This is why we travel

***By Katie Knapp, The Ag Photographer, ACN board member and International Committee chair***

Eleven ACN members traveled to Kenya for the IFAJ Congress in October. We all traveled in with some sort of funding support from PIF or our respective boards (see full list below). PIF trustees—thank you very much for continuing to fund these valuable trips.

Each of us left home with some trepidation and anxiety about going to such a foreign place mixed with ample eagerness to learn. Some of us got ‘funny tummies’ and sunburns along the way. Our clothes got so dirty they matched the local red dirt landscape, and several pairs of shoes were left behind thanks to questionable biosecurity. But we all came back with a greater appreciation for home and how interconnected the world is, especially in ag.

Many of us sat in on sessions and toured facilities run by research organizations previously funded by USAID. We learned how impactful those investment dollars had been and how the researchers are resetting their goals to do more with less—just like everyone else in today’s global economy.

This is why we travel.

We all visited farms—everything from tea and coffee high up in the lush green hills to dusty row crop fields in the lowlands and fragrant cut-flower greenhouses along the equator. And what IFAJ trip would be complete without a dairy farm?

During each bus ride to and from these farms, we watched many young people shepherd their herds of skinny cattle, goats or sheep along the roadways lined with other people and piles of litter. Most of the towns’ main streets were flanked with small shops and restaurants made of tarps and tin. I didn’t spot a stop sign the whole trip, but I did see one road sign noting we were entering a “corruption-free zone.”

This is why we travel.

As the ACN representative on the IFAJ executive committee, I had a full day of meetings during the trip in which we discussed the future of ag journalism globally and how IFAJ can do more for all our individual associations and guilds. We talked about freedom of the press and specifically how worried the rest of the world is for what is happening in the U.S. We also discussed the new Ag Com certificate program being developed at the University of Illinois and the foundation that is akin to our Professional Improvement Fund. If you’d like to know more or get more involved in any element of IFAJ, let me know.

I also served as the Young Leader liaison (and got dubbed Camp Counselor Katie) for the Alltech sponsored bootcamp ahead of the main Congress. In short, I can confirm the future is bright. These young communicators, including our Chelsea Dinterman with Successful Farming, are insightful, enthusiastic and very talented.

ACN also came away with some bling from the awards program.

· Katie Knapp won the Star Prize for Technology for the photo “Checking Pivots,” which appeared in The Furrow.

· Jason Jenkins of Progressive Farmer received a runner-up recognition in the Technology category for “Hybrid How-To.”

· Jason Jenkins received a runner-up Star Prize for Photography for “Transitioning Beltex flock from commercial to pedigree.”

· Katie Knapp received a runner-up Star Prize for Photography for “Checking Pivots.”

Many of us either came early or stayed a few extra days to spot the Big Five and the Ugly Five. When you travel to the other side of the world, you must see more than just farms. I went to the Maasai Mara National Reserve on the southeastern border of the country, where we spent two days with our eyes peeled and cameras ready. What a trip for someone who watched The Lion King no less than a hundred times as a child!

Again, this is why we travel.

2025 IFAJ Congress attendees: Eleven ACN members attended. Seven $1,500 travel stipends were awarded: Andy Castillo (Farm Progress), Andrew Levenson (Root+Beta), Jake Zajkowski (freelance), Megan Silveira (Angus Journal), Wyatt Bechtel (broadhead), Chelsea Dinterman as Young Leader nominee (Successful Farming), and Katie Knapp as committee chair (freelance). The eighth was split between Harlen Persinger (freelance) and Greg Lamp (freelance). They both received $750. Pam Caraway (Farm Futures) attended as ACN Past President and Steve Werblow (freelance) as IFAJ President.

Watch this space for reflections and photos from each participant in the coming months.

TLDR: Those who went to Kenya for the 2025 IFAJ Congress won’t soon forget the experience. These trips are worth every penny and day away, but do remember not to drink the water or eat any questionable meat. Mark your calendars for future congresses, and start saving your airline points.