My clues must have been good; several of you guessed my vacation destination right away. After having returned from a week in Belize, I am now headed to D.C. to make legislative visits. Time to fully engage the ‘work' part of my brain, though it is never completely left behind.

While on vacation, I learned what happens when five Extension specialists/advisors travel together, with significant others, through a rural part of Belize. Despite the time designation as ‘vacation', stopping at the University of Belize's experimental farms for a tour becomes the priority. Fortunately, the director of the farms was very accommodating. The farm superintendent turned out to be a former Extension agent in the panhandle of Florida. No need to explain the Cooperative Extension system to him. While a native of Belize, his graduate education was completed at Earth University, in Costa Rica, where Michigan State University has many partnerships. A current administrator at Earth University started his career as a County Director in Michigan, working with some of my travel companions. It is a small world.

Bocawina Falls, Belize

We learned that one of Belize's biggest agricultural threats is water. They are entering the dry season following two sequential years of low rainfall during the wet season. This was evident as we drove past corn, bean and palm fields. A large Mennonite community settled one of the most innovative agricultural regions of the country. The Mennonite community works closely with the University of Belize and the Ministry of Agriculture to conduct research and deliver programming to clientele. I was particularly surprised to learn that Belize has what can be compared to the Master Food Preserver Program. Belize is not an export nation, other than perhaps coconut oil. I'm unclear what their import portfolio contains. Although citrus is an important crop, HLB is not on the radar in Belize. Coronavirus is on the radar in Belize, as evidenced by the additional screening that occurred at the airport. Given how small the world really is, precaution is the best practice.

The D.C. weather predicts unseasonably warm and wet conditions. While the rain may make catching a cab a bit more challenging, I don't expect any travel disruptions due to snow. I have a few more merit and promotion packages to review so delays are unwelcome this week.