Let's Geaux!
By Katie Richard
LSU Ag Leadership Class XVIII
LSU’s Ag Leadership and Development’s Class XVIII is on the plane and getting ready to land in Europe for its 12-day international trip to Belgium and the Netherlands. I can’t believe this is the end of our two-year program. What started out as 26 strangers has now turned into a group of some of our closest friends, bonded through shared leadership experiences and growth. Together, we've formed lifelong connections, watched classmates get married and have babies. Now, as we travel to Europe, we're not only strengthening those bonds, but also gaining valuable global perspectives on agricultural practices, leadership, and development.
One thing that I have learned along the way is that no matter where you “geaux,” everything will be different, but the same. Even though we are more than 4,500 miles from home, we will be visiting with producers, manufacturers, ports and political entities who, I expect, will tell us that they deal with some of the same issues we face here in Louisiana. We have heard this time and time again during our previous in-state and domestic tours.
As soon as we land, we hit the ground running and will tour the impressive Maeslant Storm Surge Barrier located in the Hoek van Holland. This stunning structure was built to protect Rotterdam and the surrounding areas from the North Sea. It is located near the Port of Rotterdam, one of Europe’s busiest port systems. As someone who is from one of the lowest-lying parishes in Louisiana (Lafourche), we deal with the same issues. These structures remind me of home. We have similar ports, levees, storm-protection structures and pump systems to protect land from the storm surges that come from the Mighty Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico.
The Dutch are experts in hydraulic engineering, which has made them leaders in flood protection. Parts of the Netherlands and parts of Louisiana are below sea level, which creates similar problems for both regions. Although we won’t be seeing any sugarcane on this trip, we mutually rely on water management systems to help us deal with coastal flooding, nutrient management and coastal erosion that help protect the crops we grow. Farmers must also ensure that their farms can survive the challenges for years to come. In the end, everything is the same, but different. Both know the power of water and their communities’ need to be safeguarded.
I look forward to everyone following along with us over the coming days as my classmates and I blog our way through the Netherlands and Belgium on this once in a lifetime adventure. I hope through our words you will feel like you will be right alongside us for this journey.