Becoming T.V. Famous

January 29, 2019

This morning, we said our final goodbye to Brasilia. After an early checkout at the hotel, we piled onto the bus to begin our trip back to Piracicaba!

We began our day with a meeting at CNA, which is Brazil’s equivalent to American Farm Bureau. CNA’s main purpose is to represent farmers all over Brazil, no matter how large or small. Not only do they lobby on behalf of farmers, but they also provide education and support in the field. CNA has vocational education, technicians to show farmers how to use equipment, and a variety of communication routes to communicate with all farmers, no matter what level of technology they have.

After getting to know more about the organization, we engaged in discussion with our host about a number of issues facing agriculture today. Our topics ranged from social influence and youth education, to global trade and cooperation between Brazil and the United States. Afterwards, we enjoyed some refreshments while we continued conversations, and a few of us were interviewed for CNA’s news segment.

Check out the article here! https://www.cnabrasil.org.br/noticias/cna-recebe-estudantes-de-intercambio-dos-eua-e-japao?fbclid=IwAR2Az_SD0M-N4Vqls2Izj8mejS5FWOf5kwW-RU67w16A9BjAce87rsshYwU#.XFDe04NUPvQ.facebook

For lunch, we headed to a “farmer’s market,” or at least what used to be one. This building was full of various stores like shoe stores, clothing, books, vegetables, and even a barber. A few of us found places to eat, and after a short time exploring the “farmer’s market,” we loaded back onto the bus and headed for a national park.

Once at the park, we hiked along a one-mile trail, where Dr. Shirota showed us all the different kinds of vegetation in the Cerrado region of Brazil. After the hike, we were free to enjoy the public pool at the entrance of the park, and this is where we spent the whole afternoon.

After our lazy afternoon at the park, we made our final leg of the journey for today, ending at our hotel in Cristalina, a city south of Brasilia. We all gathered for dinner at a restaurant just behind the hotel, where we relaxed and unwound from the long travel day. Then, it was back to the hotel to rest up for a whole new day of adventures!