Return to the Emerald Isle

By Josh Meeks

This Week in Louisiana Agriculture

When I fall, I fall hard— and I’ve fallen hard for Ireland. I mean, it’s difficult not to! Picturesque landscapes, charming people, cozy buildings, what’s not to love? When I first visited this country in 2014, I knew almost immediately that I’d return. When Louisiana 4-H offered us a seat on this trip, I literally jumped at the opportunity. This was not only a chance to visit again, but now as a reporter for TWILA, I’d get to capture and share that experience with our viewers. 

After a year and a half of working for Louisiana Farm Bureau and covering agriculture, I’ve grown quite fond of visiting farms and visiting the people who run them. It turns out that when you show up at someone’s home with a camera in a Farm Bureau shirt, you get a much more inviting welcome than you’d get in a TV news shirt. The inviting nature of farmers must be universal, because the sentiment is shared here in Ireland as well. 

Green, everywhere. After three days in Dublin, we finally set out for the true purpose of this trip: seeing the Irish countryside. Rolling hills stretch and overlap beyond the horizon, shaded beneath gray clouds that may or may not offer a brief shower at any point. Roads are bordered by hedges, stone walls, or shoulder-high grass. The latter is to protect bees, which is thanks to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan; an initiative that we learned set out to rejuvenate their dwindling populations. All of this is experienced from the wrong side of the road, which is a mild terror I don’t know if I’ll be able to get over in two weeks. 

Getting to see this through the eyes of these 4-H students is something else. While most teens would likely be engrossed in their phones or preferring to be literally anywhere else, these kids are engaged. They’re asking questions, they’re getting dirty, and they have smiles on their faces. Karl and I talk about this with everyone we interview, but 4-H really opens these kids’ minds to the world around them. I was never part of 4-H growing up, but seeing what it can do for young minds is really inspiring. It reminds me, too, that there’s so much outside of my little bubble that sometimes it’s nice to stick your head up and at least witness it. 

Today is the start of our second week, and I feel like we’re really moving along at a great pace. The first few days in Dublin were nice, but a city is a city. As most Farm Bureau members and volunteers will attest, the real connections happen along rural routes. The only difference between Louisiana and Ireland’s rural routes is that about 3 Ireland lanes fit in a single Louisiana one.  

If you’ve followed my trip on Instagram, you’ve probably seen my sarcastic “Ireland Fun Facts” which include things like ‘Bangers and mash is not the name of my dance moves” and “despite having the appearance of a harp, you cannot actually play the Samuel Beckett bridge.” The real fun fact is this: Ireland is wonderful, the people are welcoming, and everyone should try to visit someday.