BY MARTHA J. GEHRINGER
LANCASTER Few graduating
college students would elect to visit
Lancaster for their senior trip to
study agriculture. However, a
group of Danish college students
opted for an ag-oriented tour of the
United State instead of a trip to
France.
The 30 delegates from the
Denmark’s agricultural college,
Grassten Landbrugskole, decided
to combine tourism with an
education on American
agriculture.
Prior to arriving in Lancaster on
Tuesday, the group spent two days
in New York City. Following the
Lancaster visit, they headed for
farms in the Cambridge area in
Ohio and the Shenandoah Valley in
Virginia. They planned to conclude
their two-week holiday in the
United States by exploring
Washington D.C. for two days.
“We did not want to be just
tourists. We wanted to also meet
with the people and we felt this was
the best way to accomplish that,”
David Landis (left), Lancaster County Extension Agent Jay
Irwin and Danish Agricultural Attache Torben Milthers
respond to questions from the Danish students at Landis’
farm in Lancaster.
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explained Hans Knudt Krag, an
instructor at Grassten.
He noted the favorable exchange
rate of the Danish krone to the U.S.
dollar made the trip affordable for
the 26 students and four teachers
on the tour.
The students on the tour recently
completed a three-year program
at the school. The remainder of the
1,000 student graduating class
selected France for their senior
trip.
Torben Milthers, the
Agricultural Attache of the Royal
Danish Embassy in Washington
D.C., compared Grassten to a
junior college. Students opted to
attend the school after completing
nine to ten years of formal
education.
Grassten, located in Jutland in
the southernmost part of Den
mark, offers both the ground
course and the management
course for agricultural students,
Krag said.
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Danish students from the agricultural school of Graasten Landbrugskole, located in
southern Denmark, visited the Lancaster area this week as part of their senior trip.
students qualify for a green card
a form necessary to buy a farm in
Denmark Without the form, Krag
explained, a person needs special
permission to purchase a farm and
does not qualify for government
benefits These benefits include no
interest rates on the first $30,000
loaned for the first five years. A
second benefit is a $5,000 subsidy to
pay for lawyers. Krag noted the
government extends these benefits
to help young farmers get started
in production agriculture.
Prior to entering the ground
course, students must complete a
six-month practical course of work
on farms. The ground course lasts
five months.
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Danish Ag College Students
Students electing to continue at
the college enter the management
phase. During this time they must
complete an additional year of
practice at two different farms
one dairy farm and one swine
operation. During the practice
portion, the students must follow a
parallel course of study arranged
by the Young Farmer
organization. Krag said that the
Young Farmer organization in
Denmark is similar to the
American organization.
Throughout their practical study
the students learn about raising
crops to feed that species of
animal.
“When they enter school, they
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know a lot about practical items
Their weak side is the economics
When they buy a farm they will
need to know how to handle
$300,000 to $1 million,’ - Krag said
Students returning to college
specialize in either pigs or cows
They gain an education in
managing the land to produce
crops for this species as well as the
economic education.
Krag stated that approximately
2,000 students begin the ground
course and 1,000 students continue
into the farm management course.
Of those who enter the
management course, 80 percent
will farm with 25 percent of those
students entering the business full