Tyson Gehrke ILSSO 2026

Madrid Final Day

Wow, the time has come. The final day of visits and experience here in Spain. As I reflect I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the people I have met, experiences I have been given, and I am looking forward to bringing back what I have learned!

Our first stop of the day was to the office of the Agriculture Attaché of Spain. This was a great experience to learn about international agriculture and trade. We learned about the main agricultural exports from the US to Spain, as the top dollar commodity is almonds followed by soybeans.

After that was free time to explore the city of Madrid and get some last minute shopping in! The evening was spent watching a Spanish Flamenco Show, and wow. That experience was incredible and I will definitely try to attend another show in the future!

The night ended with a reflection about our experience. We wrote letters to our future selves about what we learned, and how we will take it back with us. This exercise was very powerful for me, and I’m excited to read the letter in the future. As this experience ends, and one door closes, I know another door is right around the corner.

Toledo/Madrid

Today started with a visit to a beef farm outside of Toledo. We learned about the farms operation, and the diet of their cattle. Health of the cattle is the most important aspect, and I found their diet of mainly straw to be interesting. I also found it interesting that they cannot give the animals antibiotics.

We then headed to John Deere’s Parla Innovation Center for high value crops. We saw some of the technologies they are working on as they combat high value crops biggest issues: labor costs, water shortage, and high input costs. Built in 2022, we walked through their test plots, and saw their autonomous spraying machines.

In our spare time, we stopped at a sword making shop. We had the opportunity to take purchase a homemade sword, but I didn’t quite have the courage to take the plunge and didn’t get one…

Tonight we had a reflection activity to write a word/phrase that describes our trip experience and a picture to go with it. I wrote Sunrise to Sunset. When this trip started I thought of it as a sunrise. Started out dark, as being a past state officer I didn’t know many other travelers, as most are current state officers, similar to how one can’t see in the dark. As the sun rose, I was able to see what was in the light, as I met all of the wonderful people who are here. As our sun sets on the trip, I can look back and see the connections that have been make on the trip. Also, when the sun sets on our trip, it will be up to us to craft what the next sunrise will look like. When the sun sets, I hope to take back what I have learned so that when the sun rises, I apply what was learned.

Here’s to one more full day in Spain!

Travel day/Toledo

Today consisted mostly as a travel day. As we left Cordoba, we stopped in the town of Consuegra to visit their famous white windmills. These windmills were built in the 16th century and made to grind grain. Later they became famous in the Don Quixote novels as being mistaken for giants in the story.

We also toured the Castle of La Muela, a castle over 800 years old with ties to the Muslim rule in Spain. There were incredible to see in person, and we overlooked great views of the city.

After that we headed to our hotel in Toledo. Once we got to the hotel, we needed to move around after our nearly 5 hours in a bus. Many of us line danced and swing danced in the front of the hotel, and I can confidently say this is one of my favorite memories of the trip.

Today was a reminder to enjoy the small moments. Whether it was on the bus, or us dancing at the hotel, these small moments are what I am going to remember most and cherish from my time in Spain!

Cordoba

As we left Sevilla and headed towards Cordoba for the day, we toured a citrus cooperative. Here, the cooperative works together with citrus farmers to guarantee sale of their commodities, as well as offer various services to members. On our travels, we saw a castle that was over 800 years old on the country side.

Once in Cordoba, we ate lunch, and then toured the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba. Built over 1,200 years ago, it was incredible to be in this man made structure. It really makes me reflect on what we are capable of if we truly have a vision and work together. At its peak, Cordoba was the 2nd largest city in Europe, and this Mosque-Cathedral could allow for 20,000 people to worship at once.

We ended the night with free time for dinner. It was fun seeing the city, and exploring for the only night we will be here. While Cordoba is a short stop as we head towards Toledo tomorrow, it was an impactful day to say the least!

Sevilla day 4

We started the day by visiting an olive oil farm. We learned the difference between extra virgin olive oil (olive oil where the process was perfected with no bumps in the road), virgin olive oil (olive oil that was extracted by machines), and regular olive oil (olive oil that was extracted chemically). We also learned about the olive trees as a tree can last thousands of years, and it has about 2000 fruit on a single tree. We learned about the harvest methods, and how green olives are olives harvested early on the season in October, while black olives are olives harvested later in December.

The afternoon was free to explore the city on our own. I enjoyed walking through the streets and visiting all the authentic Spanish shops and seeing what they were selling. I also enjoyed walking through the architecture of the city!

As our time in Seville concludes, I’m happy with the time that was spent here, and excited for our final few cities!

Sevilla Day 3

This morning we headed to a small village in the Spanish mountains to visit an Iberian ham facility. We walked through from animal to tasting the final product. It takes 5 years to produce this meat, as the animal will live for 2 years, then it takes the meat another 3 years to air dry. An interesting fact is this meat cannot be imported into the United States and the animals eat acorns to have flavor in the meat.

Next we headed to a bull fighting ranch to hear from a bull fighter himself, and farmer. He looks for the genetics of an aggressive bull, and as he put it, those that do not fit what the farm is looking for will end up as burger. I found this visit very interesting as I learned about the history and culture of bull fighting in Spain.

We ended the day getting dropped off in the city center. A group of us headed to a McDonald’s to see what the Spanish fast food would look like. After that we wondered in the city and found some gelato!

Tonight is the halfway mark of this experience. The first half has been amazing, and I can’t wait to see what the next half will bring!

Sevilla Day 2

This morning started with a bus ride to the southwest corner of Spain where we visited a fruit farm! We learned about their sustainability practices and walked through greenhouses of blueberries and strawberries. We also were able to see cork oak trees and witness what those trees look like as their bark is stripped for cork production.

Next, we headed to a fish auction. This was awesome to see as it was a descending clock auction as it started at a price, and that price decreased until a bidder put in a buying price.

Once back in Sevilla, we were dropped off for dinner on our own and I stumbled upon a rooftop restaurant and had paella, an authentic Spanish cuisine, and it was delicious!

Tonight I have a lot of gratitude for the people I have met and the memories I have made. The days may be long, and I may be constantly tired, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Sevilla Day 1

Today started bright and early as we left Barcelona on a high speed train for a 7 hour ride! It was great to see the Spanish back country while on the train that reached over 150 mph!

Once we arrived in Sevilla, we took a city tour that included visiting the Real Alcazar de Seville. This is a royal palace that was built in a period of Christianity and Islamic overlap in Spain, and the architecture displays both cultures throughout, one of the few places on the planet where these two cultures intersect with the architecture still standing. The current Spanish royal family will stay here when visiting Sevilla.

Next we went to a bull fighting arena. While here, we learned about the sport, and the historical importance it plays in Spain. After that we headed back to the hotel to settle in for the night.

Today taught me how many people depend on high speed rail in Spain. There was many more people than I expected to be on the train as there were 8 cars with two levels full. Tomorrow will be a great day as we will visit a fruit farm and fish auction!

Barcelona - Final Day

The day started bright and early as we headed to a cork factory about an hour outside of Barcelona. On the way I saw one of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen across the Mediterranean Sea. We learned about how wine bottle corks are made, how they harvest the bark of cork oak to produce the cork, and how they do not damage the tree in the process.

Next we went to a local dairy farm near the town of Girona to tour their operation. This 1,800 head farm gives tours to people to connect them closer with agriculture and they have 20,000 people walk the farm annually. We also had lunch on the farm with farm fresh meats and ice cream for desert.

We spent the evening exploring Barcelona for the final time. The night life was exciting as there were many people, and a fast pace environment. Much different from small town Wisconsin, but the experience is well worth the change.

A lesson from today came in a supermarket. I saw a battery disposal site, something I had never seen before. This was something I thought was really interesting as I had never seen a place for people to dispose of their batteries in public. With E-waste continuing to be a problem for the environment, it was refreshing to see mass collection, which leads to safer disposal later on.

Tonight a word that comes to mind is goodbye. We say goodbye to Barcelona tomorrow morning as we get on a train bright and early. Barcelona has brought many memories and experiences, and while this is a goodbye, Barcelona has treated this Wisconsin boy fabulously.

PS: drink your pineapple juice😀

Barcelona Day 2

Today was a great opportunity to experience the city of Barcelona and admire its beauty that it displays. The day started with a trip up to Montjuic, a mountain within the city, as we looked out over the city and Mediterranean Sea and admired the best view I have seen with my two eyes.

We then made our way to the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, a Roman Catholic Basilica that has been under construction for over 140 years, and designed by architect Antoni Gaudi. Walking around this mesmerizing structure left me speechless as there is no words that truly do it justice.

The afternoon was our time to explore the city, and one thing that stood out was the architecture of Barcelona. The city’s buildings are unique and full of history. While exploring the city there were plenty of opportunities to visit various local shops, and the authentic Spanish cuisine!

This was an opportunity for me to practice my Spanish with native speakers. While I am currently learning the language, I still know minimal, but the best way to learn is just go for it, and put myself out there, whether I am right or wrong. I am excited to continue learning and using the language in the coming week!

Tonight a word that comes to mind is opportunity, as I’m excited for the opportunity to grow. Today I had opportunities to speak a language I do not fully understand, and experience a culture I am unfamiliar with. It is when we jump right in, the most valuable growth can occur. I’m excited for the opportunity tomorrow will bring!

Barcelona Day 1

After a seven hour flight overnight we landed in Barcelona around 8:00 am local time and went straight to our first tour at a local vegetable and fruit farm! While here we toured fields of onions, broccoli, artichoke, radishes, and other produce. While here I had the opportunity to try a farm fresh orange, artichoke, and radish! We also learned about their sustainability practices that involves using biochar as fertilizer. While producing biochar, black smoke means the flame is too hot, white smoke means there isn’t enough oxygen, while transparent smoke is what the goal is as that is what limits the pollution emissions.

After, we had the opportunity to visit some shops and have lunch. The architecture is really unique, and stood out to me as I can feel the history that this architecture has.

After lunch, we headed to the hotel for a siesta, or mid afternoon nap, which was MUCH needed after the long plane ride and jet lag. The rest of the evening was spent eating dinner and getting settled into the hotel.

A highlight so far has been the opportunity to try a variety of new food! It has been delicious, and I’m excited to keep trying Spanish cuisine!

As the day comes to a close, the word intentionally comes to my mind as we tour the city tomorrow. I hope to be intentional about where I am, as well as my interactions. While out and about tomorrow, I hope to be intentional with a goal of having a conversation with a native in Spanish. I’m beyond thankful, and excited to see what the next sunrise brings!

Sitting in the JFK airport right now, all I can feel is gratitude for what the next 2 weeks will hold. While I cannot predict what the next two weeks will bring, I know, when I return to the United States I will have a deeper understanding of culture and global agriculture.

The Spain-Vaders are ready to take on Spain as we fly to Barcelona through the night! Here’s to new memories, friendships, and appreciation for agriculture!