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FFA/FFJ Work Experience Abroad

Turner Ashby FFA Chapter hosted 11 Future Farmers of Japan and two advisors throughout December 14-22. The exchange, called FFA/FFJ Work Experience Abroad, is a work program that teams up FFA members with their FFJ counterparts. The FFJ members actually work on farms while they are here to gain a better understanding of American agriculture. The FFJ members are very interested in American agriculture and the differences between it and Japanese agriculture. In Japan, the average farm is approximately 3 acres, about 100 times smaller than the average farm in the U.S.

During their visit, Turner Ashby Leadership Development class members organized farm tours, tours of local historical sites, and school tours to give the FFJ members a real taste of rural America and Virginia agriculture. Specifically, the FFJ member toured Walkup Holsteins Dairy, Llama Bean Llama Farm, Hunter's Edge Horse Facility, and M&M Farms. They also participated in Christmas caroling at Bridgewater Home, the Latern tour of the Frontier Culture Museum, and a walking tour of Washington,D.C. The Washington tour included a personal tour of the U.S. Capitol, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Union Station, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, and the United States Botantical Gardens.

FFA members were teamed up with FFJ members from the time they arrived in the United States. Even though language barriers existed, students managed to communicate just fine. FFJ members stayed at FFA members' homes for the duration of the exchange and learned about Rockingham County culture and agriculture.

It is hoped that this program will result in a Sister School program with FFJ and Rockingham County FFA and continue in years to come with FFA members visiting Japan and the Japanese FFJ members returning again. As FFA member Heather Croushorn stated, "I learned a lot about a different culture. I never realized that we had so much in common and that you can communicate in ways other than just talking."

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FFA members met FFJ members at Dulles to bring them for 9 days in Rockingham County	FFA Member Lynne Miller show FFJ members differences between llama Hair and lamb's wool at Llama Bean Farm	FFA member Chris Grogg show FFJ members how to make Lamb burger during a lamb dissection exercise
FFJ members ask Teresa Calendar questions about milk production at Walkup Holsteins	FFJ members show Ottobine Elementary students how to make Origami figures during a PALS visit	FFJ members worked on local farms to gain experience in American agriculture
A reception was held at Turner Ashby when FFJ members arrived. Pictured above, FFA member Anna Joseph and her family meet their exchange student.	FFA and FFJ members sing at Bridgewater Home	Scarlett Reel explains to FFJ members about proper care of horses at Hunter's Edge Farm
FFA and FFJ members pose outside of the United States Botantical Gardens for a quick photo	FFA and FFJ members learn about the U.S. Capitol during a tour of the Capitol building

Text and photos submitted by TA FFA.