I took a small, wrist-mounted Garmin Forerunner GPS unit on the trip, and turned it on occasionally as we travelled and bookmarked the locations of some of the sites we visited. I also traced parts of our route near those sites using its bread crumb-like “history� feature. I didn’t trace the entire route due to the unit’s memory and battery limitations. I am still learning how to use the unit. I’ve since found out that it is possible to upload the history to Google Earth and to locate the bookmarked locations.

I’ve uploaded six JPG aerial photo files to the Flickr site. One shows the parts of our overall route that I traced, with squares showing the bookmarked locations. Another shows what I think was the Valtra tractor factory. Two others show the Machesan orange loading area, and the house and gardens where we looked at the coffee tree and other very beautiful trees and plants. I included a view of the EMPBRAPA soybean research facility at Londrina, and finally just for fun I included one showing the Comfort Suites hotel we stayed at in Londrina (the small building in the upper right) next to the big mall we walked around in.

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A group of 22 University of Minnesota Extension Educators will be departing for Sao Paulo, Brazil on Monday, November 10th and returning on November 19th. The interest in Brazilian agriculture has many facets. Tour participants will see cutting edge agricultural research and view the frontier of global agriculture. As a result of this study tour, participants will be able to discuss Brazilian agriculture technology and its effect on world agriculture; participants will be able to discuss Brazil’s role as a competitor for U.S. agriculture in world markets; participants will gain an understanding about how GMOs and other technologies are impacting Brazilian agriculture; participants will learn how US and MN agriculture can benefit from the research of our Brazilian colleagues.

This study tour is to the Sao Paulo and Parana states in Brazil (Southern Brazil). Currently the itinerary includes visits to University of Sao Paulo (The School of Agriculture Luiz de Queiroz; visits to IAPAR – the Agronomic Institute of Parana and EMBRAPA Soybean – a research facility of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation; beef, dairy and crop farms, an orange grove (large private farm) and a sugar cooperative; a tour of Marchesan Equipment company (Brazilian owned manufacturing) and possible tour of AGCO/Valtra manufacturing plant. In addition to the visits, the group will be meeting with researchers and staffs from several Universities and schools of agriculture, as well as, Brazilian government agencies.

Partial funding for this study tour was made possible through professional development scholarship funds from the National Association of County Agriculture Agents and University of Minnesota Extension. Both organizations are dedicated to their members/employees through a commitment to professional development and exploring global agriculture.

Posted by Amy Baker at 3:06 PM| Permalink | Comments (0)

Day 01 – Monday – 10 November – USA / SÃO PAULO

Arrive at Brazil, Overnight at São Paulo

Day 02 – Tuesday - 11 November – SÃO PAULO / MOGI / SÃO PAULO (B/L)

Meet with Mrs Carolina Costa member of UNICA - The Union of Industry of Sugar Cane (UNICA) is the largest organization representing the industry of sugar and bioethanol in Brazil. Its creation in 1997, resulted from the merger of several industry organizations of the state of Sao Paulo, after the deregulation of the sector in Brazil The association is expressed and acts in line with the interests of producers of sugar, ethanol and bioelectric, in Brazil and around the world. There are more than 100 companies linked to the UNICA, and they are responsible for more than 50% of ethanol production in Brasil. www.unica.com.br

City Tour of Sao Paulo

Overnight at São Paulo

Day 03 – Wednesday - 12 November – SÃO PAULO / PIRACICABA (B/L)

Depart to AGCO/Valtra Plant

Depart to Piracicaba

Visit to a sugar and alcohol mill

Overnight at Piracicaba

Day 04 – Thursday -13 November – PIRACICABA (B/L)

Day dedicated to a visit at ESALQ, discussions with teachers and professionals - The School of Agriculture Luiz de Queiroz is a unit of the University of Sao Paulo dedicated to teaching, research and extension services in areas related to agriculture, agricultural and related sciences. Have six and sixteen undergraduate courses for graduate programs. The campus of Esalq is located in the city of Piracicaba. The Esalq was founded in 1901 by Luis Vicente de Sousa Queiroz, the Luis de Queiroz. www.esalq.usp.br
Overnight at Piracicaba

Day 05 – Friday - 14 November –PIRACICABA / MATÃO / MAR�LIA (B/L)

Depart to Matão

Visit at a Citrus Company

Visit to Marchesan

Overnight at Marilia

Day 06 – Saturday - 15 November – MAR�LIA / BANDEIRANTES / LONDRINA (B/L)

Breakfast at the hotel

Depart to Londrina

Visit to a row crop farm on the way (Bandeirantes, PR) – www.agroluta.com.br

Visit to an Agronomic University –Discussion with teachers and professionals

Overnight at Londrina

Day 07 –Sunday - 16 November – LONDRINA (B/L)

Visit to a beef cattle farm – São Francisco Farm – 2400 ha with crops and beef cattle in feedlot system, 800 animals.

Visit to a dairy farm – Monte Alegre Farm – 180 ha with 80 animals in lactation

Overnight at Londrina

Day 08 – Monday – 17 November – LONDRINA (B/L)

Visit at IAPAR - “The Agronomic Institute of the Paraná - IAPAR - is an institution of farming research which mission is to generate and to spread out scientific and technological knowledge for the supported development of the farming paranaense. The IAPAR has its headquarters in Londirna-Paraná and is present in all the Experimental regions of the State through Polar Regions of Research, Stations, fields of cooperation with agriculturists, demonstrative cooperatives and units. The research of the IAPAR had resulted in improved varieties, definition of adequate technologies and the performance in programs directed toward supported development of the farming paranaense.� www.iapar.br

Visit to Embrapa Soy – “Embrapa Soybean is one of 40 research units of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation. Its contributions to the Brazilian soybean agribusiness, places Embrapa Soybean as a world reference in the development of technologies for tropical areas. Its mission is "to provide competitive technological solutions for sustainable soybean development through generation, adaptation and transfer of knowledge and technologies, for the benefit of the society. Embrapa Soybean is proud to show among its major contributions, the development of germoplasm adapted to areas of low latitudes, the biological control of caterpillars and stink bugs, as well as techniques for soil management and conservation.�

Visit to a machinery retail – New Holland

Overnight at Londrina

Day 09 – Tuesday – 18 November – LONDRINA / SÂO PAULO (B/L)

Visit to a grain Cooperative

Depart to São Paulo

Overnight at São Paulo

Day 10 – Wednesday – 19 November – SÂO PAULO

Flight back

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