The Secret is Iodine

The Secret Is Iodine

During IST (in service training), another volunteer learned that he was going to be medically evacuated for something. I won’t say what because it isn’t my information to give away. Anywho – he was leaving right before a program of his was about to start. He organized, along with the NGO Farmer to Farmer, to have a farmer (duh) come down from the US and give lectures on milk quality to farmers in and around his municipality. When he told him he was going, they asked for another volunteer to take his place incase some need arose that required some Peace Corps representation….So, I went and learned about milk quality.

I was with the project for approximately 3 days – not to long. I wasn’t really needed all that much….in fact all’s I really did was get free food. I’m not complaining, but still. The representative who came down from the US spoke fluent Spanish, since he was originally from Uraguay, and everything else had been set up before I even arrived. Both the guys I traveled with…the farmer and the representative from the NGO…were really cool and I may call on them to help out my little municipality, since we are large milk producers too.

Now – what I learned. There is this infection of a udder called mastitis (that may just be its Spanish name…I don’t know it in English). Anyway, the udder usually has some bacteria in it, but can develop into a bigger infection that may inhibit milk production. The doctor said that the normal acceptable number in the US is about 200,000 parts per whatever, in El Salvador they were shooting for 500,000 – there were cows with over 2,000,000! It was scary. Apparently, to prevent this type of infection you use iodine – before and after milking the cow. Meaning, the udder should be clean….not clean as in using the cows tail to wipe down the udders…but clean as in the use of iodine. I also learned about nutrition a little bit. Overall, it was interesting – though I will admit to almost falling asleep during some of the presentations.

I actually cut out before the last presentation on Saturday since I really wasn’t needed. I chose instead to get back to my site and relax.

On a completely different, but important note…codico postal – one of my soap operas – has ended. Pablo and Florita are back together, Iebet wound up in jail, Chewie survived his battle with leukemia, Rafa is a big music star and the evil Claudio was killed. Just in case you were wondering.

The new soap opera taking its place is called ´destilando amor´or distilling love - it takes place at a tequila place....