This summer, eight lucky Junior Farmers are leaving Ontario to explore the world around us. Follow along on the JFAO blog as we hear from the JF Travellers before, during, and after their big adventure!
It is with great excitement I begin to prepare for my exchange to Germany. I was awarded the exchange at Junior Farmers’ annual March Conference held this year in London. I will be staying in Lower Saxony for five weeks starting in the beginning of June. Feeling more confident of travel now than I was at a younger age, I’ve decided first to fly to Holland and to take the train into Germany. I’m excited to have this extra opportunity to see more of Europe. Lower Saxony is a state in north-western Germany and I hope I’ll have opportunity to visit neighbouring states while I’m there.
Spring has been slow to start here on my family’s farm, as it has been across most of Southern Ontario. I live north of Port Hope where my family operates a small beef farm. Although I’m quite passionate about agriculture my first love is music. I’ve never made a proper count, but I play numerous musical instruments. I trained to be a Piano Technician and now run my own instrument repair business, specifically piano tuning. In the last two years I’ve also started to work with Reed Organs and Harpsichords. To help speed repayment on my hefty university debt, I spent the past two and a half years dairy farming on top of my own business. Business has finally reached a level of busyness that has allowed me to focus on it alone. Besides those things I started beekeeping 4 years ago. I’m a third generation beekeeper and can relate no other thing I do which brings me as much satisfaction as being in my bee-yard.
I’m looking forward to my trip with great anticipation and would like to thank JFAO profusely for having such a great opportunity available for it’s membership. I know I will certainly be encouraging fellow Junior Farmers to think about taking the time to see more of the world.
Graydon Bowman is a Junior Farmer in Durham East JF.
