Today we traveled with an international class visiting the Katholiek University of Leuven (our home base for the latter part of the trip) from Leuven to Paris via a 4 hour ride on a double decker charter bus.  Upon arrival at the Skema Business School of Paris, we were able to have a lecture on the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development).   The mission of OECD is to promote policies that will improve the economics and social well-being of people around the world.

In the wee morning hours of Wednesday we departed from the hotel in Rotterdam to embark on the Belgian leg of our journey! Our first stop in the Flemish countryside was at the Waterhof Dairy and agro-touristic ice cream shop. We were given the opportunity to tour the site and learn about the history of the operation. The owner, explained that the income from the family farm was only sufficient to support one family. In order to generate extra revenue, his wife began making a variety of dairy products including ice cream, cheese and other delights.

Today we IBIPs began our last day in the Netherlands with a visit to PepsiCo/Quaker Oats production facility in Rotterdam. We started the visit with a short introduction to the company and factory. Soon after, we suited up in safety gear and took a tour around the production factory. During the tour we were able to watch the production of a popular cereal product in the Netherlands, Cruesli, from start to finish. We watched the Cruesli as it was running through various conveyer belts getting crushed, weighed, sorted, and flavored.

After exploring the city of Amsterdam on Sunday, we began our 2nd week and new day by visiting Albert Heijn, the largest Dutch supermarket.  Before we explored the supermarket, our Dutch guide, Niek, introduced us to an interesting technology that helps Dutch consumers shop more efficiently.  By using a smart phone, shoppers are able to electronically access their shopping list and view their past purchases.  Once we began exploring the store, we were greeted by Mitch, one of the store’s shift leaders.  Mitch was helpful in outlining why the store was set up in a way whe

After a nice breakfast in our cozy Leiden hotel, we IBIPs walked across the street to board the high speed public train that took us from Leiden to Amsterdam.  Upon arrival, we met up with a tour guide who kindly walked us around the entire city. Dodging the many bikes riding through the streets kept us on edge, but the city tour proved to be fascinating.

Where we went:
SolyCo Tomato Cooperative
Boerderij Het Lansingerland (dairy farm)
SoNatural Orchid facility

Who we met: Gertjan van der Spek, Peter Gille , Dirk-Jan Uittenbogaard, and Niek Botden

After enjoying breakfast at our KU Leuven dormitory, we loaded a bus and drove from Leuven to Brussels.  Our first stop was the U.S. Mission to the E.U. office where we talked with a US Department of Agriculture Foreign Service Officer.  We learned about the EU’s connection with the United States and how they work together in trade negotiations, as well as some of the differences in opinions on exports and imports. Our discussion was stimulating and was a great way to start our day off.

Today IBIP got the chance to explore the inner city center of Thessaloniki, Greece. Although the American Farm School is beautiful, everyone loved the chance to explore the downtown area of the second largest city in Greece. The group spent time exploring downtown Thessaloniki and immersing ourselves in the urban culture of modern Greece. IBIPers, as we call ourselves endearingly, were able to taste the wonderful culinary art known as gyros. They are so much better than the American version.

Marianna’s Farm

It was an early morning start to our second day of the trip as we prepared for a hike up Mount Olympus. The mountain is extremely significant, as it was once believed to be the home of the Greek God Zeus. With an elevation of 2,914 meters, the mythological mountain was about an hour away from the American Farm School, so we piled on to the bus and headed down highway 75. After a quick rest stop to gear up on supplies, we drove through the city of Litochoro at the base of the mountain. We passed a military base, where artillery tank teams were cleaning and restocking ammunition.