Study Tour: Australia or USA?

[indecisive123]

Evening!

Looking for some advice from people who have travelled the world on study/farm tours.
Myself and a friend have both been lucky enough to be awarded scholarships in the past which we would now love to spend furthering our knowledge of the industry.

We have similar interests in beef genetics, rearing and production systems where we would love to travel around one of the above countries looking at a mix of farms, labs and companies, as this would suit the careers we are now entering.

We have looked in depth at taking part in an organised tour through one of the well known companies in the UK but have found that not much livestock is included and thinking we could get more for our money organising the route ourselves.

Has anyone had any experience of doing something similar? Which country do you think we will learn the most from and what routes could be taken?
Alternatively are there any tour companies that could be recommended which would suit two 22 adventurous year olds!
TIA

 

[FonterraFarmer]

You don't think your limiting yourselves by just selecting Australia and the USA? What about Canada, New Zealand, Tasmania or even Chile and Argentina?

 

[stewart]

You don't think your limiting yourselves by just selecting Australia and the USA? What about Canada, New Zealand, Tasmania or even Chile and Argentina?

Ditto

 

[indecisive123]

Open to any ideas from the people we know in the industry, the US and Aus have been recommended but we'd consider anywhere that we could learn the most from

 

[Blaithin]

Canada

But I don't really know any touring companies. They tend to just be arable or livestock sort of thing. Not both.

Maybe contact some of the Ag Colleges? If they don't know the programs to point you towards they could probably hook you up with companies and private farms that are open to tours.

 

[Farmer Roy]

You don't think your limiting yourselves by just selecting Australia and the USA? What about Canada, New Zealand, Tasmania or even Chile and Argentina?

Haha - it's a real sore point with Tasmanians that they get left off the Australian map, I'm sure they'd love this

 

[FonterraFarmer]

Open to any ideas from the people we know in the industry, the US and Aus have been recommended but we'd consider anywhere that we could learn the most from

Canada

But I don't really know any touring companies. They tend to just be arable or livestock sort of thing. Not both.

Maybe contact some of the Ag Colleges? If they don't know the programs to point you towards they could probably hook you up with companies and private farms that are open to tours.

Must admit that dairy farm at Big Valley was quite impressive, the ability to think outside the square mentality and to question everything rather than just "repeating" what everyone else does.
It even makes one think even here, have we got the same problem, do we do things on farms just because everyone else does, or Dad , or heaven forbid we farm just like Grandad....
Am I allowed back to Canada next year?( Maybe road trip to "Ohio")

 

[Blaithin]

What can I say, I am a stellar tour guide

 

[FonterraFarmer]

What can I say, I am a stellar tour guide

You have got to give some credit.... to the driver

 

[JD-Kid]

i'm a stella tour guide too

 

[FonterraFarmer]

i'm a stella tour guide too

I'll pass on the Stella Artois , I'd rather go and find some Okanagan cider

 

[chaffcutter]

@indecisive123 I have been on several tours in the USA and Canada and visited some research centres doing very detailed stuff on genetics in relation to growth rates/fat distribution/eating quality etc so there must be plenty of scope to organise a suitable itinerary over there.