Bl6—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 8,1383 ‘sffciU&v Because Italians know that Americans think wine is still made by stomping with bare feet, they specially set this bin up for Deb to test her talent. Deb laughingly adds that, no, she didn’t wash her feet first. She probably will tell of this experience during the several presentations she is scheduled to give in the next couple months. ~ •' 1. '* -■V, ■■ '■ ~ ■ o #4 LEBANON The people of this granny boot-shaped peninsula —• bulging with history and jetting out so daringly into the adored Mediterranean Sea have adopted a ‘one-day-at-a-tixne’ philosophy, oblivious to the American version of the ‘rat race.’ They take lunch breaks from noon till 3 p.m., they visit each other hour upon hour, and they ap preciate not only the taste of good food, but also the quantity of their epicurian treasures. Sound like Utopia? Perhaps to the natives it borders on a ‘perfect world,’ but to Americans, it’s known simply as Italy, home of the Romans, of earthquakes, of spicy food and speeded language and talking hands. But one American recently got to challenge the stereotypical notions that still live ‘in the states,’ by spending six months living and traveling in Italy. Deb Kreider, daughter of Homer and Faye Kreider of R 4 Lebanon, says Italy was her second choice when she completed die ap plication for the International Foreign Youth Exchange program. But now, she already has plans to return to Italy in August of 1964, and, she made this decision before returning home. Deb, a member of 4-H for almost ten years, studied such projects as flowers, photography and gar dening. But her first love is traveling. So, about a year ago, when she heard another IF YE describe her experience in Trinadad-Tobago, she “told my mom, ‘I think I’m going to try for it.’ ” With a pen pal in Austria and two trips to Europe already entered in her bode of experiences, she set out for ‘romantic’ Italy with its over 57 million people all squeezed into a region slightly larger than Arizona. IFYE to Italy defies stereotypes BY DEBBIE KOONTZ As a youth exchangee to Italy for six months, Deb Kreider of R 4 Lebanon had opportunity to watch that country’s soccer team capture the World Cup. Back home. Deb plans to begin her new job and perhaps attend the annual IFYE meeting scheduled for Friday evening of Farm Show week. “The northern people were mucn wealthier overall. When they found out I had to stay with families in the south, they would always try to warn me of what I would see and the people 1 would meet,” she says. Her third host family was located near central Italy and owned a fruit farm. Deb picked Because the United States' 4-H pears here, program can be equated to Italy’s Moving south. Deb’s fourth 3-P program a program family raised beef cattle, and the honoring progress, produce and fifth grew vegetables and com. She (im)prove which caters to the also encountered her first grapes agricultural world she was vines here, exposed to several types of far- “The family knew Americans all ming while there. She stayed with thought they still stomped grapes eight families throughout Italy; with their feet, so they dug out the Each family being quite a distance equipment and let me do it. And no, from the one before, thus allowing. I didn’t wash my feet first,” she Deb to travel almost all of ltaly’s laughs. 706 miles of length. Her first family was dairy farmers in the north central province of Brescia, raising about 50 Holsteins. It was here Deb says she learned how to speak Italian in From the start, Deb says she knew not to expect the stereotypes, perhaps because she already learned how erroneous these preconceived notions can be from her trip to Austria and Greece. “I went not expecting a lot, so I got a lot out of it,” she says matter of-factly. a hurry only one member of the family spoke English. Her second family raised cash crops of wheat, corn and sugar beets, and one brother sold Nor thrup King Seed Com, a fact which delighted Deb. Having been introduced to the country through an orientation period in Rome, located in central Italy, Deb learned that the people of die north lived much better than their southern Mends. The 4-H program can easily be equated with Italy’s 3-P program, a group of clubs catering to the farming world. Therefore, Deb’s stay in Italy included eight farms. The upper left photo shows a farmer baling hay with a Same {saw-may) tractor. Right shows how they build their muscles loading hay. Lower left photo is at a cattle sale. Deb says after much banter back and forth, the owner and buyer shake hands in agreement. Below is a family in their lettuce field. The women, traditionally, always wear dresses. Though she says grape stomping is now outdated in Italy,'' she readily admits that families making enough wine for their own consumption will still use the old methods. Her sixth family was located in the sole of the boot which forms Italy, in the province of Catanzaro. This family grew only a few olive trees. From Catanzaro, she journeyed to the island of Sicily, west of the main land. Having been warned jokingly by her notbern friends that the Mafia might get her, she found the experience refreshing (Turn to Page 829)
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