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Welcome to our coverage of the Oklahoma Ag Leadership Program Class 13 as they travel to the People’s Republic of China and then on to South Korea. The group is being led by the Director of the Program, Dr. Joe Williams. Check back from time to time and we will post on a regular basis as we go from Beijing to Xian to Shanghai and then on to Seoul!

I might remind you also that we are doing regular updates on our daily emails- and in those we are offering some insights from the trip that we are not including below- ont he left- you can go to the daily E-Mail Archive and we have updates that started on Tuesday February 19- if you don’t get the email- you can read up on that bonus coverage from China by checking those the Feb. 19-29 updates out.

Here is the Video piece that aired on KWTV News9 on Saturday March 1 as we had returned home- looking at our time in Seoul as well as a look at the Olympic Baseball Field that has been seeded with Riveria Bermuda grass seed sold by Johnston Seed of Enid. We also talked with Anchor Jennifer Pierce about why this type of travel is important for leaders to undertake- to catch the vision of the opportunities in the global marketplace for Oklahoma goods and services. (As I had traveled on to Nashville and the Commodity Classic- we repeated the telephone audio concept with video I had provided them via the internet from China.)

Here is the KWTV News9 piece that Ron did with Jennifer Pierce for Saturday February 23 while the group was in China. Click to view.

February 28 8 PM- We have jumped from Seoul to LA to Nashville to cover the 2008 Commodity Classic that is now underway. While we were flying over the Pacific I got an email with the Power Point presentation given to the OALP group in Seoul by the USMEF- and here is a link to it for you to review their thoughts on beef and pork sales into the third largest economy in Asia.

We also talked with Hope Pjesky, one of the Class 13 members about the travel experience through China and Korea- and we visited- most appropriately- at one of the several airports that we got to know along the way- click and listen.

MORE PERSPECTIVES ON THE CHINA-KOREA EXPERIENCE- TAKE A LOOK AT CLASS MEMBER CODY WHITE’S BLOG BY CLICKING HERE

February 28 10 AM: This will be my final post from Seoul as we shut down the computer and get ready to head for the airport. I will post some things once we get home fromt he trip to make it a full record for anyone to review.
On Wednesday in Seoul- we heard from the Ag Trade Office in Seoul at our US Embassy as well as from US Wheat and USMEF. I have links to the US Wheat Presentation if you click here and also a link to the presentation made by Ag Attache Michael Francom that gave an overview of Korean agriculture and our trade with them- click here for that Power Point that is an overview of US Korea Ag Dealings

Here is a picture of our time at the FAS offices in Seoul- with ATO Director Stan Phillips making a point with Michael Francom in the background

Below is a picture of OALP DIrector Dr. Joe Williams with the Executive Vice President of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation Executive Vice President Suh In-Suk at their National Headquarters in Seoul

Earlier in the day as we pulled up to the US Embassy and went around to the back of the compound- here is a picture of the line of Koreans waiting to get a VISA for the US. The line stretched back for hundreds of people!

February 27- It’s 5 pm here in Seoul- and we have just finished our final full day of the OALP program before we start our journey home tomorrow from Seoul. We had the chance to be involved in a full and exciting day looking at ag issues here in this huge Asian city- and one of those that we heard from and talked with was Stan Phillips, the Ag Trade Officer for the FAS of USDA in Seoul. We talked with Phillips after he visited with the Class and you can listen to that interview by clicking here.

February 26- I have several pictures to share with you as we begin to wind down coverage of the China portion of our trip- on Tuesday before we headed to the airport and Seoul- we saw an effort to do a greenhouse farming in a Development Zone in the new lands area of Shaghai- here’s some a good looking Pepper about ready for market- and by the way-we talked horticulture that we have seen on this trip with Tulsa County Horticulture Extension Specialist Brian Jervis- a member of Class 13- Click here to take a listen.

All Along the way- we kept seeing cute kids

There are three or four American fast food outfits that we saw over and over in China- Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Starbucks and the biggest of them all in terms of open stores- KFC. One of the McDonalds that we ran across was along famous Nanjing Road in old Shanghai.

February 25- 10 pm- It has been a full day here in Shanghai- and that has included briefings by the Ag Trade Officer Wayne Batwin of the FAS of USDA- and he had with him Matt Weimer of US Wheat Associates out of their Hong Kong office- we talked with Matt about the wheat situation with China which currently has them as a slight wheat exporter- but he does not see that viable for many years.- Click and listen- In addition- we have his Power Point presentation for you to review as well- it’s a file that is about three megabytes- so it might take a few moments to to load- to get it- click here for the US Wheat Powerpoint..

The group also heard from Benoit Rosignol who owns an Investment Company in Shanghai- he concentrated on the situation with meat and livestock-(Here is his powerpoint presentation for you to download) he calls China a “stable” market when it comes to pork and poultry- but sees real growth potential for beef- and believes that US beef will do very well in this country. Click here to listen to our conversation with Benoit after he spoke to the group-

This past weekend when we were in Yangling- we visited a research farm that does work with dairy, beef, goats and sheep. One thing we learned is that it’s the opinion of these folks that the phrase in this country “they’re worth more if they are Black” is not necessarily true- they bought Red Angus seedstock as they started up in 2001- and here’s a shot of some of their heifers at the feed bunk

February 25- It’s already Monday morning here in China- sorry but I did not have a chance to do any updates the last day or so- but here are are a couple of Sunday pictures- one shows the snowy day that greeted us in Xian - and the second is a picture of the 8th Wonder of the World- the TerraCotta soldiers- which were amazing.

February 22 at 9 pm- It’s the end of another day- we are about half way through our experience here in China and South Korea- and I thought I would share a few more pictures- these are being shared by Dr. Jim Trapp of OSU- the first comes from a stop at the flower and vegetable seed company and several of us had the chance to make friends.

Along the way-we have had a variety of culinary experiences- here we have the director of the program showing the class the fine art of “Hot Pot”

On Friday- it was a time to learn about the ancient capital of China- Xian- and to have the chance to climb to the top of the City Wall and walk and ride around it.

February 22-Before we left Beijing- the group heard from the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture- who offered a rosy assessment of what Chinese agriculture has accomplished- and what’s ahead- but the bottom line is that this huge nation will still need lots of imported for as far as the eye can see into the future. We have a rather large powerpoint file that we have that you can download- but understand- it’s like 28 me so it could take a while. Click here to download.

February 22- 8:30 am-The group is getting ready for some Chinese history today as we tour the ancient city of Xian- in the meantime- I wanted to share a couple of photos courtesy of Doug Ritter of Alva- one is the manure management we saw at the Fu-Hua catle feeding operation  east of Beijing- and the second is one of the spreads of food that we have been treated to meal after meal- we don’t know what all of it is- but there is usually plenty of it!

February 22- Yesterday was another great day for the OALP travelers to China- and one of those unique moments of satisfaction for one of the class members- Joey Meibergen out of Enid. Joey’s family agribusiness is W.B. Johnston and one of their divisions is Johnston Seed, whose President is Gene McVay. Johnston sells grass seed globally- and they have had great success with grasses suited for golf courses and sports fields. But the crown jewel of sports fields is an Olympic venue- and Joey and a couple of us from the OALP delegation got to go and see the Olympic baseball field that will be used this summer in the 2008 Beijing Games that is seeded with Riveria Bermuda Grass seed supplied by Johnston Seed! We have Joey on his “field of dreams” with the lady who is the sales rep for Top Green- the Chinese company that Johnston supplies, and the third gentleman in the picture is the groundskeeper of field. Click here to listen to Joey and I talk about the thrill of standing on Olympic ground!

February 21- It’s early morning Thursday here in Beijing- we will be moving from Beijing later today and over to Xian this evening. We had several stops during the day yesterday and that included a stop at a wholesale vegetable and meat market, a visit with a flower and vegetbale seed company (check out the picture below of the Olympic symbol done in tiny cactus plants- seen at a place called Flower World- a maze of several different greenhouses each offering a different climate- later in the day- we stopped at a beef processing and feedlot operation- we asked Class Member Wendell Custer to describe the feeding operation-you can click and listen- and we have a picture of some of the cattle at the feed bunker below as well.

February 20- Howdy Neighbors and Good Morning to you- as we continue to report to you from China- on Tuesday here in Beijing- we heard from William Westman- top USDA official in China- he spent an extended time of Q&A with the group- and he gave us for background a FAS overview of China both as a agricultural producer as well as a buyer of US farm products. Click here to download this powerpoint presentation- you will need Powerpoint to view it- it is a large file- about six megabytes.

February 19 wrapup- Here are a couple of shots from Tuesday as the OALP walked the Great Wall of China- well not all of it- but at least a few feet of it.- and the second shot is what Beijing is really pointing to right now- the Olympics this summer- it is now 171 days away according to this sign we saw Tuesday afternoon.

 February 19 at 9 pm- It’s the end of a long day here in Beijing and we have walked on the Great Wall- and walked on US soil inside the Embassy compound of the United States this afternoon. after that encounter with William Westman- top ranking official in China from the USDA- we talked about our conversation with Westman with Tim Bartram- class participant and the current executive director of the Oklahoma Wheat Growers- Tim talks to us about this trip and how he believes OALP has been beneficial to him- Click and take a listen!

February 19- It’s 6am Tuesday morning- Day one is in the books and we had a good flight into Beijing and after getting to the Hotel- changing clothes and getting cleaned up a bit after 34 hours of travel- we hopped back on the bus and headed for Tian’anmen Square- saw the Great Hall of the People in the distance as we walked across the huge open square with thousands of others- mostly Chinese- and then into the Forbidden City- the home of the Emperors We will have more after Day Two- our visit to the Great Wall and then time at the US Embassy with the US Agricultural Attache.

February 18- It’s Monday morning in Korea- and our group has made its way across the Pacific- everybody is here in Seoul- ready now for our final leg over to Beijing.  I’ll have more Monday evening Chinese time- we will be 14 hours ahead of Oklahoma during our time in the PRC.

February 17- It’s 1:30 am Oklahoma time and the entire group has finally arrived together in Los Angeles and is ready to board the Asiana flight to Korea with a transfer then into Beijing. The journey is underway! I will have an update from Beijing.

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