TOKYO, Japan – When the FFA’s six-member national officer team traveled to Japan earlier this year, they met with farmers and students, and toured such sights as a bamboo forest and Japanese garden. They also learned some of the similarities – and differences – between agriculture in the island country and the United States.

The officers were in Japan Jan. 25-Feb. 5. The National FFA Officers International Experience Program provides the officers the chance to experience firsthand how agriculture transcends geographical boundaries and to strengthen a partnership that dates back to 1950, according to FFA.

Three officers who went on the tour shared their experiences with Farm World. One of their stops was at the Miyajima Cattle Farm, described as an F1 Hybrid facility with more than 1,000 F1 cows.

“(The farm) had lots of similarities with many beef farms here in the U.S.,” explained Luke Jennings, FFA national secretary from Ohio. “They, too, had to strategically think through input costs, profitability of their cattle, and opportunities to market their product. As a feedlot, they innovatively cooperate with local dairies to create Wagyu-cross offspring which produced higher quality meat cuts compared to other beef breeds but at a more affordable price for the average consumer.

“They also take a unique and sustainable approach to the feedstuffs they use by purchasing ‘waste’ products from food manufacturing companies, and study the impact of untraditional energy sources on meat quality. This means excess foods like Kit Kats, seaweed paper, and much more, (are) purchased and mixed into the cattle’s standard ration instead of being thrown away. Not only is this feed input much cheaper than normal feeds, but it also reduces the waste of food production companies.”

Caroline Groth, eastern region vice president from Kentucky, said the meal served to the officers at the farm was her favorite of the trip.

“We started off by visiting the restaurant that the farmer’s family owns where they serve their own Wagyu beef,” she said. “We then traveled to the farm where we got a tour and learned about their unique feedstuffs. The feedstuffs were the biggest difference from American cattle production. At this farm, they feed factory and restaurant byproducts such as wafers from Kit Kats, and pineapple, to their cattle.”

Thaddeus Bergschneider, FFA president from Illinois, said the farm – a cross between Holstein and Wagyu – uses products from local manufacturers to feed their cows cheaply, to save money and to be efficient.

“So, they have loads of wafers and kelp and other kind of random food stuffs,” he said. “And in the pile of wafers, I found matcha Kit Kats that they were feeding the cattle, so maybe a little different than something you’d see in the U.S. Overall, the whole Japan experience, something that was super consistent was farmers always finding the right way to innovate for where they are.”

Groth said the officers also visited a 90-year-old radish farmer who has been growing radishes since he was 15.

“These weren’t just any radishes, they were 40-pound radishes,” she said. “He was so passionate about his work. From letting us pick radishes in the field, to drawing little smiley faces for us on a couple of the radishes, to him and his wife preparing traditional radish dishes for us to try. It was a wonderful learning experience.”

In talking to Japanese farmers, Groth said many were familiar with American agriculture. The farmers continuously pointed out the size of American farms is much larger than many in Japan, she said.

A couple farmers asked the officers about the Trump administration’s recent tariffs, Bergschneider said. “(That) did surprise me, but if you’re in agriculture and you’re from another country, (you’re) kind of wondering what the U.S. is going to be, and honestly, if you’re in the U.S., looking forward to the future of agriculture, that’s obviously something you’re going to be concerned about.”

They were also curious about passing land on to the next generation and the continuity of family farms, he said. Japan is also struggling with older farmers and then not having a next generation to pass their farms to. They wanted to know what American farm families do when there isn’t someone to pass the land to, and who buys the land in a situation like that, Bergschneider recalled.

Jennings said with the country’s population and size, farmers grow large amounts of food in less space. Smaller operations are encouraged to thrive with local farm-to-fork initiatives.

The FFA officers spent time with Future Farmers of Japan (FFJ) members. At an agricultural high school, they toured greenhouses and their school farm, where they have a rice cultivation and drying system, Bergschneider said. The students spent time bonding, he noted.

“They showed pathways, and they showed how students grow their flowers and they use these flowers to dye clothes or dye items that they then sell to the community,” Bergschneider said. “I’d say that felt so similar to FFA. Hands on learning and the power of hands on learning, especially in agriculture, that’s exactly the pattern that FFA falls into.”

Groth said she was initially nervous about the language barrier. “But with tools such as Google Translate, non-verbal communication, and smiling, we were able to communicate and interact with the students. The FFJ students taught me the power of having joy as a shared language. I would say that the biggest difference between FFA and FFJ is the size. FFJ has fewer members overall, but they still bring the same excitement and enthusiasm that FFA members bring for the agricultural industry.”

Jennings said he was amazed to see many similarities between FFA and FFJ. The FFJ members “are helping grow the agriculture industry and create a stable food supply just like FFA members are. Even through a large and discouraging language barrier, we were able to connect and bond through fun activities, similar music and pop culture interests, and a shared passion for agriculture.”