International 4-H Youth Exchange Brings Switzerland Native to Kimball

The International 4-H Youth Exchange (IFYE), is a program that affords youths 19 and older the opportunity to travel to another country to learn about agriculture. Recently Mark and Jenna Miller were a host family to a girl from Switzerland.

Switzerland can fit inside Nebraska about three times and has roughly the population of New York City. In Switzerland they speak German, French, or Italian depending on the area one lives in, and they measure their land in a unit called hectares instead of acres. A hectare can contain about 2 acres.

Monika Fries, 23, is visiting the Miller family through the IFYE program. She is from Switzerland and is learning about American agriculture. With the Miller family, she is learning about the crop end of things. However, agriculture isn't the only thing in which Fries notices differences between America and Switzerland.

"It's much bigger here. Farms are much bigger, and the tractors and other things are much bigger," Fries said.

Switzerland also has different vehicles. Most vehicles in Switzerland are about the size of a Ford Focus. Fries was interested in the amount of large vehicles that Americans drive.

"She hadn't been around pick-ups. She was really interested in them, because they don't really have pick-ups in Switzerland, they have smaller cars," Mark Miller said.

Fries explained that trucks in Switzerland don't have a nose on them, they tend to resemble the front of a VW bus. The size of tractors was also something that impressed Fries. In Switzerland the farms are much smaller and so their farming equipment reflects that.

Fries also spent some time on a truck route. She learned about what it's like to be a trucker and haul loads from place to place.

Miller said that Fries is a hard worker and learns quickly.

"We showed her around and showed her the things we're working on and once she knows what we're doing she gets right in there and helps out. She doesn't hesitate," Miller said.

Miller also went on to explain that Fries often takes the initiative to do things on her own without prompting. Often she does dishes and helps out with other house work as well as going out to feed the animals in the morning.

"She really enjoys bottle feeding the calf. We've been doing that most mornings, and she'll go out and do it herself now," Miller said.

The Millers had heard about the IFYE program and had originally thought it would be fun to participate and get to go see other countries, however, they were just past the age cut off for the program. As a result of that they decided to be a host family instead.

"We were nervous and excited. We didn't know what to expect because we had never met Monika, obviously, but she really clicked with us and we love having her. In fact, when they called to check to see how she was doing, I joked that we weren't going to send her to the next family, that we were just going to keep her for the whole three months," Miller said.

The Millers had plenty of ideas for things that Monika could do and see. The way they work it out is they have a few options of different things that they could do and they let Monika decide what sounded interesting to her. She decided to go with the Millers to a cattle auction.

"That was different. In Switzerland, we don't do that. If you want to sell a cow or something you just go to the person to sell it. We don't do auction," Fries said.

Fries said that she is okay as far as homesickness goes. She said she misses her friends, but she is really enjoying her time here in America. Some of the food is different. Fries tried country fried steak for the first time and enjoyed that. She also commented on how it's very hot here in Nebraska. This is probably due to the fact that Switzerland has a rather high elevation and is much cooler.

One July 12, Fries will be moving on to her next host family who will be more involved with livestock.

"She saw more of the farming aspect with us and so at the next place she goes she'll get to see how it is with livestock," Miller said.

The Millers have really enjoyed hosting Fries and mentioned that they'd like to participate in the IFYE program again.

"It's been fun. It's also neat because we get to experience another culture without leaving home. Although now if we ever do want to go to Switzerland for ourselves we know someone there and can be shown around by a local," Miller said.

Information on the IFYE program can be found on their website, including the application for youths as well as host families.