Trip highlights international farming
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FAIRMONT-- Local woman Haley Ammann-Ekstrom recently got back from a trip to Ecuador as part of a two-year program with Minnesota Agricultural Rural Leadership.
Ammann, a 2012 graduate of Fairmont High School, is also a 6th generation cattle farmer. Having a strong passion for the agriculture industry, she applied to the MARL program through her job with Nu-Way-K&H Cooperative. She said 30 people across the state were accepted into the program.
"It's meant to develop your public speaking and leadership skills so it can help you be a leader within your community or county," Ammann said of the program.
She shared that this is the first group in the program that has had more women than men in it.
Throughout the two years of the program, the group went to different parts of the state including St. Paul to meet the senators in their section.
"I got to meet with Julie Rosen which was awesome. She's great," Ammann said.
They also did a domestic destination, which was Washington, D.C., where they went to in November.
Ammann said the program always ends with an international trip to allow the group to learn about agriculture in a different country. This year, the group went to Ecuador for 10 days.
The program is connected with the University of Minnesota Extension Office. Along with the 30 members from across the state, the director of the program and two U of M Extension leaders were also on the trip.
"We moved around to different cities. We started in Otavalo and moved to Quito, which is the capital. Then we moved to Mindo and ended in Santa Domingo," Ammann said.
A guide and tour bus driver stayed with the group for the duration of the trip and brought it around to a variety of different farms.
"Ecuador is most well-known for roses. We went to a rose farm and we toured an avocado farm. They were so good and fresh," Ammann said.
They also went to a few markets, which she said are similar to farmer's markets here, except that it's common that all booths sell the same produce or seasoning.
"They set up and are there all day to sell to local people," Ammann said.
One fact Ammann was interested to learn is that while fuel is cheaper over there, most people don't have or drive vehicles, but rather walk.
"Most of the farms we toured have one thing in common. It was all planted and harvested by hand. They don't have big tractors to do the work for them. It's very labor intensive but they're very proud of that. It was quite humbling to see all of these farms and think how labor intensive that must be," Ammann said.
Other farms they toured include a pineapple farm and a plantain farm, the latter of which are similar to bananas but quite starchy. Ammann said in Ecuador they use plantains as their potatoes and typically serve them fried.
The group also toured a guinea pig farm, which Ammann said was an interesting experience.
"We eat turkey for Thanksgiving and maybe ham for Christmas or Easter but they eat guinea pig for all of those events," Ammann said.
She said they were told that each Ecuadorian will eat about three or four guinea pigs a year. One guinea pig is typically one serving and it's served whole and deep fried.
Ammann said most people in the group were good sports and at least had a bite or two.
"They kept saying the meat was similar to rabbit. It was tender but stringy. It definitely had its own taste. I would not eat it again, I prefer a juicy steak," Ammann said with a laugh.
Of her trip, Ammann said, "It was very educational, humbling and eye-opening."
She said that while farmers in Ecuador are focused on different crops, they share the same struggles as farmers here.
"We all have struggles with government, markets, pricing and weather. We all struggle the same, it's just we're raising different crops to sell and make a living," Ammann said.
The international trip was the last big event of the two-year program. Ammann said there will be a graduation in June where they receive a certificate saying they completed the program.
Ammann said that MARL is seeking applicants to the 2022-2024 program. The deadline to apply is April 29.
In addition to MARL, Ammann is a member of the Minnesota Cattlemen Association and the Trailblazers group within the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, which includes 10 members across the whole country. She is also a board member of Minnesota Ag in the Classroom.
Editors Note: This article ran in the Sentinel’s April 2022 Ag update special section.