Extension Agent Helps Feed The Hunger For Knowledge In Moldova GAIL STROCK Mifflin Co. Correspondent LEWISTOWN (Mifflin Co.) Take a group of people under communist rule for 80 years, give them freedom and democ racy, and what do you get? A group of highly motivated people who are fiercely proud of their country and the progress they’ve made, but extremely lacking in even the simplest free-enterprise concepts. That’s what Andrew Martin, Penn State Farm Management extension agent based in Mifflin County, found in April when he visited the Republic of Moldova, a former USSR republic that gained independence in 1991. Andrew visited Moldova as an agribusiness volunteer for the Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs. The program, funded by the U.S. Agency for Interna tiona] Development, strives to “improve the lives of small-scale and private farmers and agribu siness entrepreneurs in the former Soviet Union and south ern Africa.” Moldova compares in size to Maryland, borders Romania on one side and the Ukraine on the other three, and contains some of the richest soils in the world chernozem or black soil. The climate resembles the climate in Illinois, and its people look to the United States for knowledge and leadership. “When the communists left, everyone became a farmer,” Andrew explains. “The United States helped privatize the land, to come up with the deed pro cess and criteria for dividing the collective farms into five-acre increments. The United States recommended nondisputable survey points produced by GPS or Global Positioning System.” The country now consists of families trying to survive on five acres each while dealing with a corrupt and bankrupt govern ment. “This is the first genera tion after communism. They’ve never had to market products. Under communism, they were followers you produced your product, grapes, in, this case. Now they’re required to grow, PROBLEM MILK? Don't Dump Your Hard Work Down The Drainl Making Cheese With Your Milk Preserves Its Value 4-Milking Penalty Warm Milk No Milk Market CALL THE CHEESEMAKER We’ll Take Care of Everything Toll Free 888/624-3373 717/933-4385 Families throughout communities in Moldova share resources, such as tractors. With little available money, car parts are often retrofitted for use as garden tools, such as hoes. Farm Management specialist Andrew Martin, center, taught Moldovians market ing concepts for the ag products they produce. bottle, label, and sell, and they’ve never had an example of how to do that. I can teach mar keting, and they can repeat it back to me because the commu nist schooling required obedi ence and discipline, but they can’t apply it. They’re very inef ficient too. In fact, a word for ef ficiency doesn’t exist in their Romanian-based language.” Andrew introduced some marketing concepts to the class that he taught at the Moldova Agricultural College. He spent the previous week in Chistnau developing a lesson plan, “The World Bank lent money to the country to set up local banks. The banks started small, with only $5,000 to lend to local farmers for seed and short-term labor during harvesting. The bank’s board members are local people. I taught a one-week class in a small village of Mereseni to board members on how to approve a loan, what a banker should look for, when and if a member can borrow, and how to figure cash flow. The loans average $l5O with four Fin-Rum Charter Fishing Service 42’Diesel Powered, Bait and Tackle Provided, Fishing from Hoopers island, MD, Rock Fish, Blue Fish, Croaker, Sea Trout, Capt. Emerson Gundy PR 610-856-7131 MD 410-397-2159 Power Washing Painting - Sandblasting Specializing In Farm Buildings, Fences, Roof Feed M ills, Etc . Aerial Equipment AMOS FISH] 5269 Paes Rd., New Holland, PA 17! 717'354-9856 717-951:1527 Mo] Each family takes its turn shepherding the cows on common land along highways and around ponds. The cows are fed corn stalks in winter. - j,. Cowtown Rodeo I Cowtown , NJ. "Cow Capital of the First Frontier" Located on U.S. Route 40, eight miles east of the Delaware Memorial Bridge in Salem County MAY 27 THRU SEPTEMBER 30 Every Saturday Night ★ ★ 7:30 Rain or Shine Admission $lO Adults ★ ★ $5 Children 12 and under Free Parking ★ ★ ★Refreshment Stands Group Rates Available; Call 609-769-3200 557 ikilc Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 10, 2000-817 Zt- V' \ « months to pay. The average family’s net worth in Moldova is $5,000, including the house, land, cow, and chicken.” Andrew applied to become a volunteer for many reasons. “There’s a moral obligation to help. It’s in America’s best inter est to help for trading and world stability, and they are intelligent people a mind is a terrible thing to waste. It was a perfect match my skills with what the program personnel were looking for. I was drawn to the farmer-to-farmer approach. I’ve been on two mission trips prior to working for extension. I’ve always felt a need to help coun tries economically. It’s hard for a person to listen to anything else when they’re hungry.” Andrew found the people in Moldova hungry for more than just food. “The people were friendly, hospitable, lean, but healthy because they walk ev erywhere. Our meals consisted of cucumbers, spiced sausage, olives and sardines. If the family had money, homemade cow cheese, bread made on Saturday for the whole week, and pitchers of wine because the water isn’t drinkable. They have no consist ently available source of heat and no fertilizer for their crops. They take turns grazing their cows on common ground near a pond or along the road. They feed their cows straw. When they harvest the corn, the ker nels feed the chickens, the corn stock becomes fuel for heat, and the com leaves become handy in the outhouse. “Most of the people don’t want to live like Americans. They see us as very wasteful. They simple want the basics enough money to put gas in a car for a day trip once a month or to buy a gift when someone gets married, but they can’t. The trip has given Andrew new per spective. He said, “I feel blessed to pay taxes now. We get some thing for our money roads, schools. They don’t. They pay taxes and get nothing.” Moldova continues to face the challenge of growing economi cally and finding good leader ship for its country. When in Mereseni, the mayor told Andrew, “If the majority of people are farmers, and if they can’t manage individual farms, how can they manage their country?” “Emerging economies start with agriculture,” Andrew con cludes. “That’s why I went to Moldova.”
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