Details of NACAA Scholarship Application Minnesota Association of Extension Agricultural Professionals Study Tour to Brazil

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1 Details of NACAA Scholarship Application Minnesota Association of Extension Agricultural Professionals Study Tour to Brazil 1. Describe in detail your plan for training. MAEAP has spent several years looking into the possibility of an internatiowil trip to explore and learn more about how global agricultural development is impacting farmers in Minnesota. MAEAP is dedicated to its membership commitment to professional development and exploring global agriculture. Brazil tour participants will see cutting edge agricultural research and view the frontier of world agriculture. As a result of this study tour, participants will be able to discuss Brazilian agriculture technology and its effect on world agriculture including Brazil's role as a competitor for u.s. agriculture world markets, Brazil's concern about GMO impacts and how they are conducting Risk Management Assessments and how we might learn, benefit and cooperate together with our Brazilian colleagues. The attached Itinerary outlines some of the major stops that have been planned to date. We are still working out the details for some of the study tour sites. Our goals include learning about Brazil's agriculture production and how they are adopting GMO and other technologies; how they are trying to assess and manage the risks ofthese technologies; and how Brazil will be a competitor for Minnesota agricultural producers. Brazil is becoming an ever greater player in world markets and will continue to grow in this role. As Extension Educators, we need to be able to educate farmers about the impacts of this expanding world role on US agriculture. 2. State how this training will increase your competency as an Extension worker. MAEAP members that are participants in this study tour have varied backgrounds. Many are county-based educators and some are regional-based educators. All of these educators work with agricultural producers of commodity crops and livestock. GMO issues have been an increasing concern for farmers and new technologies around GMOs, GPS and use of satellite information have been readily adopted by many fanners. All of these technologies are expanding in use in Brazil also. Brazilian farmers have rapidly adopted these technologies helping them become major competitors in world markets. Our hope is that we will return with a well trained group of educators that can build international education into their curriculums for farmers and other groups with whom they work. A secondary goal is to increase participants understanding of the GMO-ERA Project, a world wide effort to develop assessment tools and methodologies to assess risks associated with GMO technologies.. This may lead to a cooperative effort from some staff to incorporate this type of work into MN Extension Agriculture programs. As Extension Educators, we need to have a better understanding of risk assessment and the methodologies that may be used to monitor these risks. This experience will help our educators develop curriculums that can help farmers and industry personnel better understand issues around risk assessment. We are also trying to incorporate some new (to most of us) technology into the tour by developing a Blog for this group. Participants are required to Blog and post pictures to a website for this Study Tour. We are able to do this from sites that we will be at for most of the days. We feel this will be another opportunity for participants to [share their experiences and learning with others in Extension and throughout the state (or country). Participants are also required to attend training sessions (equivalent to 3 days) via on-line, conference calls or in-person, pre-trip to learn about Brazilian history, culture and agriculture development. There will also be required participation in daily debriefing sessions and post-trip debriefing and evaluation. Our hope is that these experiences will be able to be incorporated into more of the daily and routine work that educators perform.

2 3. Finances MAEAP Brazil Trip Budget - Airfare - Minneapolis to Sao Paulo Brazil: Per Person $ 1,050 Group Total (15 MAEAP members) $15,750 Hotel- Sao Paulo and surrounding region 7 nights - Average of $50 per night: Ground Transportation - Bus, Van; etc. Visa $25 per day Grand Total $ 350 $ 400 $ 90 $ 200 $ 2,090 $ 5,250 $ 6,000 $ 1,350 $ 3,000 $31,350 We are working with the Dean & Director's Office to be able to use Professional Development funds as a part of the potential funding for this Study Tour. We are hoping that up to $1,000 per person will be available to help offset the costs of this Study Tour. We are requesting $1,000 per MAEAP member listed below ($15,000 total) from NACAA. All other costs associated with this trip will be the responsibility of the individuals traveling. Some Study Tour members may be eligible for scholarships from Epsilon Sigma Phi - Minnesota Chapter, or other groups. Participants may also use funds from income accounts if these are available. This Study Tour has been designated as a Professional Development opportunity; all staffwill be granted time for this and would remain on salary and be able to use professional development funds allotted to them. If Professional Development is not requested by individuals for this study tour, then staff will have to take vacation time to participate. However, many MAEAP members will be unable to secure enough funds to participate without some form of scholarship assistance. Not all participants will have full Professional Development funds (as they are granted from Extension) and many members do not have income accounts to draw upon. If the Brazil Study Tour receives this scholarship, a report to the National Scholarship chair will be made within 30 days after the Study Tour returns. This report will include a 75-word abstract of the activity and documentation that the expenses were spent according to the stated educational objectives. We realize that no funds will be received from NACAA until 60 days prior to travel and we will notify the National Scholarship chair of any changes that occur which may impact upon this evaluation.

3 MAEAP Brazil Trip Scholarship List Home Office NACAA Scholarship Fund Name Address Phone Phone Donation Scholarships 620 Woodglen Place i! Timothy Arlt Owaton na M N I(507) I (507) $ $ th St Raymond Bisek Mahnomen, MN 56557! (218) (218) $ E Elysian Lake Rd!., Brad Carlson Janesville, MN I (507) ' (507) $ th St i, Tim Dolan Winthrop, MN I (507) (507) $ Apple Circle I I Laura Kieser Jordan, MN I (952) (952) $ Maple Drive Dan Martens Foley, MN I (320) (320) $ th St SW Ryan Miller Owatonna MN (612) (507) $ North State Street Wayne Schoper New Ulm, MN (507) (507) $ $ County 6 Blvd, ChuckSchwartau Goodhue, MN I(651) (507) $ $1, ! 807 Seventh St NW Bruce Schwartau Kasson, MN i (507) (507) $ County 30 Jerold Tesmer Harmony, MN (507) (507) $80.00 Elizabeth 4159 Oxford Street Wieland Shoreview, MN (651) (612) $40.00 ~ Cedar Lake Trail,, Mark Whitney Morristown, MN I (507) , (507) $ Milwaukee Ave SW I Nathan Winter Hutchinson, MN I (320) (320) $40.00 ",: RR2 Box 195 I ' Gary Wyatt Saint James, MN I (507) (507) 389~6748 $1~O.00 Note: Laura Kieser sent in a donation last year (June) andjoined MAEAP at this time for She was granted credit jor the scholarship donation and I was told that she would be eligible for this application based on that donation, even though she wasn't listed a member at the time (she was a new member after the March deadline). She is not on Minnesota's list on the NACAA website. I will contact the National chair to verify this also. - Tim Arlt, Minnesota State Scholarship Chair

4 MAEAP Brazil Tentative Itinerary November 10 th _18 th,2008 November 10 th - Depart Minneapolis International Airport 1:25pm Arrive Atlanta International Airport 5:04pm Depart Atlanta International Airport 7:35 pm November 11th- Arrive Sao Paulo, Brazil 8: loam Check into Hotel - Comfort Inn Meet wi John Schoper - Monsanto Brazil - Orientation on Monsanto Brazil Operations - Discuss trans genetic affect on Brazilian Agriculture November 1ih - Travel to Parana Tour Monsanto Research Facilities Tour area livestock farm November 13 th - Visit Sao Paulo University Research facility Wrap up Monsanto interaction Travel back to Sao Paulo November 14th- Meet wi GMO ERA Project scientists Discuss transgene expression and locus structure - Learn about scientific methodologies and teaching tools that can be used for environmental risk assessment November 15 th - Tour Orange Plantation - View orange growing operation - Tour orange procession facility November 16 th - Free day for optional tours

5 November 1i h - November 18 th - Tour AGeO Farm Equipment Factory - Learn about machinery production for the South American Agriculture market Wrap up discussion and depart for the U.S.