Twenty-seven Nebraska LEAD Group 36 recently returned from an international study and travel seminar in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.
“The seminar is designed to provide firsthand appreciation and understanding of our international community and the potential for people of all nations to work together,” said Terry Hejny, Nebraska LEAD program director and group leader.
During the seminar, the group participated in briefings with Carol Perez, U.S. ambassador, and Marcela Rondon, agricultural attache with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, in Santiago, Chile; as well as Lazaro Sandoval, agricultural attache, and Kenneth Joseph, agricultural specialist, both with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The fellows also visited international businesses, entrepreneurs and several farms. They were able to meet with officials at Massai Agricultural Services, a seed reproduction facility near Rancagua, Chile, where soybean trials are taking place under the direction of George Graef, professor of agronomy and horticulture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. While in Montevideo, Uruguay, they toured the parliament building and received a briefing from Sen. Jose Morin.
“The people-to-people encounters provided the members of Nebraska LEAD Group 36 an opportunity to view characteristics, conditions and trends in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay, and determine relationships to issues and situations in our country,” Hejny said. “Through this experience, participants develop techniques in identifying comparisons and contrasts of the countries we recently studied in areas such as agriculture, politics, economics, energy, religion, culture and history, as well as technology, trade, food, art and philosophy.”
Nebraska LEAD Group 36 participating in the seminar, listed by hometown, are as follows: Arthur—Ty Walker; Broken Bow—Nate Bell; Craig—Johnathan Hladik; Deshler—Ellen Schmidt; Fairfield—Thomas Kluver; Fremont—Andy Langemeier; Gibbon—Shane Bendfeldt and Kimberly Wilkens; Gothenburg—Shane Terrell; Gretna—Kelsey Vala; Hay Springs—Joseph Dorshorst; Holdrege—Chris McQuillan; Johnson Lake—David Rowe; Kearney—Dustin Knuth and Ryan Stien; Kennard—Jennifer Arp; Lexington—Adam Smith; Lincoln—Ben Blomendahl, Nate Blum and Nora Turner; Loomis—Justin Trompke; Martell—Alex McKiernan; North Platte—Kyle Shepherd; Plattsmouth—Dustin Smith; Stapleton—Robert Hecox; Trumbull—Scott Bieck; and Waverly—Lori Paulsen/
The Nebraska LEAD program includes men and women currently active in production agriculture and agribusiness and is a two-year leadership development program under the direction of the Nebraska Agricultural Leadership Council, in cooperation with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
For more information or to request an application for Nebraska LEAD 38, contact the Nebraska LEAD Program, 104 Agricultural Communications Building, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583-0763; call 402-472-6810 or email [email protected]. The application deadline is June 15.