Connection with MAST
Host
First year involved with the program
1984
Number of years involved
42
State
Minnesota
Country
Georgia
Our story starts during our years at the University when we became acquainted with some of the MAST trainees as they attended the winter quarter study period. We would see them on campus, at coffee hours or when one would live in my fraternity. We enjoyed learning about their lives and culture.
When, years later, we returned to the farm in Balaton, MN we decided to participate in a cross cultural exchange through the 4-H program and hosted a young man from Portugal for 3 weeks. The following year we joined the MAST host group with our first trainee.
Since then, we have hosted over 40 trainees/interns, mostly through MAST, and it has been one of the highlights of our farming career. In the early years, we were more like colleagues since we were fairly close in age. As the year progressed, we probably became more like mentor parents and in the later years of our work life, we have sometimes played the role of grandparents giving "sage" advice. In each case, we enjoyed the exchange of ideas, cultures, customs and more. Some have remained lifetime friends that we frequently visit with.
Of course our highlights are one trainee from NZ who returned to become a partner in our operation and is now the operator-owner of the business and host of even more interns/trainees, and another who married into our family making it truly an international affair! The success of our farm to a great extent is by the efforts of all of our guests.
Ron and Connie Schwartau
