Exchange week Kloten October 2022
After three years of no Exchange weeks in Switzerland we were very excited to welcome our guests from all over Europe back in Switzerland. On Sunday, the 16th October, the day was filled with arrivals of old an new friends in our accommodation, the scout house in Kloten. So close to the airport and main train station of Zurich, we were happy to welcome everyone to this years Exchange week and arranged a BBQ in the garden of our accommodation. A lot of games were played, songs of different countries were listened to and everyone was excited for the week.
The week started off with a visit at ETH and our guests had the chance to take a look at where all of IAAS Switzerland’s members were still studying and could ask questions, which the Swiss committee tried to answer at their best. IAAS Switzerland organised also the World Food Day in Lichthof this Monday. Togheter with the Exweekparticipants we cooked 13 different recepies from all over the world and invited the students of Agriculture and Food science to have a taste. So everyone could take a plate, walk around and try out some new food cooked from Swiss students with roots elsewhere in the world. It was a delicious mixture and everyone had enough power to go and explore Zurich a little more. Students from Zürich showed the city and enjoyed the nice weather at the lake talking about hystory of Zürich. Lots pictures and selfies were token. The evening we spend in our accommodation, playing cards and doing some karaoke!
On Tuesday we visited one of the most important agricultural events in (eastern) Switzerland: the Olma in St. Gallen. In the different halls of the Olma area good food was degusted, cheeses and wines were tested and other interesting things related to agriculture were looked at and discussed about. For example the ETH also had a little stand in one of the halls, representing the agricultural sciences of ETH. But one of the most exciting events at the Olma this day might have been the “Säuli-Rennen” outside, where we could guess which pig would win the race. Luckily the weather was good and those who wanted, could enjoy their “Olmabratwurst” in the sunshine. After a walk through the city we took the train back to Kloten. In this evening, the legendary Development Fund night took place.
The next morning we went on a hike together. The hike was to the beloved Uetliberg mountain, where student could enjoy the nice view on the city and could eat stuff from the grill. In the afternoon we visited the farm of one of the IAAS Switzerland’s members. Evelyn showed the farm of her family to everyone, presenting fruit production and the cow. Like this our guests could get an insight in what a regular Swiss farm looks like and could ask many questions to the father. Back to Kloten our guests now had to take action and prepared their delicious food and drinks for this years Tradefair. Many tasty dishes where served and also the tradition of stealing the other countries flags was taken very seriously 😉 The great evening ended with everyone trying to learn the Greece dances and not falling out of the rhythm.
After a very chill morning, we drove by car to the region of Winterthur and visited a viniculture. The farmer explained and showed us the vineyard. This Vineyard is the biggest and oldest biological whine production. They respect the strickt Biolaws and follow the principle of regenerational agriculture. Afterwards we could also walk around in the village, take some pictures and later drive back to ETH, were we joined the Do-Bier at LFW. There we first ate some pizza and then talked to many other students in the agricultural sciences field and drank a beer or two with them.
On Friday we made a brunch together and then went to Strickhof, the research and teaching facility owned by the ETH, the university of Zurich and the farmer apprentice school. There we had a guidance of an IAAS alumni through the buildings in which mostly agricultural sciences students of the ETH and vet students of the university do research on livestock. He showed us the cows they have and explained the different approaches of how they try to find out, as an example, on how to feed the cows so that they produce less methane. Therefore we went into the stable and a kind of chamber, where the cows are brought inside, so that the research team can measure all the gases the cow produces. Later on our guests where brought to the nearest train station and had the chance to explore the city of Zurich by themselves before we met again for a typical Swiss fondue night.
It was such a pleasure to meet all these wonderful people from all over Europe and we are looking forward to see them somewhere else again. Go further, go IAAS!
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