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Lack of technology in China surprises Rushford farmer Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Agri News staff writer
RUSHFORD, Minn. -- Seeing farming without technology surprised Cynthie Washburn on her recent trip to China.
The Rushford farmer and registered nurse was one of 31 people to observe agriculture in China as part of the MARL program.
"They farm such a steep terrain in the areas we saw," she said. "It surprised me how small the farms were and how non-technological they were."
The farmers in China worked land with hoes and hauled water to crops in buckets, Washburn said.
Most of the farms the trip participants saw were terraced, she said.
"It gave 'highly erodible' a whole new meaning."
Many Chinese farmers hire people if they need help. But it prevents an operation from getting very large because all of the farming is done without machines to assist.
"Labor's so cheap that they're not really thinking about that," Washburn said.
Chinese farmers also share many of the same concerns with Minnesota farmers, she said. Healthcare is the biggest concern because of lack of availability.
Washburn said another concern China shares with Minnesota is the young people from the rural area leave to seek better opportunities in China's cities. There also are concerns about rural education.
"I think it was just important to get an understanding of that country because they're such a player in the world," she said.
The attitude that left an impression on Washburn, though, is that the Chinese work together, taking little steps, to accomplish something big in the future.
"It was just really educational to see the Chinese culture and how old it is," she said. "The people have the 'we' concept instead of the 'me' concept."
"There's nothing like traveling and seeing it to get more of a sense of it than what you read in the paper," Washburn said.
Washburn is a farmer in the Rushford area and grows corn, soybeans and a little alfalfa. She also raises beef cattle. After MARL, she hopes to become more active in the Minnesota Farm Bureau and Minnesota Corn Growers. |
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