In July, Daulet was in Arkansas to visit Winrock's headquarters. I was able to give him a tour of Little Rock and rural Arkansas after he finished an extensive tour of dairies and farms in Pennsylvania with another Winrock FTF volunteer, John Rodgers. And finally, I was able to reciprocate with a farewell party when I prepared barbecue for Daulet at my home on Crowell Mountain, near Clinton, Arkansas. Although it is demanding work, I highly recommend the FTF experience. It is intense and rich in human contact and technical challenges.
People are far more alike than different beneath the vast array of costumes and cultures.
I hope that my efforts eventually lead to better food production in Kazakhstan. He now lives on 85 acres in Van Buren county, Arkansas, where he grows vegetables and small fruits, and tends a promising vineyard.