114-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 15,2001
Poland Team Explores
Factories, Farms, and Festivals
LOU ANN GOOD
Food And Family
Features Editor
Friday, Sept. 7
Today was rainy for our sight
seeing tour. Nevertheless the
dreariness did not hide the beau
ty of the landscape surrounding
the 17th century castle at the mu
seum of Lancut.
Of all the castles we toured,
this was my favorite. It seemed
more livable. But the wealth that
a few citizens achieved is in
marked contrast to those who
lived in the surrounding areas.
Unfortunately we were not al
lowed to take pictures inside the
castle of the ornate furnishings.
We' needed to wear felt shoes
overtop of our own to protect the
beautiful wooden floors com
posed of many different woods
and designs.
We also toured a wicker, rat
tan, and classic furniture factory.
This had been a home business
that has expanded to employ 160
persons. In addition about 7,000
work out of their home to weave
Group members gather for a picture in “Oldtown.”
wicker, which grows as a plant in
the field.
One of our group exclaimed
over the uniqueness of a large
suitcase basket. The owner in
sisted on giving it to her. She
tried to decline graciously, but he
insisted on mailing it to her home
in New York.
It seems natural to comment
on items we like, and are not ac
customed to be given items just
because we like them. It seems
ungracious and rude not to com
pliment people.
We stopped at an agrotourism
farm in the area, which was large
enough to sleep 20 persons. The
rooms featured individually-tiled
bathrooms of the newest designs.
The owner said that her husband
and son did the tile work which
saved tremendous amount of
money.
This farm also provided a cat
ering business with an area for
groups to be served.
In the afternoon we met with
4-H groups in the area. Ethnic
dances and a folk group band
welcomed us and performed.
They told us about their 4-H
programming and asked many
questions about ours. These
groups composed of girls focused
on cooking and preserving tradi
tional crafts. They had such
sweet, innocent faces.
The traditional garb worn to
perform the dances varies from
region to region. One of our
group asked where she could
purchase a hand embroidered
blouse, the woman said they were
not available but offered to sell
the one she wore.
Our team member gave her
double the money she asked and
the woman kissed the money and
seemed ecstatic with the money.
We toured a food processing
plant that was established in re
cent years. The plant processes
Polish pickles, relishes, and pre
serves. They even import some
pickles and sweet and sour cab
bage to the U.S.
The plant did not seem to have
approved methods for canning
nor personal safety for workers,
nonetheless it is providing
200-250 jobs which are greatly
needed in the area.
The owner seemed quite proud
of his plant and offered us a table
spread with snacks and plenty of
beverages. He also took us to one
of his two supermarkets. We
were impressed with the cleanli
ness and wide selection of prod
ucts.
I forgot to mention that on a
previous day, we had made a
stop at a restaurant. Our group
was divided into two vehicles and
we drove off without Kathryn
Wentzel who was in the rest
room.
We were not far when we re
membered and yelled stop, but
the driver who did not under
stand English continued. No one
in our vehicle spoke Polish.
We jabbered and made all
kinds of motions, but the driver
only smiled as if we were quite
crazy and continued.
Fortunately our next stop was
about 10 minutes later, where we
told the Polish translator. Kath
ryn was quickly retrieved. She
had remained calm and confi
dent of our soon return.
However this incident serves to
remind us how difficult the lan
guage barrier is to clearly state
our intentions.
Saturday, Sept. 8
After breakfast we drove sever
al hours to a festival promoting
agriculture and the work of the
ODR. This was quite interesting.
Many vendors had set up dis
play and we have fun taste-test
ing berries, cheeses, yogurt, and
other items. They served string
cheese tied in knots and braided.
I am always impressed with
their decorative touches such as
many plants and arrangements
incorporating flowers, tree leaves,
vines, berries, and small apples.
The place was packed with visi
tors and was held inside and out
side the ODR buildings in that
area.
Unfortunately the livestock
competitions will not be con-
ducted until the following day. I
would have enjoyed seeing if the
competitions were similar to
those at our fairs and the state
farm show.
Lunch was held inside a for
mer castle, now belonging to the
ODR. A band played while we
were lead into huge rooms simi
lar to those at the White House.
Tables were spread with the
most elaborate displays of region
al foods. Heavy white linens,
stemware and fine china were
used.
We, dressed in clothes appro
priate for a fair, felt quite con
spicuous surrounded by govern
ment professionals dressed in
three-piece suits, and tailored
suits.
The food was superb and over
abundant. 1 noticed that the
Americans seemed to be about
the only people eating. The Pol
ish were drinking vodka and sip
ping many of the other wines and
beer available.
Several artists demonstrated
their work and sold it. It’s too
bad we don’t have more room to
bring home the pottery, rugs, and
other items available for pur
chase.
We had another long trip to a
new area. It has been raining for
several days and is unseasonably
cool for this time of the year. The
temperatures dropped to the 40s
and most of us are layered with
clothing but are still cold.
The ODR in this area is in dis
repair and the people do not
seem as friendly. We noticed
many older people and it be
comes evident that the rooms are
being used as a home for senior
citizens and perhaps mentally
handicapped.
We are glad to leave that place
as it reminds us of a Communist
controlled area. We are not sure
why there is a big difference
among so many ODRs except
some are managed locally and
some with greater government
help.
Wawel Hill and castle was another stop for the group.
Sunday, Sept. 9
Today we faced a 12-hour
drive to a new area. We hadn’t
been served coffee for breakfast
the first time this happened and
planned to stop at a place along
the way.
However most places are
closed on Sunday and we did not
find a place open until 11:30 a.m.
We purchased only beverages as
we planned on a lunch break
within a short time.
However it was 4 p.m. before
we stopped for lunch at the insis
tence of our group leader. The
drivers were distressed that the
restaurant was too pricey, but we
Lou Aqq
in
Polapd
were happy to pay the difference.
We hadn’t been aware that
such a nice restaurant existed in
the country. Even by American
standards the restaurant was up
scale, with beautiful mahogany
woods and carpeting.
They had both Polish and Eng
lish menus and it was delightful
to be able to eat more typical
American food such as grilled
salmon and creamy potatoes.
The agrotourism place where
we are staying is very nice, but
four of us stay in an adjacent
building because the house is full.
The house is heated, but for us
four, there is no heat. Still we are
grateful for the newness and spa
ciousness of the place and being
apart from the main group gives
us more a feeling of indepen
dence.
Monday, Sept. 10
Today we were picked up by
bus to attend a national symposi
um on rural tourism as an ele
ment of rural development.
The large modern gymnasium
with cork flooring and many win
dows is set up similar to a con
vention that would be in the
states. Balloons, banners, and
vendors with stands surround the
room.
The speakers are Polish-speak
ing and our interpreter sits at a
table trying to interpreter in a
low voice so as not to disrupt the
speaker. It is extremely difficult
to understand with the back
ground noise.
A video of Poland’s farmland,
equipment production, and other
businesses is shown. Czeslaw
Nowak, a professor from the ag-
riculture university that we met
earlier, graciously explains the
credit assistance and other pro
grams available to farmers who
are involved in agrotourism.
We need to go to a different
building for lunch. We walk in
the wind and rain to tour a local
flour mill. The equipment was
the finest 40 years ago and is ade-
quate for their needs.
Czeslaw is a storehouse of in-
formation.
Tuesday, Sept. 11
After a typical breakfast of to
matoes, cheese, pickles, hard
rolls, and a hardboiled egg, we
departed from the delightful ag
rotourism farm where we had
spent two nights.
The driver had a difficult time
finding the way as there was a
road detour. We had a winding
drive through the countryside
along the lake area.
We stopped to see several dif
ferent agrotourism farms, and
can see that they vary greatly in
style, and amenrector, ate a 5
p.m. lunch, and met with 40
Ukrainians attending a confer
ence on regional development.
The program needed to be in
terpreted in three different lan
guages and it was very difficult to
understand.
After the meeting we traveled
to another agrotourism farm for
a nine o’clock dinner and bed.
After the meal, our host told us
we could watch BBC world news,
which is the first English speak
ing news we have been able to
hear since our arrival.
The news of the bombings and
destruction is quite distressing.
We are overwhelmed with con
cern for the thousands of people
who have been affected by these
disasters.
We are concerned about our
own flights home. ‘When I get
home, I am never leaving again’
is my reaction. We stay up past
midnight watching the news.
Fortunately, I sleep well.
The morning news sheds little
more light on what has hap
pened. We leave our host family,
mostly hating to leave their tele
vision our only contact with
the outside world.
We have not been able to call
home or e-mail for a week, and
are not sure if we will be able to
hear any more English speaking
news programs.
The Polish, however, are very
gracious in expressing their sym
pathy for what has happened to
the U.S. They know what it is
like to experience such destruc
tion.
I think of the Polish. Com
pared to them we have a higher
standard of living and a stronger
economy. But this isn’t because
we are smarter or harder work
ing.
Instead, we our interior bor
ders have been protected from
enemy destruction. Imagine hav
ing the same destruction that has
happened in the U.S. happening
repeatedly as has happen to Po
land.
I question whether or not we
will remain as determined, en
during hardships of need for as
many decades that they have. I
pray we won’t need to face it.
During the morning we have
teaching sessions with the To war
zystwem Rozwoju Dzierzgonia.
The mayor and the international
relations director tell of their
strides in overcoming environ
ment issues for which they have
earned international awards.
“But our biggest problem is
lack of money and 32 percent un
employment,” the director said.