On July 29, we left for the Chaco, Paraguay as guests of the Menno Colony where I will do eight farm presentations, Judith will hold several health staff round table discussions, and I will preach one message in the Menno Colony Mennonite Conference church, our original contact and host for that weekend, Elmer Kehler home church. We will be returning on August 18. While presenting on Canadian farming techniques to 1) the governance of the Menno Colony (mayors and elected officials), 2) the employees and technicians, 3) farmers, 4) bankers, and I will also interview some of the people attending these sessions, making this an exchange of information between the Mennonites in two countries.
It is interesting to note, the Menno Colony Mennonites originally came from Manitoba in the 1926-27 period to what was then the most unwelcomed site, and many didn’t survive and others turned around and came back on the next ship. However, those that remained, persevered, worked hard, suffered greatly, but today thrive in a country that may well be lost without them, especially in the realm of producing food.
Elmer Kehler, a fellow singer with me in the Faith & Life male choir for several years, ten to 12 years ago, made the original contact with the La Cooperativa Chortitzer Ltda, (co-operative) that runs the Menno Colony. From that point on beginning in January 2014, through numerous Skype conversations, many emails and text messages, this is now set up to happen.
While a co-op, farmers and businesses operate in a totally free enterprise system within that co-operative growing peanuts, sesame, corn, and soybeans, and just starting to use fertilizer, and experimenting with corn and soybeans.
They have a thriving dairy and cattle industry with modern meat, milk, and cheese processing facilities exporting to Europe and surrounding countries.
They have a modern hospital in Loma Plata, our headquarters for the most part, a nurses training school, and old folks home where Judith will have several round table discussions.
I spoke recently with Elmer Kehler about farming in the Chaco. He raises peanuts, sesame, and some soybeans, and the rest of the land is in pasture and hay land. He raises cattle for beef and runs a modern dairy with all commodities marketed through the co-op. There are no restrictions on what and how much they produce and / or grow, except prices they get, climate, rainfall, or the lack thereof.
The information I will share with them comes from farmers, ag supply people, technicians, and other related research people over a 43-year period, and ten years before that farming with my father and brother.
In the last year, I have changed my information gathering slogan to, “As a freelance farm journalist and podcaster, I help farmers and ag people tell their stories one person at a time. I want to help you to tell yours.”
For the people in Paraguay, my focus is on production, management, marketing, succession practices and transitions, financials, and how farmers and ag people treat the land, the environment and their families while still making a good living and feeding the rest of the world.
“Canada is always an ally when it comes to top quality food supplies. We work with a lot of government agencies people around the world. Paraguay does ship some product around the world and into Europe. We will be shipping product their too,” says ag minister Gerry Ritz when I asked him for a short greeting on behalf of Canada to the people I will be presenting to. In other words, Ritz says we work together where we can, but also compete with all the rest, when the playing field is right.
We ask for your prayers for a safe journey, that our Low German will be clear, and continued health and safety.
As mentioned earlier, stay tuned. I will be reporting back with our experiences and the stories of their farmers.  •