By Emma Faulkenberry
During the summer of 2024, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources is heading to the United Kingdom for the first time.
The United Kingdom has a rich culture and a long agricultural history. Agriculture in the United Kingdom has been evolving for thousands of years, with some farms operating for ten generations or more. Since the United Kingdom is multiple countries united, students can learn about many different cultures and methods of agriculture on this one trip.
Dr. Lonie wants to show students that “Agriculture can look different everywhere but, at the heart, are still worrying about the same things.”
Students will spend 2 1/2 weeks next June traveling through London, York, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Edgmond, and Wales to learn about the agriculture in these regions.
Dr. Jean Lonie has organized and is hosting this trip with Ms. Taylor Kennedy, Dr. Chris Haynes, and the COANR Dean, Dr. Barry Lambert. This trip will offer credits for three undergraduate and graduate classes. These classes are AGSD 4390 and AGSD 5390, UK Agriculture Production and Policy, and ACOM 4342, UK Agriculture Digital Media Exploration.
The price of this trip includes airfare to and from the United Kingdom, nightly accommodations, breakfast every morning, two lunches, transportation, and various group excursions. Potential additional costs include some meals, optional excursions, and free time activities. Such as seeing a show at one of the many theatres, visiting Harry Potter Studio, or exploring the nightlife of the town they’re staying in that day.
Students will begin the trip with briefings in London, tour parliament, visit Stonehenge, Diddly Squat Farm Shop, different types of farming operations, visit Harper Adams University
and their hands-free farm, Hadrian’s Wall during travel to Edinburgh, learn the Highlands history, then end the trip with the Royal Highland Agricultural Show.
While visiting these towns, students will learn about production agriculture, policy, and storytelling. The deep roots of agriculture in the United Kingdom make it different than American agriculture. This immersive trip allows students to compare and contrast these regions of agriculture.
Studying abroad in the United Kingdom with CONAR provides students with class credits, life experience, and a chance to market themselves to future employers with this unique opportunity. By attending this trip, students can learn internationally with their peers in a structured format that would not be possible anywhere else.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime,” said Mark Twain.
Dr. Lonie wants students to take this opportunity to step out of their comfort zone to gain more knowledge and skills as a person. She also hopes students embrace this journey to travel abroad to expand their knowledge in agriculture for their future.
If you would like more information about attending the study abroad trip to the United Kingdom, contact Dr. Lonie by emailing her at jlonie@tarleton.edu.
*Article submitted in ACOM 3314 – Writing & Editing