A group of young New Zealand farmers visited the Willamette Valley as well as other parts of Oregon recently. This group is known as the Arable Y and is organized by the Foundation for Arable Research in New Zealand. A young farmer from Tasmania, Australia also accompanied the group during its stay in Oregon.
I had the pleasure of addressing this group in 2013 at their meeting in Ashburton, New Zealand, so it was really nice to see them make the trip to Oregon. And it was likewise pleasurable to have the opportunity to tell them about Oregon’s seed production research programs during their visit here. One of our farmer hosts during the visit, Jon Iverson, experienced New Zealand seed production for himself in an farm internship while a student at Oregon State. Another of our department’s recent graduates was in New Zealand on an internship at the time that I made my address there and made acquaintances with the group during his stay in the country. This type of exchange is beneficial for all involved.
A big thank you is owed to James VanLeeuwen, a mid-Willamette Valley farmer who was involved in planning and logistics for the visit as well as the other farmers and seed industry partners that participated.
More information on the visit can be found here:
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