Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
LINDA WILLIAMS
Bedford Co. Correspondent
BEDFORD (Bedford Co.)
Fred Claycomb thinks he has only
touched the tip of the iceberg in
his work with the farmers of the
Ukraine.
His latest achievement has been
to have Izor Alekseyenko become
the first Ukrainian citizen become
a member of the Pennsylvania
Farm Bureau.
Fted’s work began when he was
selected in 1994 by VOCA (Vol
unteeres Overseas Cooperative
Assistance), a group he came in
contact with at Ag Progress Days,
to travel to the Ukraine to help far
mers leant of the latest in farming
techniques.
During the Communist regime,
the Ukrainians had practically no
knowledge of the fast changing
world of farming.
“Communism did not allow for
advancements such as machinery,
and quality seeds and parts for
tractors are difficult to find,” Fred
explains. VOCA though Ameri
can farmers, like me, could help
bridge these problems.”
In 1995, Fred returned to
Ukraine, this time through the
Odessa Mutual Assistance Asso
ciation, an organization similar to
the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.
One of the first people Fred met
in Ukraine was Anna Alekseyenk
o, a third-year student at the Uni
versity of Kiev, who acted as his
interpreter.
Anna immediately introduced
him to her family. Fred and her
father, Izor, became fast friends.
In 1995, Anna came to Ameri
can to visit the Claycomb family
and while there, was fascinated
with the Farm Bureau Coopera
tive. “She took videos of one of
our local stores,” Fred says. “Farm
Bureau had the manager expalin
everything so she could take it
back on tape.”
It immediately became the
dream of Izor, who lives for farm
ing, to eventually have a coopera
tive like the Farm Bureau in the
Ukraine.
“I called the state office and
asked Jan Carson how I could get
a membership for Izor,” Fred con
tinues and found out it was rela
tively easy.
“I had to get the ‘okay’ of the
county board and the executive
directors who are Norman Sollen
berger, Paul Stup, Betty O’Neil
and Pauline Yoder, That was
easy!”
From this point on, so long as
Izor keeps his dues paid, he will
remain a member. Correspon
dence from Farm Bureau will be
sent by Fred through VOCA.
“I am not aware of anyone from
any other country in the world
being a member of the Pennsylva
nia Farm Bureau,” says Marlin
Miller, Member Relations director
at Harr>sburg. “But, we welcome
Izor and hope we will be of a lot of
help to him and his fellow farmers
in the Ukraine.”
Prior to the revolution, farms in
Ukraine were about 1,000 acres
each. But, all of those farms were
destroyed when the communists
took over.
“The people there live for farm
ing,” Fred explains. “It is the rich
est, most fertile land in the world.
They have no droughts, no severe
weather of any kind. With a love
of farming in their hearts, they
struggle hoping only that someday
life will be better.”
Almost non-existent are
Ukrainian Joins
machinery and equipment, feed
and farm supplies, seed, fertilizer
and chemicals, hardware, electri
cal supplies and a good system to
distribute new or better farm tech
nology. Hence, the idea of a
cooperative was the beginning of
a new dream for Izor Alekseyenko
and others like him.
“Already they are running into
problems with help that has been
given,” Fred says. “There are pre
sently. a large group of Menno
nites in Ukraine who are distribut
ing seeds to the farmers for their
upcoming growing season.
Ukraine’s government now wants
to put a tax on humanitarian aid.
Greed always gets into the
Izor Alekseyenko and his wife, Helena.
Izor (wearing an Old Bedford Village sweatshirt) and
Fred In Ukraine.
Today’s Spending
Affects Future Savings
LEWISBURG (Northumber
land Co.) The Women’s Finan
cial Information Program (WFIP)
is a series of seven hands-on
lecture/workshop sessions aimed
to assist women in taking charge
of their financial future. Co
sponsored by the American Asso
ciation of Retired Person (AARP)
and the Penn State Cooperative
Extension WFIP is being provided
as a non-profit volunteer service
to the community. Topics to be
coveted in these sessions include
“Getting Organized: Where Are
You Now? Where Do You Want
To Be?,” “Banking and Credit
Tools For Your Cash Flow Sys
tem,” Investing For Retirement
and “Care Giving: Becoming A
Care Giver To A Spouse Or Aging
Parent”
picture!”
Anna’s visit to America also
left with her many dreams, among
them, studying agriculture at Penn
State University. “Every time she
calls, she mentions it,” Fred
smiles. “Both my wife and I hope
it is something she can eventually
do.”
Meanwhile Fred continues his
work with VOCA and recently
returned from a trip to Brazil.
He is grateful to all of these vol
unteer organizations for giving
him so many rich experiences and
he is particularly happy that Pen
nsylvania Farm Bureau was quick
to welcome a new member from
such a faraway land.
The program begins Tuesday,
March 18, and continues for seven
Tuesday evenings through April
29, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
All sessions will be held at St
John’s United Church of Christ,
1050 Buffalo Rd., RL 192 West
from Rt. 15, Lewisburg. Free
parking is available and the build
ing is wheelchair accessible. The
registration fee is $2O, which
includes a workbook, handouts for
each session and light
refreshments.
Women and men of all ages are
welcome to attend. To register
contact Penn State Cooperative
Extension of Northumberland
County at (717) 644-4455 or
1-800-479-2626 (ask for Penn
State).
SEE YOUR NEAREST
DEALER
FOR DEPENDABLE
EQUIPMENT & SERVICE
MESSICK Dependable
EQUIPMENT Motor Co.
RD 1, Box 255 A East Main Street
717-259-6617 215-273-3131
215-273-3737
Annvlllg. PA
BHM Farm
Equipment,
Inc.
RD I,Rte. 934
717-867-2211
R&W
|W™ nt C°; 610-987-6257
35 East Willow Street
717-243-2686
Messick Farm
Equipment, Inc.
Rt. 283 - Rheem’s
Exit
717-367-1319
Halifax. PA
Sweigard Bros.
R.D. 3, Box 13
717-896-3414
Honav Grove. PA S.G.LGWiS &
Norman D. Clark Son, Inc.
&o A n inn 352 N. Jennersville Rd
OOP, InC. 610-869-2214
Honey Grove, PA 1-800-869-9029
717-734-3682
Loysville, PA
717-789-3117
' MAHytAaD '
..-.A-i. ..,iarragxaagw.g.
Frederick. MD
Ceresville Ford New Holland, Inc.
Rt. 26 East 301-662-4197
Outside MD, 800-331-9122
NEW JERSEY
Bridgeton. NJ Washington. NJ
Leslie G. Fogg, Smith Tractor &
Inc. Equip., Inc.
Canton & Stow Creek 15 Hillcrest Ave.
Landing Rd. 908-689-7906
609-451-2727
609-935-5145
ft
NEWHOLLAM)
A.B.C. Groff, Inc.
110 South Railroad
717-354-4191
Olev. PA
C.J. Wonsidler
Bros.
Pitman. PA
Schreffler
Equipment
Pitman, PA
717-648-1120
Tamaaua. PA
Charles S.
Snyder, Inc.
R.D. 3
717-386-5945
Woodstown. NJ
Owen Supply Co.
Broad Street &
East Avenue
609-769-0308