I finished my stay with my first family to attend the European IFYE conference which was held in Switzerland. Imagine a Macra rally that is a week in duration. It was a brilliant week. The conference was in Vamuracus in the French-speaking (western) part of Switzerland. Overlooking Lake Nuechatel, we stayed in dormitory-type accommodation.

I helped to do jobs such as cooking and cleaning throughout the week with the other incoming International Farm Youth Exchange (IFYE) participants as we attended the conference for free. Everyone in attendance was on an IFYE before with people aged from 20 to 70 years in attendance. Every day trips were organised with a mixture of agricultural and cultural ventures for people to attend.

Swiss culture was promoted heavily with Swiss music, food and dress all on show over the week. In the evening, we had a group dinner and games. Every night there was a swarm of activity in the bar, which stayed open 24 hours for the dedicated few. The mixture of generations at the conference added to the experience of the week. All of us incoming IFYE participants got to know each other well with lifelong friendships made.

My last week was with the Heller family near Zurich in northeastern Switzerland. Christine was the eldest daughter and was on an IFYE before. She had a degree in agricultural science and good English, which was useful when trying to communicate in more detail. I visited four dairy farms that week – one organic, one robotic and two double-up type with varying levels of intensification.

The Heller family farm consisted of all crops on 45ha. Crops grown on the farm were potatoes, grapes, maize, wheat, spelt, peas, beans, sugar beet, apples, grass and forestry. Potatoes are protected by the government in Switzerland through import tariffs. Farmers are obliged to follow strict crop rotation guidelines to qualify for payments from the Swiss government; I helped prune in the vineyard and orchard while I was there.

This farm expanded my knowledge on how different crops are produced. I’ve tasted some of their own wine and apple juice. We visited the Rhine Falls and the picturesque town of Stein am Rhein. Swiss people value local food which was showcased by this family. They made their own bread from spelt which they grew, bought local cheeses and milk and grew many vegetables.

Living with families in Switzerland was an amazing experience and they tailored the trip to my requests. Being able to travel with people from the region allowed me to visit and experience places, which a tourist may not have the opportunity to see. It was the most spontaneous, affordable adventure I was ever on and I would highly recommend it.