Author: Darla Joanne Romberger

Agriculture Teacher at Cumberland Valley High School (Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania)

Why Do We Travel? Final #AgEd2Malaysia Thoughts from Darla

Darla Joanne RombergerPost-Trip Thoughts

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”

I found this quote in October 2017 when I was creating my application video for #AgEd2Malaysia. This phrase struck a cord with me because each time I reveal to my family that I’m going away for a trip, they always ask “why.” This 27-day journey in Malaysia was the longest period of time I’ve been away from Central Pennsylvania. Fully immersed in a culture drastically different than my own, this trip has helped me answer “why do you go away?”

  1. Travel to Learn. I was eager to participate in #AgEd2Malaysia to learn about the Malaysian Education system, the Islam religion, and how agriculture impacted the development of Malaysia post-independence. I had done some preliminary preparation with our #AgEd2Malaysia team, but no preparation could compare to the in-country learning opportunities. The most meaningful learning experience for me happened when we were visiting a Sikh temple on Harmony street in Johor Bahru. A youth leader from the temple dropped what he was doing and welcomed us inside. He never asked what religion we were—he treated us an equal. After this humbling experience, I spent a lot of time thinking about how much I don’t know about world religions (I had never heard of Sikhism) and what would I have done if a group of Muslims/Hindus/Sikhs showed up at my church and asked for a tour. Before this experience, I probably would have said no out of fear of these unknown religions. I gained many valuable insights into Malaysian culture by experiencing it firsthand.

 

  1. Travel to Escape. My life in the United States is driven by schedules, deadline, and constantly working to stay ahead of the next curveball that may be thrown. This trip reminded me about the importance of truly understanding people, developing genuine friendships, and taking a break from a predictable routine. The point in the trip where I realized there is more to life than working was on our island-hopping adventure in Sabah. Snorkeling in clear-blue water, I was mesmerized and could have continued looking at tropical fish and coral reefs for hours. Sometimes traveling is a chance to enjoy time away from our daily routine and enjoy time in a new country.

 

  1. Travel to Discover. Discovery was a very important facet of this trip. I discovered the value that Malaysian culture places on hospitality. From the day we were greeted at the airport, to the numerous meals prepared, and the elaborate welcome to secondary schools, we were always treated as guests of honor. I also discovered the value placed on family after staying with a Malaysian family in FELDA. In this home, 3 generations lived under the same roof and worked together to cook meals, care for children, and complete daily chores. Finally, I discovered my ability to overcome language barriers and communicate with my host family at FELDA. With an initial fear about the language barrier, I finally discovered common interests we both shared, which allowed the final days of my home-stay to go smoothly.

 

  1. Travel to Meet New Friends. We were very fortunate to have spent 27 days with 10 students and a variety of lecturers from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. From the second this group met us at the airport, I knew this group of individuals would leave an unforgettable impact on me. They greeted us with open arms, graciously showed us around 4 states in Malaysia with class, hospitality, and a positive outlook for future collaboration. I will never forget this group and hope I can somehow repay the hospitality they have shown us.

 

  1. Travel to Experience a World Different Than Our Own. Traveling 9,000 miles across the globe opened my eyes to how different cultures solve the same problems that we all experience. Just because another culture does something different does not mean it is wrong. This was a very important sentiment that was repeated by several members of our group throughout the trip. I also experienced religions other than my own, which was perhaps one of the most impactful opportunities in my life that I plan to share with members of my church upon returning.

 

Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving. When I arrive home in rural Central Pennsylvania, I will never take any tradition, cultural norm, or religion for granted and seek to understand the people behind these valued pieces of daily life. The challenges of adjusting back to a daily routine/schedules/deadlines will be intriguing to me and I look forward to my new perception about the United States after being away for 30 days.

Ms. Darla Romberger (@DJR_131) [Cumberland Valley High School (@FlyCVEagles)] is a secondary Agricultural Science Teacher (@CV_AgSciences) & FFA Advisor (@CV_FFA1954) in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania!

Day 22: Teaching to Inspire – Our Final Malaysian Teaching Experience

Darla Joanne RombergerIn-Country Sharing

During our group reflection on Monday evening, Shelby, Thomas, and Nisa asked us the question:

“Why do we teach?”

Members of our group quickly responded with the following phrases:

  • “Pass on knowledge to students”
  • “Give every student the chance to succeed”
  • “Inspire students to find their passion”
Melissa assists students to select the materials to create a poultry digestion mural.

This question resonated with the group as we had just finished our last teaching episode at Dato Lela Maharaja Vocational College. Our 3 teaching experiences scaffolded from teaching Form 2 students (14 years old), then hosting an Agriculture Day for 60 secondary students, to finally teaching students (16-19 years old) at a Vocational Agricultural College.  At Dato Lela Maharaja, students are part of a specific agricultural program (Agronomy, Poultry Agro-Industry, Ruminant Agro-Industry, Agro-Mechanization, Aquaculture, Ornamental Horticulture, Architectural Landscape, or Agriculture Food Processing). Our 6 teaching teams each chose a content area and were tasked with preparing a 90-minute lesson for a group of students. During our planning, we needed to consider that students may have advanced content knowledge, may (or may not) be confident in their English communication skills, or may have covered the topic of our lesson previously in their studies. Nonetheless, our teaching teams collaborated and utilized teaching strategies centered around student engagement, inquiry, and project-based learning.

Ruminant Agro-Industry students label their petri dishes and read the biosecurity scenarios they will replicate

Drawing upon past teaching experience from an inquiry-based curriculum, two teachers decided to utilize an activity they implement in their secondary Agricultural Science programs in the United States. Melissa Grant, Indiana AgriScience Teacher, and Darla Romberger, Pennsylvania AgriScience Teacher, are both Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE)-certified in the Agricultural Science—Animal course. Melissa’s group consisting of Manny Catala (@MCatala35), Azira, and Ain provided instruction to the Poultry Agro-Industry group while Darla’s group of Mikaella Koster (@MikaellaKoster) and Fatin instructed the Ruminant Agro-Industry class. Knowing that both lessons needed to be challenging, engaging, and somewhat flexible, the CASE-certified teachers decided to utilize inquiry-based lessons from the CASE curriculum and conduct each lesson in a Malaysian classroom.

Poultry Agro-Industry class with completed Digestion Murals.

The poultry instructional team led a class of Form 4 students (ages 15-16) and focused their lesson on internal anatomy and physiology of poultry animals. After briefly introducing the function and appearance of internal organs, students created digestion murals of a broiler chicken (Project. 5.1.4.) utilizing assorted craft supplies. Before creating the mural, students needed to justify how each craft item accurately represented each organ. Melissa noted, “It was awesome to see students in a different country enjoying the same activity that my students do in Indiana.” The students loved being out of their seats collaborating and creating a poster that they could display to other students in the program.

After washing a boot with water and a disinfecting solution, a student swabs a petri dish to observe bacterial growth between both biosecurity treatments.

The ruminant instructional team led a class of 19-year-old students (that would graduate with a Vocational College diploma at the end of the year) and concentrated on the topic of biosecurity and the effectiveness of various biosecurity practices.  After a brief introduction about the various control points in a biosecurity plan, students replicated various scenarios on a farm to evaluate the effectiveness of biosecurity practices (Activity 3.3.2. Biosecurity: Managing Risk). The class had already discussed the concept of biosecurity, but our group was confident in the problem-based activity we had planned. The instructional team explained the purpose of a nutrient agar petri dish and gave instruction on how to label, swab, and seal a petri dish with parafilm—all new concepts for this group of students. Students then predicted which biosecurity scenario would result in the least bacterial growth and therefore be the most effective practice to reduce the spread of disease. At the end of the lesson, I reflected, “It was rewarding to see project-based learning and inquiry strategies come to life in a Malaysian classroom and hope that I inspired these students to ask questions and become more engaged in Animal Science content.”

After teaching in Malaysia and the United States, I’ve realized that teachers across the globe teach for the same reasons—to inspire, motivate, and share knowledge with students, regardless of what country we teach in. When tasked with teaching a class of Malaysian students, I instantly thought of all the barriers we would have while teaching (language, content, etc). However, I quickly remembered why I enjoy teaching—sharing my passion for animal agriculture with future generations of students. This motivation will continue as we enter our classrooms next fall and continue to motivate, inspire, and share knowledge about global agriculture and our second home—Malaysia.

Ms. Darla Romberger (@DJR_131) [Cumberland Valley High School (@FlyCVEagles)] is a secondary Agricultural Science Teacher (@CV_AgSciences) & FFA Advisor (@CV_FFA1954) in
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania!

Bonus Blog! Discovering the Dairy Industry in Malaysian Borneo

Darla Joanne Romberger, tsg5162 and Kristi J MensenAgriculture

Since we arrived in Malaysia 18 days ago, we had not seen a single dairy operation in the state of Johor (bottom left of map), which is the southern-most point of peninsular Malaysia (and Asia). We have recently traveled to the state of Sabah (top right), which is on the island of Borneo and has a climate more suitable for dairy production. The operation we visited is situated at the base of Mount Kinabalu, the highest point in Sabah. Nestled upon nearly 400 acres in the rural town of Kundasang at nearly 6,000 feet above sea level, the farm remains comfortable at a temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit year-round.

9,000 miles away from home on the opposite side of the world, dairy enthusiasts from the #AgEd2Malaysia team enjoyed a visit to DESA Dairy, an operation home to 600 head of Holstein-Friesian cows, heifers, and calves. In addition to processing their own milk from 200 lactating cows into gelato, ice cream, cheese, and bottling their own milk. DESA Dairy also expanded its business plan to build an impressive agri-tourism facility. 

Upon arrival to DESA dairy, adjectives such as “innovative, progressive, and model operation” came to mind as we met our tour guide overlooking the parlor. Our guide (who had a B.S. degree in Tourism & Management) was quickly bombarded with questions such as average milk production, reproduction techniques, milking frequency, and nutrition. Here are some quick facts:

  • Biosecurity practices are implemented and enforced. Our vans drove through a tire wash and we stepped in a foot bath prior to accessing the barns 

    Tire wash upon entering DESA Dairy
  • DESA Dairy is a closed-herd as the operation has only purchased cattle twice (from Australia and New Zealand)
  • 3x per day milking (never received a definite Rolling Herd Average (RHA), but the tour guide mentioned that these Holsteins can easily produce 25 liters/day, a progressive 94 lb/day)
  • The operation uses a double 20 Delaval parallel parlor
  • Artificial insemination is utilized with only the top-ranked bulls (our tour guide didn’t know breeding priorities, but we can assume milk production)
2 modern free-stall barns greeted the group upon arrival to DESA Dairy at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu in Kundasang, Sabah.

The free-stall barn was identical to a modern dairy barn in the United States, complete with a rotating cow brush. All cows were equipped with activity monitors around their neck, indicating that DESA values technology and information to help make informed breeding, milking, and health decisions from the data provided by the activity monitors. Automatic scrapers removed manure to a nearby lagoon while cows enjoyed clean cow mattresses covered in sawdust, an acceptable practice in the United States.

Cows received a feed that appeared like a TMR (total mixed ration) and via observations/information from the tour guide, we could conclude that cows received a mixture of dried hay (imported from New Zealand in super-compact bales), corn, bean sprouts, a high moisture green-chop hay, and protein pellets.

DESA Dairy farm has maintained premium quality milk by implementing good farming practices, advanced technology, machine hygiene and maintenances, and dairy monitoring of milk quality. This dairy operation has established food safety assurance management throughout the processing line, which has allowed the company to sell dairy products. DESA Dairy sells nine dairy products consisting of fresh milk, flavored milk, goat’s milk, natural yogurt, fruit yogurt, yogurt gelato, mozzarella cheese, Camembert cheese, and DESA Farm cheese.

Cow comfort was a high priority at DESA Dairy. Note the rotating spin brush, modern free-stall design, and salt block along the gate.
Halal processing of products was very evident at all food facilities in Malaysia. DESA Dairy was no exception and included the words “Fresh, Hygenic, Halal” in all of their marketing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the question you’ve been asking yourself…                what about the milk prices?

This is a question that can’t be answered simply from the tour information (again, we had above-average knowledge compared to the normal tourist groups). The tour guide did tell us that DESA dairy sells 1 liter of milk for 5.7 Malaysian Ringgits ($1.43 per liter, which equates to $5.38 per gallon). However, DESA is unique because they process all of their milk and don’t sell to the market. In an attempt to locate statistics specific to the number of dairy cattle, milk prices, etc. in Agriculture in the Malaysian Region, statistics reference “livestock rearing” with the major species being chicken and broiler production. Cattle for milk production are not mentioned on any data tables, indicating that dairy production is not a major economic driver in Malaysia like it is in Pennsylvania.

Double 20 parallel milking parlor

The value and commitment from DESA food products has established their name in many households throughout Sabah, Malaysia. Their products of consumption are safe and halal status. Their commitment to a halal status is a preferred supplier of choice among people buying their products. The reason being is because 65% of their customers are Islamic. This may bring up the question, “Who or what makes the makes the meat Halal?” There are three certified Halal checkers on duty throughout the process. This is to make sure slaughtering is done according to the Islamic law.  One could find Halal checkers before slaughtering and two checkers after slaughtering.

 

The organization of DESA Dairy was also admirable and very similar to large dairy operations. The tour guide continuously made reference to different “departments” that existed within the business structure. A total of 150 employees are engaged in the operation of the following departments: Finance, Farm Crew, Marketing, Maintenance, Processing, and Transportation. Although this number may seem high for the total number of animals on the operation, we know that 9 cows support 1 job in the dairy industry in Pennsylvania, so a similar sentiment is observed at DESA Dairy as well.

 

 

This team bonus blog entry was authored by:

  • Ms. Kristi Mensen (@Kristi_Mensen), Iowa State Pre-Service Agricultural Education Teacher Candidate

  • Mr. Thomas Gabel (@Gabel_Thomas, Penn State Pre-Service Agricultural Education Candidate

  • Ms. Darla Romberger, @DJR_131), rockstar Pennsylvania secondary Agriscience educator.


Cultivating Relationships–The Story of our “Home Stay” – Day 10

Darla Joanne RombergerCulture

Wednesday, July 18th marked the start of our homestay at the FELDA community in Ayer Hitam, about an hour north of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Read more about the mission of the Federal Land Development Authority and the purpose of its establishment in 1956.   While becoming a part of the FELDA community, American Agricultural Education students/teachers were paired with an agricultural education student from UTM and placed with a family who expressed interested in hosting. Ms. Yazlin Yaakop (UTM) and I were placed with Mr. Abd Rahman Bin Md Basri (Rahman), his wife Maruyah Binti Mohd Irsat (Mar), and their family.

Mar’s oldest son, his wife, myself, Mar, and Yazlin after my first meal with my host family.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the leader of the community and the liaison for our trip, Zol. After being introduced to our host parents, our group of US students/teachers and Malaysian students gathered our bags and traveled to our new home for the next 4 days. On the short drive to our home, Yazlin started a conversation with our host in Malay. Usually, I am very conversational, but I suddenly realized that the next 4 days would challenge me as I would need to depend upon Yazlin’s translations to communicate with my host parents. I became more and more thankful for Yazlin’s ability to speak both English and Malay and wondered what I would have done if I wasn’t paired with one of our friends from UTM.

Our first night consisted of refreshments at 5:00 pm (i.e. a small meal between larger meals), then preparing to visit Rahman and Mar’s oldest son at his home in Ayer Hitam, a short 10 minutes away at 9:00 pm. I quickly learned those evening activities (including the night meal) start much later than in the United States.  Other members of our #AgEd2Malaysia team enjoyed visiting their neighbors, going out to eat with their host families, or watching the popular catfishing tournament. I experienced a variety of emotions while enjoying our meal that night—happiness, awkward silence, confusion, and anxiety. Slightly nervous about the social dynamics during the rest of my homestay, I quickly agreed to go shopping for make-up (at 10:00 pm) with Rahman’s daughters. This experience really helped to break the silence as we shared our interests in shopping.

The next morning consisted of nasi lamak (coconut rice) served with a fried egg for breakfast and a friendly conversation over the photo album I brought from home. I am so glad I got the idea to bring photographs while reading I Will Always Write Back. The pen pals in this book always enjoyed viewing photos of each other’s family, so I thought this was a great idea to share photos with my host family. I left the house that morning for our scheduled group tours with a renewed confidence that I had found a way to have a conversation with my host family.

Our first family photo before attending the community party.

As we continued to share more meals and participate in the evening activities scheduled by the FELDA community liaison, I felt more accepted and we continued to swap stories about our families and interests. I felt like a part of the family when Mar loaned me her traditional Malaysian clothing to wear for a party that evening and Yazlin helped me pin my hijab in place. Rahman must have been proud as he insisted that we take a family photo before we left for the party.]

Becoming a part of the FELDA community for a short 4 days has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding opportunities I’ve been a part of during my past travel experiences. Perceived obstacles such as cultural norms, a language barrier, and multi-generational homes quickly faded as I was greeted with genuine hospitality and a family willing to teach me about their culture while I shared about my culture. This experience has allowed me to realize that the most important facet of life is the people we encounter and the relationships we cultivate with them. I will never forget the Basri family and hope that somehow I can repay the hospitality they’ve shown me in the future.

Ms. Darla Romberger (@DJR_131) [Cumberland Valley High School (@FlyCVEagles)] is a secondary Agricultural Science Teacher (@CV_AgSciences) & FFA Advisor (@CV_FFA1954) in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania!

The Beginning of the Best Journey

Darla Joanne RombergerIn-Country Sharing

“The best journeys answer questions that in the beginning, you didn’t even think to ask.”  This quote is very fitting as a group of Agriculture Teachers from the United States begins experiencing the culture, customs, and traditions related to Malaysian culture. Even though our group has been preparing for this trip since January, I wondered about our first few days in Malaysia and several questions began running through my mind during our 24 hours of travel from Pennsylvania to Southeast Asia.

  • Would we be able to communicate with the Malaysian students?
  • What will they think of Americans?
  • Will they want to talk to us?
  • Do they want to know about the United States? 

Upon arrival at the Senai Airport in Johar Bahru, I knew something would be special about our time in Malaysia. We were greeted by a group of smiling students and faculty members from the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). Even though we were exhausted from over 24 hours of travel, this welcome brought smiles and excitement to our group and set a positive outlook for the next 4 weeks of our journey.

Although this may seem like a traditional airport welcome for some travelers, I felt an instant sense of hospitality, friendship, and camaraderie as our Malaysian hosts made it a point to introduce themselves to each member of our group and offer to assist us with luggage. This sense of instant friendship has continued during each day of our experience as we continue to meet new faculty and students at the Universiti.

Even though we have been on the UTM campus for only 3 days, it seems like we have known our hosts for a week or more as we have talked so comfortably with our hosts about anything from sports, religion, politics, and traditions. As we begin to ask some questions, we find ourselves being very cautious about how we phrase the question because we aren’t sure how our UTM counterparts feel about the topic. However, we are often met with the sentiment, “We are happy to tell you what you want to know about anything in Malaysia.” In return, the Malaysian students are very curious about our lives in America and how they can learn from us as well. In my past international travels, I’ve never experienced a shared sense of curiosity and mutual learning that has been demonstrated by our entire #AgEd2Malaysia team a short 3 days into our experience.

I cannot wait to continue asking questions I hadn’t even considered while gaining a sense of how a country 9,000 miles away from Pennsylvania implements Agriculture Education into their school system with the same passion, excitement, and enthusiasm that we have in the United States.

United States and Malaysian #AgEd2Malaysia participants gather at the #IAmUTM sign in front of the beautiful mosque on the UTM campus.

Darla Romberger (@DJR_131)

Cumberland Valley High School (@FlyCVEagles)

Agricultural Science Teacher (@CV_AgSciences)

& FFA Advisor (@CV_FFA1954)

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania