Hey, ya'll!
On a sudden whim, I decided to post my first blog post under the influence of a cold and limited time before 5 o'clock roles around and I have to go to "China Prep" class!
I'll start off by explaining why I am going to China. The college that I attend has a large Agriculture program and, for the last four years, has offered a trip to China. Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam/Cambodia, and Argentina are other options, but for years I've always wanted to go to China due to my love and interest in Asian culture.
During this trip, the class will learn about China's agriculture standpoint in their own country and the world. China is the number one importer of U.S. pork and possibly also in soy beans. The government is trying to improve their agriculture program due to the large population that China has. The country cannot feed itself where it is right now with its agriculture setup.
Most farms are maybe two acres and run by families where the children often go to the city and leave aging parents to continue to farm. Much of the equipment is still 1930s-1940s. They have less restrictions for health and sanitation than what our own USDA offers. Diseases among swine herds(China's favorite meat source) continues to rage. For as many mouths as there are to feed in the country, they are in desperate need of growth and improvement.
Its our job as students of South Dakota State University to go to China and learn, to appreciate, and to better understand why our country has the restrictions that it does. However, not only will we be studying the agriculture there, we will be exploring the culture itself. The Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, and the Forbidden City are just a couple of China's Wonders that we will be visiting. We will get to try their dishes and take a tour of the "non-evasive" Femur Head Hospital where one of SDSU's own graduates was treated for Avascular Necrosis.
All and all, I am so excited to see what I learn and take from this two-week long trip to a foreign land and different culture. My thirst for knowledge and passion for Asian culture will certainly help in taking away a good portion of experience. Let's just hope my talent for easily getting motion sickness doesn't stand in the way of this adventure!
Later loves,
Kylee
