<b>By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH<br>
Indiana Correspondent</b> </p><p>

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Members of the Wyss family said they were treated almost like stars during a recent trip to China, and it wasn’t because they were promoting a movie or new music.</p><p>
They were there to discuss agriculture and, specifically, business startup. They had been invited to speak at the 14th China Yangling Agri-cultural High-Tech Fair.</p><p>
“The conference was a big deal to the people who were there, and the sponsors and organizers,” Don Wyss said. “They went all-out in regards to their efforts to make us feel comfortable.</p><p>
“We were taken aback by the interest they had in what we had to say. We felt like celebrities, with cameras and (microphones) around.”</p><p>
Don, his brother Joe and their parents, Andy and Pat Wyss, traveled to China in early November for the conference. The family runs Wyss Farms Enterprises in Allen County, Ind.</p><p>
They own 260 acres and operate a total of 2,000. They grow corn, soybeans and some wheat.</p><p>
“We were very impressed,” Pat said. “It was a government occasion, as if we had elected a new president. It was a celebration and we were thrilled to be a part of it. They rolled out the red carpet for us.”</p><p>
They were the only presenters from the United States at the conference, Andy said. It was sponsored by 16 ministries and state commissions in China, and was intended to help improve the country’s agricultural economy.</p><p>
“They realize agriculture will have a huge role in the economy in the future,” Don said. “They have a long path to travel, though.”
They visited a typical family farm setting that was organized more as a village, where each man was responsible for farming a piece of land slightly larger than an acre, Andy said.</p><p>
“The impression we had is that the men were out working in the fields and the ladies were at home taking care of the households,” he said.</p><p>
“Before we went, I had an idea we were going to see peasants, but that was a misconception, and I was happy to see I was wrong. Their homes were simple, but very neat and organized.”</p><p>
Much of the work is done by hand, and the recently harvested corn had all been picked by hand, Don said.</p><p>
In China, young people are allowed to leave an agriculture village if they score a high enough grade on a test administered in the sixth grade.</p><p>
If they don’t reach a certain score, they will remain in the village to farm, Andy said.</p><p>
“Agriculture is not viewed there with the respect it’s viewed here,” he said. “We were asked why our two sons, who are both university graduates, would want to farm.”</p><p>
Joe was the only member of the traveling group who had previously been to China.</p><p>
“The conference was more than we expected it to be,” he said. “Before we went, we didn’t grasp how big it really was. It was very professionally done.</p><p>
“We were surprised there were many regular farmers in the audience. They had a lot of good questions. They are trying to get better.”</p><p>
Because no one at the conference spoke English, they used a lot of pictures and some video in their presentation.</p><p>
“The video, especially, generated a lot of oohs and aahs,” Don said.</p><p>
“The conference and our presentation were also broadcast in China and over the Internet.”</p><p>
The family made contacts they hope to cultivate to help their own business.</p><p>
“We’ve followed up with a lot of people we met, and we want to use that as a springboard,” Don said. “We’d welcome the opportunity on a lot of different levels.”</p><p>
In addition to the conference, the family attended a machinery show and traveled to Beijing to visit with leaders of Hope Full Grain & Oil Group. They also spoke to students at China Agricultural University.</p><p>
“We noted a lot of frustration in (students’) questions,” Andy said. “They’re frustrated with their lack of ability to accomplish anything.”
The family had a chance to peek into the culture and day-to-day lives of the people, Pat said.</p><p>
“We had lunch in the village at one of the homes, and were served plenty of homegrown food,” she said. “We had vegetables and fruit, cabbage and pumpkin. They loved showing us how everything worked, and they put stock in what we said.”</p><p>
Before he went to China the first time, Joe had stereotypes about the country and its people.</p><p>
“I figured they would be very militaristic and very rough,” he said. “My most fun surprise was finding that the people aren’t that way. They’re very courteous and curious.</p><p>
“We were treated very nicely, and the other Chinese speakers were as well. They respect the ability to learn new and different things.”