816-Lanctsttr Farming, Saturday, Dacambar 2,1993
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Fanning Staff
BELGROVE (Lebanon Co.)
“We went to help Russian farmers
by giving practical help, not with
the intention of setting up a foreign
business,” said Mel Gehman.
Mel and his wife Ann, who
operate Heritage Poultry Manage
ment. heeded the request that came
from St. Petersburg, Russia for
poultry producers to visit area
poultry farms through the U.S.
Friendship Force. In September, a
group of eight members from the
Lancaster area spent 10 days tour
ing Russian poultry operations and
offering their perspectives on mak
ing the transition to free-market
enterprise. '
The Gehmans enthusiastically
reported on the friendships knit
through this exchange. The Geh
mans communicated mostly by
using a Russian-American phrase
book, and said that they were usu
ally able to eventually grasp the
meaning of their host family’s con
versations. The host family served
“plenty of good food similar to
Pennsylvania Dutch cooking,”
Mel said.
The host family’s two-room
apartment on an eight-story flat
overlooked the Baltic Sea. The
husband was an elected chief tech
nologist of the poultry complex
that had been managed by the gov
ernment until this year. Now it is
privatized and owned by employ
ees who are considered sharehol
ders. There are 300 employees for
the 300,000 layers.
The poultry operation uses
cages that are 13 years old and
should be replaced but there is no
money. The buildings were built in
the 19405. Every farm is self
contained from raising baby chicks
to fowl slaughter and an egg pro
cessing plant.
‘The Russian people don’t like
the idea of a middleman and that
creates problems such as the
equipment sometimes being idled
because the complex processes
only its own eggs.
The Russians’ aversion to mid
dlemen stems from their not being
accustomed to working together in
a free enterprise market
“I don’t think it is right to make
money on another man’s animal,”
the host said of an incident where
one man was selling another’s cow
f -4 * / <
Poultry Association members who participated In the tour,
from left: Robert Zimmerman, Dr. Richard Peacock, Frank
Baber, Harold Esbenshade, and Mel and Ann Gehman. Tour
guide Sally Bair Is missing from the picture.
Visit To Russian Poultry Farms
Results In Cross-Cultural Friendships
at his market stand.
The Russians asked many ques
tions about poultry nutrition and
feed. The Americans were not
shown any records of how the
poultry is fed in Russia, but the
team determined that feed is made
from different types of grains and
grasses than those grown in the
U.S.
Because of an inadequate supp
ly of protein and feed, poultry pro
duction suffered a 30 to SO percent
decrease in meat and eggs this
year.
Mel estimates that it takes the
chickens two to three weeks longer
to reach production than
American-fed poultry.
“It is difficult to compare profit
and loss because the finance sys
tem is so different in Russia," Mel
said.
After much questioning, the
team determined that the interest
rate in Russia is 113 percent a year.
The stockholders need to pay back
the government within five years.
Overall, the Gehmans thought
the chicken farm was well man
aged, but some team members had
a different impression of the farms
that they visited.
Ann said that St. Petersburg is
the most westernized city in Russia
and more upscale than most other
areas. The city is built on 100
islands with bridges that connect
the areas. The five million popula
tion lives mostly in apartment
buildings that are seen for miles
and miles as one travels in the area.
Some single-dwelling homes,
mostly built in 19205-style, are
lived in by lower-income families.
The host family seemed appalled
to think of wanting to live in a
single-family home because they
are poorly insulated and would be
too expensive to heat
The outside of the apartment
buildings, or flats as they are called
in Russia, are largely unkept
Because grass is cut with a scythe,
the grass is long, uneven, and
results in a sloppy appearance. But
inside, the apartments are meticul
ously clean and well kept.
The Gehmans surmise that the
outside appears sloppy because
everyone assumes it is someone
else’s responsibility to keep it
clean.
Pedestrians walking on the
sidewalks often appeared to be
'■ s
v f *<. T.
Mel and Ann Gehman say that there trip to Russia with the Lancaster Friendship
Force Poultry Exchange built strong friendships between them and their host family.
Ann wears a shawl and shows the Russian nested dolls that were purchased on the St.
Petersburg streets. The stands demanded fresh, crisp American dollars. Bills that
were worn were handed back to the Gehmans with the protest: No good. No good. To
you it may not be a problem, but to us, it is a problem. The ornamental chickens were
made at the poultry complex from dyed chicken feathers.
sad, but the Gehmans found (he
people extremely friendly when
spoken to.
In fact, they seemed delighted to
meet Americans. Upon question
ing, the host family reported that
they had never been taught to
despise Americans. Instead, they
had been taught that American
people are good people, they just
have bad leaders.
Store shelves seemed to be well
stocked in the stores that the Geh
mans visited.
“The stores do not have a variety
of brand names. It’s similar to a
Mom and Pop store in the states.
Usually one family operates the
store. Customers cannot help
themselves to the items they want
but must rely on a clerk to pick up
the items for them," Ann said.
The host family had two cars
plus a work vehicle. The host
could drive but most often used a
chauffer. Mel went along to park
the car that was placed in one of
800 garages built together. His
host had an office in the garage.
Mel was puzzled by the reason for
the office.
The Gehmans presented many
“humantarian” gifts to the host
family. A suggested gift list had
been given to them before the trip.
The gifts were mostly food items,
cold remedies, blank cassette
tapes, and peanut butter. When
Mel handed a Bible to the family,
the wife cried and hugged it.
The host family took the Gch
mans to one of the city’s large
cathedrals, but the Gehmans did
not stay for the service since it was
spoken completely in the Russian
language and the church was cold
and damp. The congregation stood
because there were no pews.
According to the Gehmans, the
churches were not used for reli
gious purposes from 1935 until
1989 but for swimming pools,
warehouses, and offices. Now the
government has restored the exter
iors of many church buildings.
which are large, elaborate
structures.
Although most families do not
live in single-family dwellings,
many build summer houses near
their gardens. The government
gives a plot of land to each family
for this purpose. These houses are
almost always built by families,
not professional builders. The
summer houses are not insulated
and do not have electric and
plumbing.
While the team was in St
Petersburg, Yeltsin was fired from
parliament and the Kremlin was
burned.
Despite this turbulant situation,
the Gehmans’s host family
remained calm and summed up the
situation by saying, “It’s a bunch
of wind. The tree tops are swaying
but underneath there is calm.
When it is over, it will remain the
same as before.”
The host family also expressed
that they feel the country has prog
ressed so far to a free enterprise
government that they do not fore
see a return to Communism.
The trip enabled the Gehmans to
see the Russian families as similar
to those in the U.S.
Of all the trips that Gehmans
took to countries such as British
Columbia, Bermuda, and Euro
pean countries, Russia is one of
their favorites.
In addition to the Gehmans, par
ticipants on the tour were Sally
Bair, tour leader; Frank and Ellen
To prevent marshmallows from way to soften them. However, they
becoming firm and stale, store in can be used in overnight fruit
plastic bog in freezer. Once marsh- salad, hot cocoa or for cooked
mallows become hard, there is no frosting or bars.
Baber, DeKalb Chicks; Harold
Esbenshade, Shady Brae Farms;
Dr. Richard Peacock, Pennfield;
and Robert Zimmerman, broiler
farmer.
When ihe Gehmans first arrived
in St. Petersburg, the host family
gave them flowers and called them
“most welcomed guests.”
In April or May, the Gehmans
will have the opportunity to reci
procate the hospitality shown them
because a tentative visit is sche
duled for St. Petersburg poultry
shareholders.
Mel and Ann began Heritage
Poultry Management in 1982.
Their business serves independent
poultrymen with feed formulation
and flock management software.
The company also manages joint
ownership flock contracts with
investors. Previous poultry experi
ence includes having their own
flock and Mel had worked as direc
tor of producer services for R.W.
Sauder and in poultry nutrition
research for USDA.
Friendship Force is planning a
trip to Russia next summer for
those in the poultry industry. The
Friendship Force was founded by
Wayne Smith and former Presi
dent Jimmy Carter and his wife
with the belief that public relations
can be improved through interna
tional friendships of people
befriending people.
More information about Friend
ship Force and future trips can be
obtained by calling Sally Bair at
(717) 285-4926.