A26-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Dacamber 23,1989
BY VALERIE VAN TASSEL
Berks Co. Correspondent
DOUGLASVILLE (Berks
Co.) — Five Chinese educators
had a look at Berks County agri
business and a taste of Pennsylva
nia Dutch hospitality earlier this
month during a tour sponsored by
the Berks Co. Chamber of Com
merce Agribusiness Committee.
The tour included stops at Read
ing Bone Fertilizer Co., Gcorgio
Foods, F.M. Brown’s & Son, and
Ontclaunce Orchard. The delega
tion, from Bejing Commercial
Management Cadre Institute
(BCMCI), visited Delaware Val
ley College for 11 days, and
according to Dr. John Avery,
chairman of the agribusiness
department at Del Val, the visit is
part of an ongoing exchange of
information between the two edu
cational institutions.
“We are interested in their work
in low-input sustainable agricul
ture and their methods of maxi
mizing use of agricultural land. In
Lancaster and Bucks counties, we
are seeing increasing urbaniza
tion. We hope to learn how to pro
duce high-value crops on expen
sive lane. Vegetables and fruits
are two primary crops grown in
this setting in China. They also do
a lot of interplanting such as soy
beans and wheat,” said Avery.
BCMCI train middle manage
ment officials in the commercial
sector of China’s economy includ
ing agribusiness managers. ‘The
Chinese delegation hopes to learn
more about our agriculture
businesses, particularly our farm
supply cooperatives and our distri
bution system. The Chinese have a
great need to develop a free enter
prise system,” Avery explained.
Delaware Valley College
decided to tour Berks County
businesses because of a agricul
ture brochure developed by the
Berks County Chamber of Com
merce. “One of my students
brought the brochure to class and
we contacted the chamber for
help,” said Avery. The visit was
STRIKE
IT
RICH!
SELL
IT
WITH
A
LANCASTER
FARMING
CLASSIFIED
Chinese Educators Visit Berks County Ag Businesses
not government funded and the
chamber of commerce and a num
ber of local businesses sponsored
the tour.
The visitors had impressive cre
dentials. Sitting around the break
fast table at Michael’s Restaurant
exchanging business cards printed
in both English and Chinese were
Feng Chinglian, president of the
BCMCI, Hong-Yc Liu, associate
dean. Department of Grain and
Economy Management; Yi
Zhongkai, dean of the Economic
Faculty: Zhang Pei Gong, office
director; and Xiao Yi, interpreter.
A number of local businessmen
and dairy farmers were present to
exchange thoughts and cards with
the visitors including William
Hughes and Douglas Darling of
Meridian Bank; Moms Brown of
F.M. Brown and Sons; Herbert
Wetzel, the executive director of
the Berks County Chamber of
Commerce; Gary Fisher of the
Farm Credit Office in Shoe
makersville; and dairy farmers
Ernie Miller and Roy Christman.
The Chinese found the Ameri
can people were the high point of
the trip. “The American people are
warm and friendly,” Chinglian
said.
“The industry and agriculture
are very developed here. You have
much space here. There is lots of
empty land,” Liu added.
Miller, Christman and Avery all
have visited China and were
impressed with the Chinese peo
ple as well. ‘They are very friend
ly and interested in tourists,” Mill
er said.
During their visit the Chinese
had a chance to tour a number of
places including the Capitol.
“They certainly got a look at the
freedom to dissent There was a
Vietnam vet on the steps of the
Capitol protesting a lack of health
care and another person demand
ing housing for the homeless,”
Avery explained.
The group was impressed with
Dr. Dennis Avery of the Center
for Global Food Issue. “He told
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A delegation of educators, representing the BeJlng Commercial Management Cadre
Institute in China, toured four agribusinesses in Berks County earlier this month.
them things about their country
that they didn’t know. Dr. Avery
feels that there are a lot of positive
values coming out of China. They
have made a conscious decision to
import those items they can’t pro
duce efficiently and concentrate
on those items that they can grow
well,” the college professor
explained.
The visitors also took joy in
some of the things we take for
granted. “They really enjoyed the
takeout food bar at Genardi’s Sup
er Market. You have to understand
that they have very few food
choices in China. K-mart with
their thousands of products was
also an exciting place to visit,”
Avery said.
Pork Industry Receives Nominations
DBS MOINES. IA The Pork
Industry Nominating Committee
has set a January 1,1990, deadline
to receive nominations to fill five
three-year terms on the National
Pork Board. The positions are cur
rently held by producers Virgil
Rosendale, Augusta, IL; Leroy
Vollmer, Boonville, MO; Ritchie
Jordan, Suffolk, VA; Jim McKee,
Attica, IN; and importer represen
tative Henry Greenebaum, Scars
dale, NY. All live arc eligible for
William Angstadt, president of Reading Bone Fertilizer
Co., shared Information his business with the economic
educators from China.
re-election to the Board.
A total of eight persons will be
selected by the National Pork Pro
ducers (Pork Act) Delegate Body
from nominees submitted to the
Nominating Committee by slate
pork producer associations, other
farm organizations and individu
als. Floor nominations may also
be made at the Annual Meeting of
the Pork Act Delegate Body,
March 9,1990, at the Galt House
East in Louisville, Kentucky.
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The Pork Industry Nominating
Committee will consider the qual
ifications of all proposed candi
dates and will select candidates to
participate in personal interviews
in late January.
Nominations for the National
Pork Board may be made in writ
ing by January 1, 1990, to: Pork
Industry Nominating Committee,
Attn: Linda Riehm, P.O. Box
10383, Des Moines. IA 50306.
OBmncs
Earning Our Way
On More Of Your Acres.