John Carlson (left) has made 26 trips to Russia. He will be taking Western students back to Ryazan next March.

Professor makes Russian relations

By: Makoto Yamagishi

Posted: 9/23/05

Western Illinois University's agriculture professor John Carlson said he did not foresee making multiple trips to Russia.

"I grew up during the Cold War. The idea of being in Russia was so scary when I was growing up. It was really fascinating to be able to go there," Carlson said.

Carlson has participated in the Farmer to Farmer project, which provides short-term assistance to farmers in need. Such assistance ranges from management, business planning and improving production to the processing and marketing of agriculture products.

Upon arriving in Russia, he met hospitable and friendly people who were having some farming problems.

"They were so receptive to the suggestions that I made and they kept telling me 'Oh, you have to come back!' They kept asking me to come back and I kept going."

He said the more frequently he goes to Russia the more he becomes familiar with its culture and language, which makes him feel more attached to the country. Since 1994 Carlson has visited Russia 26 times, with a trip planned for next March.

Carlson said his perspective has changed a lot since he has started to build relationships with Russians. His expertise in swine and sheep has helped Russian farmers with their current technology and his marketing knowledge. He said the swine and sheep businesses in Russia had gone through some difficult times after the collapse of communism and inflation in 1990s.

"When I was there in '96, '97, the inflation was crazy. Some years 200 percent (inflation) per year, it was discouraging to talk to a farmer."

Carlson said unstable economics were a factor in not being able to improve their agricultural systems for the first several years since his initial visit.

"Now things are really changing," he said. "The interest rate is considerably lower, farmers are doing some investments. There are some investments by banks, some oil companies and the other investors in Russia now start to invest in agriculture. Some of the farms are getting the equipments and are remodeling facilities."

Carlson said the future of swine and sheep businesses in Russia is not desolate due to the fact that a lot of farms are currently coming out of the economic depression of the late 1990s.

Since Carlson realized his role as a mediator between two countries, he has been engaged in the exchange program between Western and Ryazan State Agricultural Academy. There are four exchange students from Ryazan enrolled at Western this semester. Carlson said 10 Russian students from Ryazan have studied at Western since the fall semester of 2004.

"I am really happy that the university has the opportunity to bring people from whatever country, in this situation Russia."

Carlson said these students could now realize what it is like to reside in other countries and what it is like to live among other cultures through experiences in the United States.

He said he also is looking forward to traveling to Russia next March with Western students.

"When I take students to Russia, we have students who have never been out of this country before. It is an amazing experience for them, it could change their lives."

Carlson said he encourages Western students to experience the differences on their own.

"When we take students to Russia, one of the most important things is that we meet with students from three different schools in Russia. Our students can talk to the Russians and can find out what kind of lives they have had through one-on-one conversations. You can't read it in a book."

Valentine Ivanov, an exchange student from Ryazan State Agricultural Academic, said he appreciates all the help from Carlson.

"I would say he helps me too much. I've got a long list schedule of cultural programs, along with just studying, I also have many places of interest and cities to visit." Ivanov said.

Kevin Bacon, associate agriculture professor, is taking the trip to Russia with Carlson and said it is great for him to work with Carlson.

"(Carlson) is a great guy to work with. He has been a mentor to me since I have been here. We hit it off very well in terms of the ideas we both have in mind," Bacon said.

Carlson received a $300,000 Global Business and Learning Partnership Grant from Ryazan State in cooperation with the College of Business and Technology.

Carlson said the grant would be spent for such expenses as the traveling fees to and from the two countries, and so that the Russian students here and American exchange students in Ryazan can live without difficulties.

Carlson earned his bachelor's, master's degree and his doctorate from the University of Iowa, majoring in animal breeding with a minor in statistics.