U of G students travel to Costa Rica

May 24, 2019

The students had a chance to learn more about agriculture in tropical regions while escaping the cold Canadian weather

By Logan Emiry

In total, 15 University of Guelph students travelled to Costa Rica for ten days in February to learn about agriculture in a tropical climate. The trip was part of the Field Course in International Agriculture.

Dr. Max Jones, a plant science professor, instructed the course and Dr. John Sulik served as a chaperon. Both men accompanied the students on the trip. This year was Jones’s first time teaching the course on his own, now that Dr. Clarence Swanton retired.

The course included five lectures before the trip to help students learn about the different crops and farming practices present in the country. Course material focused on the differences between agriculture in temperate and tropical regions. Students learned that year-round growing does not always increase yield, as increased disease pressures and decreased daylight hours provide challenges that Canadian farmers don’t have to face.

While in Costa Rica, students visited twelve farms spanning from beef to cacao and pineapple. Each tour included a discussion with the farmer, allowing students to ask questions about production practices, farm challenges and other points of interest.

Costa Rica prioritizes environmental stewardship and ecological sustainability in its agricultural practices. Many farms on the tour made this focus on sustainability evident with practices to decrease their environmental impacts.

Both dairy farms on the tour, for example, including a five-cow dairy farm and a herd milking 130 head, used biodigesters to process the manure produced on farm and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Many farmers used intercropping or mixed agroforestry systems to increase biodiversity and reduce soil erosion. Producers in some regions had access to government subsidies for living fences to decrease erosion on mountain sides. Every farmer was proud of the small steps he or she was taking to help create a greater change.

Upon returning from the trip, students summarized their experiences in journals. The writing assignment allowed students to reflect on their learnings from the tour and look back on the incredible experience they had.

Logan wrote this article as part of his flexible internship program at the University of Guelph. For more information about this program, please click here.

Dr. Max Jones/University of Guelph photo

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.