• College Home
• Site Index
• Search
• People
• Help

A Western Experience

Noel Hobbs Agricultural Education Junior

Phenomenal.  This is the only word that comes close to describing the amazing experience the eight of us had, on our trip out west to Colorado where we learned and experienced many new things.  Seven agricultural education students (Rebecca Bezold, Katie Brown, Krista Brown, Ryan Chaplin, Kane Johnston, Miranda Schack, and I) and Assistant Professor  Bryan Hains, took the trip that most college students dream about.  This experience would never have been possible without hard work, determination and planning.  When the idea of a trip out west was first introduced, we knew that we had of work to do.  As a group we met numerous times and discussed what we wanted to learn while on this trip.  We did individual research on what we were personally interested in doing.  As a group we made a set list of educational objectives.  Our main objective and goal was to compare and contrast Kentucky and Colorado culture and agriculture.

So you may be asking yourself, just how did seven people expect to cover the expenses of such an amazing trip?  That was one of the things we asked ourselves, so we decided that developing a budget was the place to start.  We researched RV rental companies, RV parks, food costs and various other costs that we thought were essential for our budget.  After much discussion we came to an agreement on a cost for each individual student.  Now, where did we find the money?  We all volunteered to work at Bingo in Danville in order to earn money as a group.  Individually we all went back to our hometowns and asked for donations from individuals and small businesses.  We were astonished by the response we received from our hometowns and were overwhelmed by how giving everyone was.  We also received a donation from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture that went toward funding our educational experiences.  Our trip would never have been possible without all the moral and monetary support that we received from the UK College of Agriculture and all the supporters from our hometowns.

Our educational experiences went beyond what any of us ever expected.  While participating in our service learning project at Y.M.C.A. of the Rockies, we learned about and saw first hand the destruction of the pine beetle.  It was breathtaking to see the thousands of acres of forests that had been destroyed.  It was very hard for us to accept that there is no way to prevent the pine beetle destruction at this point, and the only thing we could do was help with the cleanup.  We traveled on to Greeley Feedlot, which is the home for 28,000 head of cattle.  Many of us live on farms that have small cattle operations, but this was truly an experience.   With only 23 employees, they care for the cattle and one man is solely responsible for changing the feed rations of each lot everyday.   With the use of technology, we were able to see how a large scale cattle operation efficiently operates everyday. 

I believe that our cultural experiences changed all of us in different ways.  We visited the Manitou Cliff Dwellings, and I know that I myself was speechless.  The determination and will power that it took for different Native American tribes to survive in such conditions, was astounding.  Building their homes into the cliffs and not having doors due to safety were only a couple of the things they endured in order to survive.  I believe that we all left there with a better and more compassionate understanding of what measures the Native American tribes had to take in order to protect their families.

Such a life changing experience was not what any of us ever expected when we began planning this adventure.  This trip changed our lives in so many different ways, and it was only for the better.  I can only hope that future agricultural education students get to experience this opportunity of a lifetime.