Reflections

As we settle back into campus life and classes, we wanted to briefly reflect on our time in Botswana and with Sereledi Farms….

Ernest Bethe IV

I found my time in Botswana to be incredibly informative, inspiring, and humbling. I was able to significantly grow my working knowledge in basic dairy processing, allowing myself to begin to understand in a small way a very large agricultural industry. Furthermore, by having this initial foray into dairy take place within Botswana, I widened my understanding of how things like wild cape buffalo herds and cattle borne illnesses can significantly impede production. It was also very inspiring to be in Nonny’s presence, and simply witness her dedication and confidence in her dream. She motivated me to be more engaged in the project, simply because of how much she believed in it and refused to accept any setbacks as final. Her determination in spite of the slew of challenges she has faced has also been incredibly humbling; I can only hope that one day I possess half of her perseverance and resolve. 

Emma Moulton

I was very sad to leave Nonny, her cows, and Botswana. My time working with Nonny was inspiring and challenging. I gained a new appreciation for agriculture, a gratitude for supportive people, and did things I never thought I would do like eating a caterpillar and seeing 5 lions!

Before this trip my exposure to agriculture was limited to class readings and seeing cows on nearby farms as I drove by. I really had no grasp as to how difficult dairy farming was, let alone how difficult it was in a drought-ridden area like Botswana. I’m excited to really understand and relate to future dairy information with a new perspective.

I’m also excited to learn more about different countries and their economies. While meeting and learning from professionals along the supply chain I grew to understand how everything was really connected. It was surprising to learn how South African products had taken hold of the Botswana economy, and how much this impacted local suppliers. Nonny was especially impacted by South African feed producers supplying to a Botswana government parastatal. If Techno experienced a shortage, and/or BAMB’s distribution was slow, Nonny’s cows would suffer.   

Another one of my key takeaways, that I continue to find in any engagement program I am apart of, is to pay attention to the “little people.” You need to listen and understand what the farmer is going through in order to create an environment for them to thrive in. Botswana faced international backlash from their decision to lift the ban on elephant poaching, however the destruction and impact on Botswana’s economy caused by elephants was not discussed by the international community. It was learning from determined people like Nonny that I grew to ask better questions, withhold my initial judgements, and gained inspiration. 

Nonny is a courageous and persistent woman operating under extreme conditions. Her commitment to her family, her business, and future dairy farmers is awe-inspiring. She is kind, generous, and determined. Her spark of energy is something I think we all will strive to replicate.

I am very thankful for this experience and for this opportunity to work with such an awesome team. This trip has given me a taste of something really thrilling and I am excited to see what the future holds. 

Tiffany Agard

Our two weeks in Botswana are coming to an end, and it’s been quite a whirlwind in a few unexpected ways. We’ve learned a lot about the ups and downs of businesses and the physical, financial, and emotional consequences of difficult years. Perhaps, most importantly, we learned four critical rules of dance….and maybe of life, from Nonny’s four year old niece Nae Nae. 

Rule #1. Never give up. (Persistence is essential)

This season has been particularly tough for Nonny. She’s lost a lot of cows and has had her business tested in almost incomprehensible ways, from an accidental fire burning up all her stocks of food during a drought and burning crucial equipment to baby cows dying as they reach maturity and struggling to access the proper medicine. In the midst of the weariness, Nonny has had her doubts but has ultimately never given up. And that resilience is seeming to pay off as these most recent meetings have breathed a new air of life and potential into her operations. 

Rule #2: Let go of yourself (Review, release, revive)

It can be very easy to get caught up in ourselves, our past, the future, and find ourselves blinded or pessimistic. The reluctance to release can be crippling. Release of guilt, release of regret, of fear, of expectations. It became clear that it was going to be critical to let go of past fears and doubts for Nonny to move boldly into this next stage of her business. Having a new set of eyes on her work helped her see her business in new ways and work towards releasing some of the fears and frustrations she had been having. The more we can be ready to let go and and let our past inform and not hinder, the better we can be ready for the new and innovative ways life will build us up again. 

Rule #3: Whenever there is music, you must dance (Seize all opportunities)

Nonny is all about seizing opportunities and using her voice to advocate for herself and others anywhere possible. I loved that. She always presented new and challenging ideas to government officials, causing them to think outside of their current surroundings and bring them to the reality of how dairy farmers were dealing on the ground. 

Rule #4: You must practice non-stop. Train, train, train. (Consistently improve yourself)

One of the most impressive things about Nonny has been her commitment to gaining knowledge and self-sufficiency. She’s learned how to artificially inseminate cows and has quite literally helped bring life to her entire herd. This skill makes her a great asset to her community and will open up a number of opportunities to her, such as building an AI center in a nearby community or perhaps collaborating with the government on other animal health and reproductive trainings or initiatives. Her commitment to her craft has allowed her to be ready for any opportunity that comes her way. 

All in all, we’ve learned a great deal more from Nonny than just about dairy.  

Clairion DuBose

Blessings Upon Blessings 

I am blessed because my SMART Botswana Sereledi Farm experience helped me answer personal questions and provided direction for my future. I applied to the Botswana Sereledi SMART program because Sereledi Farm is a dairy, owned by Nonny Wright. Nonny Wright is a young female dairy farmer in Maun, Botswana. I was interested in a career path with animal agriculture, either as a veterinarian or a Ph.D. candidate. From meetings with government officials in agriculture and with the head veterinarian of Botswana Agriculture Marketing Board (BAMB). I learned my most beneficial academic pathway for working internationally in animal agriculture is through a degree in veterinary medicine. 

I was very blessed to work with a team of individuals who are passionate about their fields, and eager to share their knowledge to form a well-rounded solution. For example, Thomas who has a dairy background said cows need a lot of water for maximum milk production. In a meeting with the Department of Water Affairs, Tiffany and I learned the process required to build a borehole to increase water availability. In further research, we learned when the river runs dry so do the boreholes. The rest of the group could not figure out why. Then Ernest who studies soil science, mentioned most of Maun is resting arenosol so there is little separation between above and below groundwater sources. Lastly, Emma used her business knowledge to analyze costs of building a new borehole 8 km away from the farm and pumping water versus buying and having water delivered to the farm. I learned how to work with people from varying disciplines on the same issue. I valued the complete picture gained from hearing each person’s point of view on a singular issue. 

Thomas Hahn Mueller 

The time I spent working on this SMART project has very likely changed the trajectory of my life. I have known since high school that I wanted to be a participant in the agricultural community on a global scale. When I learned of the SMART program as a Junior made a point to apply, hoping to participate as a Senior. I was especially excited to see that there was a project focused on dairy when the projects were released in August. Dairy is a community and agricultural system that I have leaned on for most of my life while simultaneously running away from it. There is something about growing up in an industry and the fear that you may become stuck and as a result will miss out on other great opportunities. After spending most of my academic career using dairy as a platform to see the world, the SMART program in Botswana made it very clear that there are real opportunities globally in dairy and this is something that I should be running towards, rather than away from.

This realization was made possible by an incredible and inspiring host and a passionate team of driven students. Nonny Wright demonstrated a hope for the future of agriculture that I had forgotten due to its absence in the agricultural community. This was a refreshing change from the pessimism I have witnessed within the conversations of my peers. My team showed me how to look at a tired industry with a fresh set of eyes and see the potential surrounding it.  Host and team combined set an example of hardworking optimism that will be challenging to replicate in the future.  

I hope to soon find myself back in Botswana and working on dairies internationally. The ability to add value and help with a wide range of challenges despite having such a limited mixed bag of skills and experiences highlighted the potential impact that could take place if I took the time to specialize. To reach that point of greatest impact within the shortest time frame, I have made the conscious decision to buckle down on dairy. 

From JETCET with love