A group of 15 Nooksack Valley High School students passionate about agriculture took that interest to Europe during Spring Break. The NV students joined with Lynden High School students to travel to Italy for a farm to table tour where they engaged in a cooking class in Rome, toured a water buffalo dairy to produce mozzarella, observed—and sampled, of course—chocolate making and toured an olive oil farm. 
 
Students ate regionally authentic meals each night and ended in Rome with a food market tour. Students also enjoyed guided tours through a range of regions to learn about history and culture. A few highlights included visiting the Vatican and Sistine Chapel, the gladiator amphitheater, the Castellana caves, the cliffs at Matera and dipping their toes in the Mediterranean Sea. 
 
“It was an amazing experience for agricultural students and chaperones to see another part of this world so rich in history and learn culinary knowledge and agricultural production in another country,” says Rhonda Juergens, NVHS agriculture teacher, “while making memories with students from three other schools.”