As a child, I grew up on a produce farm located in Jefferson
County, Pennsylvania. Ever since I was old enough to push the clutch of our
smallest John Deere tractor, I have been involved with every aspect of the
produce business. Throughout the years I have developed a great sense of
appreciation for agriculture and the lifestyle it fosters. At the tender age of
eight my father and grandfather encouraged me to learn how to make change so I
could run the cash register at our small roadside market. As time progressed, I
became attached to the local customer base in our small town, and to the
visitors that our area attracted from afar. By my senior year in high school I
knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life in agriculture.
Initially, I chose to come to Penn State and major in
Agribusiness Management because I planned to return to my family farm to take
over the business. Family and friends told me that if I were to “get anywhere”
in doing so, I would need to go to Penn State for their programs in agriculture
because “they know their stuff”. After my first semester of classes, I was
confident that my passion to study both agricultural sciences and business had
been reinforced, and I continue to nurture that passion today. So far, I have
been exposed to everything from how markets function and determine prices, to
macroeconomic forces that determine supply and demand to how to properly bud-
graft a cherry tree. Now that I have progressed into my fourth semester in the
major, I can see that everything is falling into place for a successful
future.
During my stay with a local family in Pacayitas, Costa Rica,
I am looking forward to interacting with the community members through hands on
experiences such as teaching a lesson to grade school students, and helping the
local farmers with their sugarcane harvest. My main goals during this trip are
to understand the values and ideals of Costa Rican citizens, mostly in a
religious sense, and to learn about the steps they take to ensure their soil
nutrition stays in top condition (I know, these are two completely different
topics!). It seems to be very easy to go into another country that some may even
deem more “economically underprivileged” than our own, and act like we know
everything, and thus try to force our ethnocentric principles upon others. My
research on the rural Costa Ricans’ faith will ensure that my colleagues and I
approach this community with the utmost respect and sensitivity to their
culture. I would like to focus on the soil nutrition aspect of Costa Rican
farming because a large part of the agricultural practices we use on our family
produce farm focuses on ensuring the correct nutrients are present in our soils
at all times. Soil is the life-source of our food. I assume the soil present in
Costa Rica will be somewhat different than what we have in Central and Western
Pennsylvania, but I may be surprised! I have a lot to learn from this
experience, and I feel that I will enjoy every second of it!
Learning to understand and respect different international
agricultural practices is essential for students who are majoring in
Agribusiness Management. I grew up on an established sustainable family produce
farm where I learned a great deal of the craft from my father and grandfather.
Because this will be my first opportunity to travel outside of the United
States, I will finally be able to
gain a more global perspective of agriculture. My small town upbringing is a
large reason why I have chosen to travel to Pacayitas, Costa Rica. An exposure
to such a rich culture that is very different from my own will season me to
grow in my academics and personal life. This short immersion
in this rural Costa
Rican community will help me to learn first-hand what it is like to live in a
small Central American rural community. I am excited to begin my semi-journey.
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