I never thought that an average farm girl like me would have the opportunity to travel to China. This trip was amazing and I will never forget it. One of my favorite things was meeting all the new people. I had a wonderful time talking with the other students and the people in my 
delegation (see my video). All the people on this mission were incredibly nice and helpful. They were interested and pleased with our presence and I hope to continue these newfound friendships for years to come.
The main thing that impressed and amazed me about China is how big everything is. Because I live on a farm and the workload is so demanding 
I’ve never really had the chance to see the Twin Cities – or any other city for that matter. So going from basically no city exposure to being in some of the biggest cities in the world was a huge shock.
Everything here has to be at such a large scale to accommodate all the people who live in China. Each city was like a forest of skyscrapers, filled with homes, stores, restaurants, and offices. The traffic was crazy. I rode in a taxi across town and I feel lucky to still be alive. The ride was so scary because the cars were inches apart on all 
four sides, horns were honking all over the place and we were almost squished between a wall and a bus. I could not believe how different their driving style is from ours.
On this trip I also learned a great deal about agriculture – not only about China’s agriculture, but also about our ag industry here at home. I learned about biofuels, China’s economy, and what agricultural goods they are interested in. As I listened to the speakers, went on tours, and talked with the other delegates, I soaked up so many new things, I felt like a sponge. All I did the entire time was try to absorb all the information, sights, sounds and smells so that I would never forget any of it.
The trip lasted just a week – a week of great progress – but only a week. We planted the seeds of friendship and cooperation, but we will not see the fruits of our labor until these seeds have a 
chance to sprout, grow and prosper. This won’t happen on its own. We must remember all we gained through our experiences, and work diligently to nurture and care for these fragile new seedlings.
Agriculture in China is connected to the agriculture here in Minnesota, and through the exchange of ideas and goods we will water the seedlings and help them grow into a strong, solid crop – a crop that will feed future generations and open the doors to future endeavors.
Archived Journal Entries
November 17, 2005
Take a deep breath. Stop and take in all the sights, sounds and smells around you and then let it all out. I know when I take a big, deep breath it always makes me feel better, but this is not 
always the case in China. China has a huge air pollution problem. This is why they are seriously looking into the use of biofuels and why the World Biofuels Symposium was held here in China.
Biofuels are a renewable fuel option for the future. Right now there are two main choices: Ethanol, made from corn – and biodiesel, made from soybeans. Minnesota is a leader in the use of biofuels and we are the only state to have a mandate on ethanol and biodiesel usage. Governor Pawlenty spoke at the World Bio Fuels 
Symposium and said, “renewable fuels are a win, win, win, win, win situation.” These different fuel choices are good for the environment, our country’s national security, our economy, and our farmers.
Biofuels are a cleaner fuel source and will keep the air in a healthier state. They keep our nation safer because we won’t have to depend on foreign countries to meet our fuel needs. We could be the Saudi Arabia of renewable fuels. If we no longer have to import so much fossil fuel this will also boost our economy. Our country could 
satisfy 50% of our appetite for fuel with biofuels. This will support our farmers as well, because they will be raising the products needed to make renewable fuels.
We are making progress in this exciting and always-changing field, but as our governor said, “We must move more aggressively, more dramatically because the things that got us here will not get us there.”
Please log on to the website next week to read all of our wrap up journals. I hope you have enjoyed your journey through China with us.
November 16, 2005
One of the great opportunities and honors from being on
this trip is the chance to talk and network with some of the most
prominent business and government leaders, both here in China and
Minnesota. I have had the opportunity to visit with the Agriculture delegation,
also known 
as the “fun/cool ag group.” Let me assure you
that they have earned this reputation. These people have become
my family on this trip and I will miss working with all of them.
This group is filled with important agriculture industry leaders,
and I have learned so much from each of them. Each member has his
or her own story and area of expertise. I have learned about different
agriculture industries and about different places in 
Minnesota.
They are people who know how to work hard, absorb information,
put this new knowledge to action and have a lot of fun too.
One of the most influential members of the Agriculture delegation is Minnesota Commissioner of Agriculture Gene Hugoson. He has held the position as commissioner with three different governors: Arne Carlson, Jesse Ventura and now Tim Pawlenty. This is a great accomplishment. Along with these governors, Commissioner Hugoson has traveled to China on three different occasions. He is an advocate for Minnesota agriculture and promotes the 
industry’s products so that we will be more profitable. Commissioner Hugoson informs everyone around him about agriculture so that there is a better understanding of the industry. This is a tough job because less then 2 percent of American’s population is farmers. He is a man who loves agriculture and works hard to keep up with this changing industry. Commissioner Hugoson is personable and wonderful to work with. He is also a person who is not afraid to tell a good joke. I have enjoyed getting to know him and am so pleased to be in the presence of greatness.
All the members of the fun/cool ag group have made my experience in China so exciting. I would like to thank each and every one of them for a great time.
November 15, 2005
“That bacon was so good!”
Amy Jordan said this about 50 million times today when we visited the Hormel processing plant in Beijing. Hormel came to China in 1996 and has been working hard to develop a brand name in China. 
Hormel Beijing was started in 1998 and operates according to the high United States processing standards. The plant is very small compared to those in the United States but it is a start for Hormel’s expanding efforts.
The Hormel products that are sold in China cost about the same as those sold in the United States. Prices are higher than for most meat products in China, but Hormel’s products are of the highest quality. Because most Chinese families have only one child, that child is often a little bit spoiled and Hormel products are often a special treat for children. This is why Hormel Beijing focuses its advertisement on mothers and children. They hope these efforts will create a strong customer base for the next generation. Hormel Beijing also sells about 50 percent of their products to the food service industry. This is a strong base that continues to grow as food chains such as Pizza Hut become more popular in China. Each year Hormel Beijing has about a 35 percent growth rate.
All of the raw material for Hormel Beijing comes from a partnership between Hormel and the Sanyuan Group. This is much different from most other meat producers in China because 
Hormel can track every animal that they receive. This is very important for the quality of the products.
We were also able to take a tour of the plant. It was very interesting to see how the products were cut, cooked and packed. Because the cleanliness of Hormel products is so important to them we had to wear hairnets, plastic boots, facemasks and lab coats. We were even lint-rollered before we entered.
Just as it is for Amy, bacon is now a favorite Hormel product in China. Hormel is working hard to develop a strong market in China. As Hormel’s Rick Szako said: “It takes time to establish a brand name.”
November 14, 2005
Have you ever slurped snake or cracked open a turtle shell for dinner? Sounds like an episode of Fear Factor, right? Well, it is the norm here in China. Today I witnessed a seafood market where I saw and smelled things that I would never have considered to be food.
It was really an eye-opener to see what Chinese people like to eat and how they shop for their food. Instead of walking into Cub Foods I followed the horrible odor of live seafood. As I approached the market, the smell became stronger and stronger, and it was hard to imagine what something that smelled that bad could look like.
When I went through the door I saw a strange and very busy world. I was kind of nervous because everything was so new to me, and I was so uncertain of what would happen next. There were many tanks filled with living seafood and some plates with fresh fish. The workers who were selling the seafood had to watch the tanks to make sure nothing crawled out. The floors were wet and very slippery and I had to weave in and out of the crowd. Many of the prices in the market are not set prices–you can negotiate the price.
This is much different from the way that we shop for food. I think that it is important to experience the common market of any place you visit because this will give you a better perspective on that country. Some of the foods may seem, smell, and look gross. But what if you were to try it and you really enjoyed it?
We need to be able to embrace these new and different things because it will open up new markets between both countries. Take monster slugs for example, if I had tried them and loved them, trust me, most Americans probably would, too. So China should look into exporting monster slugs to the United States and we could do the same type of thing with our products. Just because their food and the distribution of that food are different, this does not mean that it is bad.
November 13, 2005
As
I took the first step that began my trek up the Great Wall, I
thought to myself – oh this doesn’t look that hard, I
can make it to the top! But it was a little harder than I expected.
When I reached the 876, 877, 878th step I was winded and ready for
a break, so I took a second to look around at the beautiful view.
The sun was shining on the rolling
mountains
and the wall seemed to go on forever. I wondered how such a
peaceful looking place could be so close to a bustling city.
As I continued up the Great Wall that wound its
way through the mountains, I noticed that all the vegetation growing
on the mountains was in rows. I asked our guide if she knew why
everything on the mountainside was in rows, and she told me a story
about when she was young. She said the air quality in Beijing was
poor, so the government had her school (and other organizations)
plant trees and other vegetation to clean the air. Due to a lack
of rain,
only about ten percent of the trees survived, and her school would
have to go out the next year and plant more. Over the years more
trees survived on the mountains and the air quality seems to be
improving. I thought that it was amazing how the Chinese try to
use all the land to its fullest capacity.
My journey continued up the stairs of the Great
Wall, 2020, 2021, 2022. At this point my quads were burning and
I felt like turning back, but my group urged me on. I passed another
tourist who I talked to for a 
brief
moment and she told me, “Everybody has his or her own top.”
We soon found that to be very true, as the crowds thinned towards
the top. As I began to drip with sweat, we finally decided to turn
back on steps 5006, 5007, 5008. My legs were quivering beneath me
as I turned around and I prayed that I would be able to make it
back. As we slowly descended I reflected on how impressive the Chinese
people were to build such a Great Wall.
November 10, 2005
Where is China? What do Chinese farmers grow? How does Chinese agriculture compare to ours? What do the Chinese people eat? What is the weather like in China? What is the Chinese language like?
Students of all ages asked these questions, and many
more, when I visited them this week to talk about my trip to China.
We discussed their role as students and how they can use this website to
answer their 
questions. The students are extremely excited about this wonderful
learning experience.
After I was selected for this trip I was amazed
by how many calls and letters that I received from people. One letter
came from my father's former agriculture teacher, Lee Sandager.
Mr. Sandager has traveled to China twice and has witnessed the changes
that the country has gone through. The first time Mr. Sandager was
in China, the government was very restrictive and watchful of the
things that he saw and did; he was mainly there to just observe.
But his second trip was much more interactive and he enjoyed more
freedoms. Mr. Sandager wrote about the development that he witnessed
when he went back to China the second time. He didn't recognize
much from his previous trip.
In his letter, Mr. Sandager also reiterated many of the
cultural differences that we heard about at the pre-mission briefing.
For example, the Chinese people do not develop relationships as
quickly as we do here; it takes time to foster friendships with the Chinese.
Mr. Sandager also discussed Chinese agriculture,
their style of farming and the rate that they are progressing at
technologically. Chinese agriculture is mostly subsidized, much
like it was in the United States a century ago. But the Chinese
are slowly incorporating modern farming techniques, which will likely
push more people into the cities of China. China's cities are not
ready yet for all these people and this is why they are working
towards these modern techniques very slowly.
I learned a lot from Mr. Sandager's letter. It
was a tremendous discussion that has helped prepare me for this
trip.
November 2, 2005
On Monday, October 24, I attended the pre-mission
briefing at Best Buy Corporate Headquarters. I knew when I entered
this beautiful facility that it was going to be an exciting, busy
and educational day. It was a day that gave all of us a small taste
of what to expect when we get to China. We had an opportunity to
meet some of the business 
delegates who will be embarking on this
trip with us and I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone much better on the long flight.
I was also able to ask the Honorable Tim Pawlenty some
important questions about my specific thread: agriculture. For example,
I mentioned that about 20 percent of Minnesota’s work force has a job within
the agriculture industry, and asked the Governor: What is being
done
at the state level to prepare people for these jobs? He had a great
response that included many new ideas along with some old principles. Specifically,
he talked about how farmers must keep their operations up to date
because that is the only way that we 
can continue to make progress
within the agriculture industry.
It was strange to have cameras pointed right at me from one angle, and then the next minute seeing the camera on the total opposite side of the room. It was an exhilarating experience, and we actually got a spot on KARE-11 News. I’ve also been talking with local reporters about the trip, and I hope these stories will help promote the mission’s website. I will be visiting some elementary schools in the area to get the kids and teachers fired up about this learning experience. I look forward to these visits and can’t wait until we leave for China.
October 24, 2005
It is now less than a month before I leave for China.
I have been trying to incorporate my preparations for this trip in
to the subject matters of my classes at school. A good example is
a persuasive speech I am preparing.
Our fall season has emerged and everything is decorated
with pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, and straw bales. I wonder if the
Chinese enjoy fall harvest and a holiday like Halloween.
I think it’s important that Minnesotans
better understand Chinese traditions and customs. Why? Because
China is emerging as an influential trading partner for us in
Minnesota. I've learned that China has a booming economy, and
slightly more than 20 percent of the world's population and consumers.
In the years 2000-2004, Minnesota sold $1.12 billion in agricultural
commodities and processed foods in China. China is currently the
leading importer of soybeans in the world. This gives Americans
a demanding market for the 3 billion bushels of soybeans that
we produce every year. Next to corn, soybeans are the most profitable
crop for United States' farmers to grow. China also imports 50.8
percent of the world's pork, a product that Minnesota produces
in large scale. If we were to become more deeply involved with
China, could Minnesota be China's main source of pork? The beef
and dairy industries are a significant part of Minnesota's pride.
China uses 12.6 percent of the world's beef and veal. And much
like my family, Chinese families enjoy ice cream, consuming 19.1
percent of the world's production. As a Washington County Dairy
Princess I would like to know which flavor of ice cream they enjoy
most!
