816-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 26,1986
Foreign Student Studies Vegetable Production At Local Celeiy Farm
do,” he said. That includes pulling
plants, weeding, planting and
trimming. He has also made trips
to Central Market and Root’s
Country Market and Auction
where Hodeckers sells some of its
produce.
In the Netherlands, Paul’s
family operates a 10-acre celery
and vegetable farm similar to
Hodeckers. And while celery is
grown in much the same way in
both countries, Paul has noticed a
few differences in production
techniques.
One major difference Paul has
observed is that farmers in the
Netherlands plant several crops on
the same acreage, while farmers
here plant a single crop. At home,
Paul said, spinach is planted first,
followed by celery and finally
lettuce.
One possible reason for this
difference, Paul suggests, is that
farms in the Netherlands are
smaller and farmers have more
time for several crops. At
Hodeckers, he said, a single crop
on 30 acres provides plenty of work
and allows little time for another
crop.
BY SUZANNE KEENE
EAST PETERSBURG - Most
college students are vacationing or
working at summer jobs in July,
but 20-year-old Netherlander Paul
De Koning is continuing his
education at Hodecker Celery
Farms in East Petersburg.
A student at a horticultural
college in the Netherlands, Paul
came to Lancaster County nine
weeks ago to get hands-on ex
perience at an American celery
farm. While internships are a
required part of the curriculum at
his college, an international ex
perience like the one Paul has
undertaken is strictly optional.
Students who chose an in
ternational internship must handle
their own arrangements, including
finding a business that will work
with them and a host family, Paul
said.
Paul found his way to Hodeckers
through an ad he placed in the
Pennsylvania Vegetable Grower’s
Association publication indicating
his desire for employment. Mervin
Shenk, manager at Hodeckers,
responded to the ad and the two
exchanged a few letters before the
arrangements were finalized.
During his term at Hodeckers,
Paul has been helping with
“almost everything they usually
Packing Up
Well, the hottest weekend of the
summer turned out to be the time
we would move all of our worldly
possessions from one house to
another. I just don’t know how any
one family can accumulate so
much “stuff.” And I came to
realize that moving can be
traumatic - even for the family
dog!
Statistics prove that we were not
alone in our moving. Nearly 40
million families will disrupt their
summer for a move to a new
location. That is the average
number of families who move to a
new home each year. And for some
reason, Americans have convinced
themselves that the best time of
year to move is between June and
September - when the kids are out
of school.
Experts are now teling us that
this is an unfortunate myth and
that a summertime move may
cause more problems than it
prevents. The thinking behind this
is that school is the one place kids
make friends most rapidly. A
move during the summer months
puts kids at a disadvantage for
meeting friends their own age,
unless the new neighborhood was
chosen specifically for its
population of children.
At the start of school in Sep
tember, then, the new student may
be overlooked. It will be assumed
that the new child knows the
floorplan, rules, and routines of the
school. A teacher with an all new
classroom of faces will not easily
notice “the new kid in town.” A
visit to the school and a meeting
with the teacher or guidance
counselor may help to alleviate
these problems.
For families with preschool
children, the time of year for
moving doesn’t make much dif
ference, but there are some other
considerations to be aware of.
Small children will be very
Another difference, Paul noted,
is that celery is machine-planted
here, while all planting in the
Netherlands is done by hand.
HOME
By Michelle S. Rodgers
Berks Extension
Home Economist
threatened by a move when they
thank about leaving everything
they are familiar with and walking
into the unknown. That makes it
very important to maintain some
continuity in the child’s
surroundings.
The best way to ease the trauma
of moving for everyone is to have
the whole family involved in the
preprations. If it’s possible, take
them along when you house hunt or
for a visit after the purchase of a
home. We even took our dog along
to “sniff” out her new backyard. If
visiting the house in advance is
impossible, bring pictures back to
show family members what to
expect.
When moving time comes, have
each child pack one special box of
his or her favorite toys and clothes.
Label each box with the child’s
name and try to get them on the
moving van last. When you arrive
at your new home, the kids will
have their special boxes to keep
them busy while you supervise the
rest of the unpacking.
The first few weeks after a move
will be very busy with the major
unpacking job, but plan to take a
break and explore your new
community. After a busy day of
cleaning and unpacking, we took a
relaxing stroll around the block,
giving us a new bearing on
“home.”
During our move, we discovered
that the assistance of friends and
family helped to ease the trauma
of moving - even when it was only
two miles away. So even if you are
not moving, but know someone
who is - think about lending a
helping hand. Many times a meal,
a refreshing dessert or another
pair of hands to clean or unwrap
dishes is immensely appreciated.
We’re thankful to those who helped
take the trauma out of moving for
us. Now, if we could only get the
dog adjusted to her new Dalmation
neighbors.
Having had an opportunity to see
both methods in action, Paul said
he prefers hand planting even
though it is more time consuming.
“Planting by hand is a little
slower,” he concedes, but it allows
farmers to plant the celery much
closer together, yielding a greater
harvest per acre. Here, he said,
celery is planted 30 inches apart,
allowing ample space to drive a
tractor through. In the
Netherlands, the space between
rows is narrowed to 15 inches,
allowing for twice as many plants
per acre. In both countries,
spacing within the row is 9 inches.
In addition to their use in
planting, tractors are used to place
the plastic used for blanching
celery. This step in celery
production is by-passed in the
Netherlands, Paul said, because
most of their celery is marketed
for cooking, not for eating raw.
Another benefit of not using
tractors on the fields, Paid said, is
less soil compaction. “You will
never get the soil as good as it was
before,” he said, adding that
greater rainfall in his country
makes soil compaction an even
greater threat. “I like it much
better without the tractor.”
In the Netherlands, Paul said,
celery is sold at large auctions.
Here, he noted, Hodecker’s market
their celery and other produce at
their own store and at Root’s and
Central Markets.
“Our auctions are 10, maybe 20
times bigger,” Paul said, with the
largest auction selling $l4O million
of vegetables a year. Paul noted
that growers here put more work
into selling and receive slightly
higher prices than farmers in the
Netherlands. By marketing at an
auction, “We have more fluc
tuation in price,” he observed.
Preparing the celery for sale is
similar in both countries. “It must
look very good,” Paul said, before
it goes to market. In the
Netherlands, celery is graded and
“only the first grade may be ex
ported to other countries.” The
top-grade celery sold for export
usually brings a higher price.
Paul hasn’t spent all his time in
Financial Planners: No Longer Just For The Wealthy
NEWARK, Del. - As their
financial options increase, families
and individuals sometimes benefit
from the objective, professional
help a financial planner provides.
Financial planners no longer serve
only the wealthy, but middle
income clients as well.
“Financial planners are
generalists who take an overall
look at your financial situation,”
explains Debbie Amsden,
University of Delaware extension
home economist. “Then they
design a strategy to help you meet
your financial goals. ”
Financial options can be con
fusing, particularly when your
income status changes. “When this
happens, engaging the services of
a planner may be your best initial
investment,” the home economist
says. A new job, marriage,
divorce, widowhood or a sub
stantial inheritance often requires
reworking financial strategies.
Planners can be important
resource people during these times
and can help clear up some of the
confusion.
Before consulting a planner,
Amsden says to decide what kind
of help you want. Compare the
services different planners
provide, and compare the costs of
their services. “As the client, it’s
up to you to investigate a planner’s
credentials,” she says, “and to
decide whether he or she can
provide the information and
services you need.”
Also keep in mind that the
financial planning professional is
relatively new and no state or
federal regulations govern use of
the title. So shopping for a planner
requires carefql research.
Paul De Koning, a horticultural student from the
Netherlands, spent nine weeks this summer working at
Hodecker Celery Farms in Lancaster County. Here, Paul
trims celery in preparation for market
the United States learning about
celery production. He has visited
Washington, New York,
Philadelphia and Niagara Falls.
He also visited Penn State
University, where he toured the
horticultural department. Penn
State, he said, is much larger than
his own college, which has about
300 students in the horticulture
department.
education next year, he will return
to the family farm as a partner and
will eventually take over.
He said he is one of only about 20
percent of his class who will go
home to the farm. The other
students will find jobs with
agribusiness firms or in research.
Getting started in farming
without the benefit of a family
farm is very difficult because land
One thing to look for is the
person’s level of experience.
Amsden suggests considering
someone who has served an in
ternship with an established
financial planner.
Some planners have also com
pleted correspondence courses at
one of three non-accredited
financial planning institutes. The
College of Financial Planning in
Denver, Col., the American School
in Bryn Mawr, Pa., and a program
operated by the American Bankers
Association, the National Trust
Graduate School, all provide study
and certification in this field.
“Before selecting one, interview
prospective planners about their
previous occupations and
professional training,” Amsden
advises. “See if your areas of need
correspond to a planner’s area of
expertise.” Also check references
from clients or professionals who
have worked with the planner.
Find out if the planner works
directly with clients, delegates
responsibility to someone else, or
requires clients to maintain their
own accounts once a strategy has
been planned. Knowing this ahead
is so expensive, Paul explained.
Farmland brings an average price
of $lO,OOO per acre, but “In some
places, the rates are going four
times that or higher," he said.
Farmland is not yet in short
supply in the Netherlands, but
“The cities are growing bigger and
bigger,” Paul reports. Farmers
are encouraged to move their
farms to other areas, but are
reluctant to do so because they
fear they will lose their markets.
Paul returned to the Netherlands
late this week with new knowledge
about celery and vegetable
production and a set of friends an
ocean away. Someday, his host
may return the visit and Paul will
have an opportunity to share his
farm and country with an
American.
of time can help prepare you for
any responsibilities you may have
to assume.
It is important to understand all
the products and services being
offered when working on a plan.
And always find out about fee
schedules ahead of time.
Generally, planners are paid in one
of three ways; an up-front fee, a
commission earned on the in
surance and/or securities sold, or
a combination of fee and com
mission. Decide which type of
payment plan will be best for you.
Another way to leam more about
financial planning services is to
attend one of the free seminars
which are sometimes offered by
planners and institutions. This will
demonstrate the planner’s style
and expertise.
Not everyone needs the help of a
planner. “If your will needs up
dating, or if you are looking for a
tax shelter, you may need a
specialist such as an attorney or an
accountant,” Amsden notes. “Or if
household expenses are just being
met by income, it may be helpful to
work at budgeting and money
management skills before going to
a financial planner.”