by Callahan Anderes
Around the world and back again—that’s where Ty Seely has been. The junior from Oregon State University recently traveled to Bogor, Indonesia, with the International Association of Students in Agriculture and Related Sciences (IAAS) for World Congress, a conference that meets to improve IAAS.
At the conference portion of World Congress, Seely was one of only two native English speakers, a new experience for him. At the first part of World Congress, members attended lectures by representatives from Bogor Agricultural University, toured botanical gardens, and committees reviewed the IAAS constitution and bylaws and looked at ways they could expand the organization worldwide.
After the conference the group took off to tour industries on the island. Seely spent almost three weeks traveling all over the Java Island of Indonesia, touring farms and seeing traditional agriculture still being practiced today in Indonesia.
Because of his majors in International Studies and Horticulture with an option in ecological and sustainable horticulture production and his interest in tropical plants, Indonesia was the perfect place for Seely to visit.
“I have always been fascinated with other culture’s traditions, particularly how they practice agriculture,” said Seely. “They still use oxen and plows in the rice field, because you can’t use machinery on it,” he explained.
Back in the US Seely has a plan to get more students involved in learning about international agriculture.
“People want their favorite fruits all year around, even when they aren’t in season locally. Global agriculture makes that possible,” said Seely. What better place to learn about global agriculture than overseas?
“Going to college is about more that just getting an education. It is about getting real world, hands-on experience,” said Seely. “Getting out of the classroom and doing work brings it all back.”