Each 



would pass a horse-drawn milk wagon making its daHi) rounds. ...Horses are also used to pull plows, grain harvest- 



ers, & supply wagons. With expensive gasoline & farm machinery, it makes economic sense for small farms to utilize horse power when 

 ever possible. CONTRAST tfiis with other farms which operate using the latest equipment & cultural techniques. One greenhouse 

 producer of cut orchids, lilies & gerberas had rolling benches, automatic curtains & modern watering equipment. 



Nancy Adams 



Travel can be one of the most exhilarating, frustrat- 

 ing, exciting, and exhausting experiences possible. 

 I was reminded of this once again when I traveled 

 to Poland recently for a six-month work assignment. 



IVly trip to Poland was coordinated by USDA Coop- 

 erative Extension in Washington, 

 D.C., and funded through U.S. Aid for 

 International Development (US AID). 

 Officially called the "Polish-American 

 Extension Project" or PAEP, its a 

 four-year effort to assist the Polish 

 Extension Service in working within 

 market-driven economic principles 

 and practices. In reality, it has become much more di- 

 verse in its scope, reaching into areas such as personnel 

 management and leadership development. When the 

 project ends in December, 1995, approximately 50 U.S. 

 Extension personnel will have worked in most of the 47 

 Polish provinces 



Each PAEP team sent to a specific province consists 

 of an U.S. Extension specialist in agricultural economics 

 and a county-based Extension educator, like myself. 

 During the six-month period, my co-worker, Verne House 

 from Clemson University, and 1 worked directly with the 

 Cooperative Extension director and his staff in the prov- 

 ince of Czestochowa. Fortunately, the project provided 

 us with two full-time translators, computer equipment, 

 and cars. 



Car travel in a foreign country is always a dangerous 

 proposition. My second day during our orientation in- 

 cluded a driving lesson around the busy Warsaw city 

 streets. Heads kept swiveling as we narrowly avoided 

 crisscrossing tram buses, wild rotary circles, and oddly 

 positioned traffic lights. I felt fortunate to escape after 

 six months with only one accident and no bruises. Even 

 Boston traffic seems tame in comparison! 



Agriculture continues to play a key role in the politics 

 and culture of Poland. While we think of Communist ag- 

 riculture as large, cooperative state-run farms, over 80% 

 of Polish farmland has always remained in private own- 

 ership. These small, family-owned operations form the 

 backbone of Polish agriculture 



Visits to Polish farms and rural communities offer in- 

 teresting glimpses into centuries-old traditions. Draft 

 horses are still a primary source of agricultural power for 

 much of the country. Each morning, 1 would pass a 

 horse-drawn milk wagon making its daily rounds. Since 

 many farms only have 1-3 milking cows, large refriger- 

 ated milk-collection tankers are not practical. Horses are 

 also used to pull plows, grain harvesters, and supply 

 wagons. With expensive gasoline and farm machinery, it 

 makes economic sense for small farms to utilize horse 



Glimpses of 



POLAND 



power whenever possible. Their long-term economic vi- 

 ability, however, remains in question as the country 

 struggles with a global marketplace. 



Contrast this with other farms which operate using the 

 latest equipment and cultural techniques. One green- 

 house producer of cut orchids, lilies, 

 and gerberas had rolling benches, au- 

 tomatic curtains, and modern watering 

 equipment. Frequent trips to The 

 Netherlands and Denmark keep her 

 abreast of new developments in 

 greenhouse production. She com- 

 mented that at today's prices for fuel, 

 land, bank loans, and labor, she could not afford to start 

 farming today in Poland. She feels her economic advan- 

 tage will allow her to remain competitive into the future. 

 Agricultural communities have been at the center of 

 federal domestic economic policy. When urban factories 

 and businesses closed, rural areas absorbed these dis- 

 placed workers and offered them a safe haven with ex- 

 tended family. The government now faces the difficult 

 challenge of trying to encourage rural economic develop- 

 ment to maintain and support this population, much of 

 which is unemployed. They fear that a widespread exo- 

 dus to cities will create many of the same urban prob- 

 lems currently experienced in inner-city America. 



One key impediment to economic development is in- 

 adequate infrastructure. For decades, central government 

 controlled the distribution and price of agricultural 

 goods and services. Now that this structure no longer ex- 

 ists, agricultural businesses are having difficulty finding 

 markets, moving goods to market, and pricing goods. The 

 concept of a middleman or broker for goods is just now be- 

 ing better understood and accepted. Sound familiar? 



There is no doubt in my mind that Poland will pros- 

 per in the coming years. Their historical position as a 

 net exporter of food remains intact. The sense of entre- 

 preneurship is alive and well. The younger generation is 

 looking forward to an exciting future in the free world. 

 And the government is striving to maintain a balance 

 between reform and stability. Overall, a very positive 

 picture is taking shape around harsh economic and so- 

 cial realities. 



For those who have never traveled outside the 

 United States, I would highly recommend a trip 

 "abroad". It will help sharpen your senses, encourage 

 you to rethink your biases, improve your mental 

 flexibility. ...or perhaps break it, and renew your appre- 

 ciation for America. You know, we really do live in the 

 land of opportunity. 



Nancy hdams is UNH Cooperalive Educalwn Agricultural Educa- 

 tor, Rockingham County. Ske can be reached at 603-679-5616. 



Octobers November 1995 



15 



