, coconuts, rice and pepper (to name a few); foods that many of us enjoy…</p>
<p>After 7 flights, 2 countries, 5 hotels, 4 different buses and a dozen or more farm visits, we are home again! What an adventure we all shared over the last 12 days. We experienced so much as a class, whether it was learning new leadership skills, to eating crickets, to meeting with fellow Canadians working in Vietnam. We also have a new appreciation for how certain foods are grown – like bananas, coffee, tea, coconuts, rice and pepper (to name a few); foods that many of us enjoy everyday!</p>
<p>We are all so grateful for this amazing experience and look forward to sharing our learnings and stories with our friends and family in each of our respective communities. Thank you for reading our blog. We hope you enjoyed following along!</p>Thai Agri-Tourismtag:ontag.farms.com,2017-02-26:3646443:BlogPost:685132017-02-26T14:30:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>Today we left the big city lights of Bangkok for the countryside. How refreshing to step out of the bus onto Baan Susan Chamchoen Farm and meet the owner Mr Somsak and his wife. With great passion and enthusiasm he toured us through his mixed fruit farm, combining agro tourism with fruit production and 20 value-added products. The King, a great supporter of agriculture, had advised all farmers to diversify. As such, Mr Somsak has a unique intercropping system combining banana, coconut…</p>
<p>Today we left the big city lights of Bangkok for the countryside. How refreshing to step out of the bus onto Baan Susan Chamchoen Farm and meet the owner Mr Somsak and his wife. With great passion and enthusiasm he toured us through his mixed fruit farm, combining agro tourism with fruit production and 20 value-added products. The King, a great supporter of agriculture, had advised all farmers to diversify. As such, Mr Somsak has a unique intercropping system combining banana, coconut and mango trees along with ducks, chickens and goats.</p>
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<p>In scenic (and very hot and humid) surroundings, the trees grow on rows of mounded soil separated by a continuous canal system. These canals are used to irrigate and to collect crops while controlling ants and raising fish which links directly to the main 32 km canal leading to the city markets. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404552899?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404552899?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>Mr Somsak exemplifies diversification and added value with guest rooms and a restaurant for Thai tourists. The variety of retail products made from his crops include sugar, butter and oil from coconut. He's a third generation farmer having retired from teaching eight years ago. Some of his coconut trees grow to be 100 years old. He was so very excited to show us his farm as AALP Class 16 were the first international tour ever to visit his farm. His innovation, adaptability and resourcefulness was certainly inspiring and all agreed this stop was our Thai highlight.</p>
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<p>Mr Somsak insisted that each classmate take a bottle of his coconut oil, posed for pictures in his new Ag More Than Ever Tshirt we gave him and bid us farewell with a left-handed handshake, teaching us that the right hand is used for killing but the left is for peace. </p>
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<p>After a light lunch at a nearby restaurant along one of the main canals, we drove to the Nonthaphum orphanage for children with disabilities. There we were met by a worker and former student who told us how the the 390 residents receive education, vocational training, rehabilitation and social services support. We watched as lunch was served to many of the clients. The school depends on government support and donations to provide fulsome care. The class donated all our excess snacks and, having passed the hat, a $431 US donation to help them carry on their important work. Later we spent time discussing how blessed we are to be healthy and Canadian. We also discussed the act of giving and how it is incumbent upon us all to use our leadership skills and talents to give back to our organizations in our communities. </p>Temples and Snakes and Boats...Oh My!tag:ontag.farms.com,2017-02-25:3646443:BlogPost:682072017-02-25T14:30:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>Battling through the chaos and heat of Bangkok, Class 16 spent a full day experiencing some of the interesting sites in the city.</p>
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<p>Our first stop of the morning was at the Red Cross Snake Farm, nestled on a 'quieter' side street right in Bangkok. The Snake Farm is a part of the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute and the Thai Red Cross Society. In the early 1900s, one of the King’s daughters died of rabies. At that time, there were facilities around the world that had made…</p>
<p>Battling through the chaos and heat of Bangkok, Class 16 spent a full day experiencing some of the interesting sites in the city.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Our first stop of the morning was at the Red Cross Snake Farm, nestled on a 'quieter' side street right in Bangkok. The Snake Farm is a part of the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute and the Thai Red Cross Society. In the early 1900s, one of the King’s daughters died of rabies. At that time, there were facilities around the world that had made significant progress in the research and treatment of rabies, and development of rabies vaccine. The King decided to establish such a facility in Thailand as well and donated a residence for this project. Since Thailand is also home to more than 190 varieties of snakes, 61 which are venomous, it was decided that Thailand should also have a facility dedicated to the production of antivenom using the venom of snakes native to the region. The Snake Farm portion of the facility was opened in 1923, and is only the second Snake farm in the world.</p>
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<p>We had an opportunity to walk through the indoor and outdoor serpentariums to check out the various snakes that reside at the farm. Everything from venoms King Cobras, Kraits and Vipers, to the more docile Pythons and Boas were on display for us to see. We also had the opportunity to see where they collect the venom, check out an informative exhibition that explained the life cycle of snakes, how they shed their skin, how and when they reproduce, and of course, how you should treat a snake bite! Did you know that not all snakes lay eggs? And, if you are bitten, did you know that you wrap the wound tightly, splint it, and wrap it again to keep the limb immobile and the venom from spreading? Oh, and stay calm...it may seem impossible given you have just been bitten by a potentially deadly serpent, but the slower you can keep your heart rate, the slower your blood (and the venom) will circulate.</p>
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<p>To round out our visit to this unusual 'farm,' we had the opportunity to watch a snake-handling demonstration. This was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying for many in the group. The handlers were not handling the 'friendly' Boas and Pythons, but rather the very angry and aggressive Cobras and other venomous snakes. There were many shrieks from the audience (read: the girls of AALP Class 16) as the snakes lunged angrily at the handlers who were seemingly unphased by the fact that they were a bite away from needing the antivenom!</p>
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<p>Those who were brave enough could also take a turn holding the huge albino Burmese Python for a photo opp.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404558212?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404558212?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>The Snake farm, while not a traditional farm in the agricultural sense was a great example of recognizing a need, and putting the resources in place to ensure that humans and snakes can coexist with fewer casualties.</p>
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<p>After the snake farm and a delicious lunch, we set out to tour the Grand Palace and the Emerald Temple. This area of the city is always quite busy, however, Thailand’s beloved King Rama IX passed away in the fall. As a result, the country is currently in a period of mourning, as millions of Thai people make the trek to the Palace to see the King who lays in state for up to a year. We battled the crowds and the extreme heat to see the stunning Temple and Palace. The architecture is absolutely spectacular! It was also incredibly interesting to see so many people there to pay their respects, old, young, and everything between. King Rama IX was a King of the people and the sadness of the Thai people over the loss of their King can be seen and felt, not only near the palace, but through the entire city and country.</p>
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<p>After finishing at the palace, the group took a river tour of the city’s canals, while learning more about the city and the canal system. We also learned that catfish are smart...many of the temples are built along the canals. While in the area of the temples, you are not allowed to hurt or kill an animal. This includes fishing in the water near the temples. The fish have learned that they are safe in these sacred areas of the rivers, so that's where they live. Chunks of bread will bring hundreds and hundreds of them to the surface for a snack in those areas, while there are no signs of life in other areas of the same river or canal!</p>
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<p>After a breather in the mall for some ice cream, we rounded out the full day with a dinner cruise. We enjoyed a delicious international buffet, the sights of Bangkok in lights and some fantastic music and dancing.</p>
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<p>It was a very long, very sweaty day for the group, but we all enjoyed getting to know more about the Thai people and their customs and culture! And, while there may be a few nightmares about snakes tonight, we also appreciated learning about living alongside venomous snakes - something we don't really have to worry about in Canada!</p>Goodbye Vietnam, Hello Bangkok; The Land of Freedom, Buddha, and Heat!tag:ontag.farms.com,2017-02-24:3646443:BlogPost:685082017-02-24T18:13:35.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>AALP Class 16 had our earliest start so far this trip, heading out of the heart of Hanoi at 6:20 am to the airport to catch our flight to Bangkok, Thailand! Upon arrival, we maneuvered through the chaos of the busy Bangkok airport, reminding us of home and the hustle and bustle of the Toronto airport. We were greeted by our tour guide, North, and headed out on a tour of the city!</p>
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<p>North treated us to a bunch of great trivia and facts about the city during our slow slog…</p>
<p>AALP Class 16 had our earliest start so far this trip, heading out of the heart of Hanoi at 6:20 am to the airport to catch our flight to Bangkok, Thailand! Upon arrival, we maneuvered through the chaos of the busy Bangkok airport, reminding us of home and the hustle and bustle of the Toronto airport. We were greeted by our tour guide, North, and headed out on a tour of the city!</p>
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<p>North treated us to a bunch of great trivia and facts about the city during our slow slog through traffic. An interesting fact he shared is that Bangkok is not the official name of the city, the actual name is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasatham Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit, which is the longest name for a capital city in the whole world! Considering its length, it actually has a simple meaning: Freedom. Thailand has been a free country and has never been occupied by or under the control of another country!</p>
<p><br>North also informed us that Thailand is a Buddhist Country, with 95% of its population practicing Buddhism in 33,000 temples across the country. And in the three temples we visited today, each had well over 50 Buddha statues throughout the temple!</p>
<p><br>And finally, North informed us that Thailand has three seasons ... Hot, Hotter, and Hottest! With humidity sitting at 70% or higher!</p>
<p><br>To add to the hot temperatures, their food also has quite a bit of kick! North suggested that, as foreigners, instead of asking for a "Little bit of spice," we should ask for no spice as that will be comparable to a little spice at home.<br>After savouring our first Thai Food of the trip for lunch, we headed out to tour the temples. We started at the Reclining Buddha Temple, seen below:</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404551163?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404551163?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"></a>Within the temple, King Rama III started the first medical University. There were drawings on the plaster inside one building depicting the different areas of the body for massage.The actual Reclining Buddha is 46 meters long, built of brick and plaster and covered with real Gold Leaf! Inside the Reclining Buddha Temple itself, we also visited the Ornamental Hall to take in another Buddha. <br><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404551273?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404551273?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-center"></a>We learned that many of the monuments inside the temple contain the ashes of King Rama the I through VIII, as well as some other important members of the royal family. We learned that the Thai people know the name of the King, but to make it easier for the rest of the world they started referring to the King as "King Rama" and identified each in succeeding numerical order.</p>
<p><br>We then walked to the canal and crossed over to visit The Temple of Dawn, built by King Rama II. It was currently getting a facelift, but was truly breathtaking all the same.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404552897?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404552897?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404554007?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404554007?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404554142?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404554142?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"></a>As we waited for the water taxi to return us to the main shore, we noticed two monks also waiting for the boat and asked North to tell us a little about monks. He informed us that most males practicing Buddhism will become monks to show their future wife that they have learned to be a good man. If they are under the age of 20, they can become Novice Monks, adhering to only 20 Buddhist rules; or after their 20th birthday they can study and practice the 227 Buddhist rules to become a monk. Usually, they will practice for a minimum of three months, sometimes more and sometimes a little less depending on their financial situation.</p>
<p><br>North shared with us the five Moral Precepts of all practicing Buddhists, and they are as follows:</p>
<p><br>1. Refraining from harming living things<br>2. Refraining from taking what is not given<br>3. Refraining from sexual misconduct<br>4. Refraining from lying or gossip<br>5. Refraining from taking intoxicating substances (drugs or drink)</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404554846?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404554846?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"></a>And to round out our temple tours, North showed us the Wat Suthat Thepwararam Temple, which happens to be the temple he worships at. It was built during the reign of King Rama I and took three generations to complete! King Rama III was responsible for a significant amount of the final architecture and Buddha statues. We learned that sitting Buddha statues with one hand in the lap and one on their knee is to drive away evil and those with two hands in their lap are for meditation.</p>
<p><br>We finished off a great but exhausting day of exploring and learning about the Buddhist Temples with a delicious, relaxing dinner before heading to the hotel to check in. Some classmates were feeling the exhaustion from a long day in the heat and opted for an early evening, while others caught a second wind and headed out to explore the city and the Night Markets!</p>Exploring Thien Canh Son Cavestag:ontag.farms.com,2017-02-23:3646443:BlogPost:685052017-02-23T19:35:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>After a great night’s sleep at sea, we got energized for the day ahead with a group Tai Chi lesson on the top deck of the Victory cruise ship. We enjoyed coffee and tea and a light breakfast while we made our way to Thien Canh Son cave, which means mountain landscape in the heavens.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404550129?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404550129?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="450"></img></a></p>
<p>The cave is located on Bai Tu Long Bay and set below a stone cliff. It was…</p>
<p>After a great night’s sleep at sea, we got energized for the day ahead with a group Tai Chi lesson on the top deck of the Victory cruise ship. We enjoyed coffee and tea and a light breakfast while we made our way to Thien Canh Son cave, which means mountain landscape in the heavens.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404550129?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404550129?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="450" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>The cave is located on Bai Tu Long Bay and set below a stone cliff. It was created by techtonic movement, volcanic eruption, sea regression and erosion from rain and sea water. It was beautiful on the inside, with a sparkling ceiling and stalactites.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404550371?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404550371?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="450" class="align-center"></a><br>After exploring the caves, we enjoyed an assorted buffet brunch, another delicious meal on the boat while we headed back to shore. We disembarked at 11:30 and started our four-hour bus ride back to Hanoi.</p>
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<p>During the first half of our bus ride we had a Sponsor Spotlight from classmates, Kevin and Rebecca. They taught us more about <a href="http://www.robinsonleadership.com/" target="_blank">Robinson Organization and Consulting Group</a>, who taught us Gridworks during our first seminar. They help organizations and companies work together to implement change and help instill a common base of values.</p>
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<p>After the Sponsor Spotlight, we participated in two facilitated discussions during which we shared with the class the most interesting/random thing we've seen on our study tour so far and things we've observed that are both the same and different as Canada. We talked a lot about the different food we have seen and random items being carried on scooters, as well as our shared values and surprising similarities and differences in agriculture between Vietnam and Canada, like our grocery shopping habits. Most Vietnamese pick up the food they are going to use fresh every day from a local market.</p>
<p><br>We stopped at Legend Pearl Farm to learn about the process of pearl farming and had a chance to browse the showroom and purchase authentic pearl jewellery made from the farm. There are three types of pearls, Akoya (classic) South Sea (white) and Tahiti (dark). Naturally, they take about ten years to form; however, on the farm they can speed up the process to five years.</p>
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<p>We met Dr. Dao Xuan Cuong at our hotel to learn about the Syngenta corporation and Syngenta foundation in Vietnam which does extensive work to help farmers in Vietnam with sustainability, pesticide safety, and profitability.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404552741?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404552741?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>We ended the night, and our time in Hanoi, with a buffet dinner at a local restaurant where we could interact with the locals.</p>A tour through Ha Long Baytag:ontag.farms.com,2017-02-23:3646443:BlogPost:683132017-02-23T03:00:00.000ZAALPhttps://ontag.farms.com/profile/AALP
<p>The day started early on the bus on route to Ha Long Bay. In between class discussion on graduation and learning about the skills and attributes of leaders that inspire us, we stopped at a rice paddy and vegetable farm (onions, lettuce, cabbage, Chinese stem mustard, Poi spinach, basil). We were all surprised to learn that the majority of small scale rice farmers are not supporting their families through farming, but have a day to day job, and the rice they produce serves merely to put food…</p>
<p>The day started early on the bus on route to Ha Long Bay. In between class discussion on graduation and learning about the skills and attributes of leaders that inspire us, we stopped at a rice paddy and vegetable farm (onions, lettuce, cabbage, Chinese stem mustard, Poi spinach, basil). We were all surprised to learn that the majority of small scale rice farmers are not supporting their families through farming, but have a day to day job, and the rice they produce serves merely to put food on the table.</p>
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<p>We arrived in Ha Long Bay and boarded the <a href="http://www.victoryhalong.com/vn/cruises/53/victory-cruise-21-cabins.html" target="_blank">Victory Boat Cruise</a>. We enjoyed lunch aboard while we took in the scenery of the nearly 700 islets. It was a cloudy day with a thick layer of mist, highlighting the mystique of the outcropping islands.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404560944?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404560944?profile=original" width="320" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>After we settled in our quarters, we boarded the water taxi for a tour of a traditional <a href="http://www.catbavietnam.com/vung-vieng-fishing-village.html" target="_blank">Vietnamese fishing village</a>. In small groups, we boarded authentic ‘junk boats’ to explore this village on water; a village consisting of a small community of people living, and being supported entirely on the water.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404561909?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404561909?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="320" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>They are well organized with resources including a community centre, school, and fishing cages for fish and pearl farming to name a few. We were fortunate enough to witness a key component to sustaining life on the water; a mobile grocer consisting of another junk boat filled with produce and supplies and the essential goods. The scenery was like no other we have seen before; being rowed peacefully throughout this network of islets revealed new and mesmerizing vistas at every turn.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404562668?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/404562668?profile=original" width="320" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p>Then it was off to the beach for a quick dip in the South Chinese sea and to put our toes in the sand; it was the cool and refreshing break that we needed to get us prepared for the evening festivities.</p>
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<p>We had to work for our supper by putting our culinary skills to the test with the preparation of traditional Vietnamese spring rolls. We have come to understand the importance of food presentation and the care and attention in which it is prepared. The people here are always proud and happy to share their traditions with us.</p>
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<p>As we sit here reflecting on our day, we are taking in the fresh sea air, listening to the water as it rolls into the boat, and looking at the reflection from the surrounding river boats glistening on the water. All the while looking forward to watching the sunrise from the roof top deck in the morning while we test our sea legs with tai chi.</p>