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CLASS I
INTERNATIONAL STUDY SEMINAR
MARCH 16-30, 1993
GERMANY, POLAND, CZECH REPUBLIC
(click on thumbnail images to see a larger version)
Day 1: 16 March 1993.
En Route from Kansas to Germany
Reporters: Bradley Goering and Raymond Hemman
Hemman:
At 6:35:30 p.m. CST, the educational adventure officially began. At that moment,
American Airlines Flight No. 1492 lifted off the runway at Kansas City International
Airport.
For many of us, this odyssey began much earlier. Planning for this seminar by the board
began before the first class was selected in May 1991. The class began work on the journey
during its first session in October 1991.
More immediately, our group left their various homes as early as 5 a.m. today. They
were on the road for Kansas City, Mo., as long or longer than they will be in the air for
Germany.
Today also was a time for family -- often tearful farewells to spouses and children.
But we also came together with our other family -- the Kansas Agriculture and Rural
Leadership Program. Over the past 18 months, we have learned to live together in close
quarters, work together over the miles and not to take our human foibles to seriously.
A total of 32 Kansans left -- 29 KARL Class I members; Jack Lindquist, KARL president;
and Ray Purdy and Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh, board members. One class member, Mike Jensen, was
unable to attend the seminar because of activity within the Kansas Legislature.
Our first flight left KCI about 40 minutes late because of weather problems elsewhere
in the country. We arrived at Chicago O'Hare at 7:37 p.m.
By 8:10 p.m., we were boarding American Airlines Flight No. 158 for Dusseldorf,
Germany. We backed out of the skyport at 8:33 p.m. on the Boeing 767. At 9:01:04 p.m. CST,
we were airborne. The time at our destination in Germany was seven hours ahead -- 4:01:04
a.m. on takeoff.
Goering:
I always look forward to our program meetings even though I am a little apprehensive at
first because of all the last-minute details to do. It has all been worth it -- a learning
experience of a lifetime.
As the time really gets close to leave, I become anxious to travel across the state
with the Western Kansas KARL Pool. I also look forward to getting to wherever we are going
to meet with other KARL members.
The trip to Kansas city began with an early call from Mark Smith from Tribune. Howdy.
Howdy! As expected, the plane ride from Kansas City to Chicago was smooth with a 35-minute
delay in takeoff.
At Chicago, I made two calls -- one to a student to check on how classes went and one
to Sharon, my fiance, to say "Bon voyage" from the states.
I'm excited to get to go to Europe to learn, tour and see the people. It will be an
experience that I'll not forget. I know that if it were not for KARL and their support --
29 other members -- I would not be as far along in my leadership abilities. I wish good
luck to everyone, continued success, and look forward to our alumni meetings.
Day 2: 17 March 1993. Arrival at Dusseldorf and first day in Europe
Reporters: Rollie Martin and Ron Rahjes
Martin:
After flight instructions to "Sit back and relax on your flight to
Dusseldorf," board members Ray Purdy and Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh leaned back and broke
their airplane seats. After collecting their embarrassed bodies, they relocated elsewhere
on the plane.
The seven-hour flight seemed to go by relatively fast with some KARL people getting
good sleep while others were uncomfortable from their seating in the warm confines of the
middle row of seats. The dinner and breakfast were OK. Some people needed help getting
their food out of the packages, however.
Landed in Dusseldorf at 11:30 a.m. German time. The rain had stopped in Dusseldorf and
it was 50 degrees. We met tour guide John Peacock, picked up our luggage and proceeded to
the tour bus. We also met Alan Cartledge, the bus driver.
Once we arrived in the center of Cologne, we had about 45 minutes to look around before
going to the hotel. We took a tour of the St. Peter and Mary Cathedral in Cologne. I was
impressed by the size and architecture of the building. The main altar of worship was
impressive. The side altars were shrines to Mary and other Catholic saints. It was a very
cold structure with the friars forbidding visitors to wear hats or smoke cigars.
Later, I had my first transaction using the German mark. I bought a pork sausage and
bread for 3.70 marks (about $2.33).
After a chance to go to our hotel rooms, the KARL I group rode an hour to tour a German
farm near Euskirchen. We were greeted by the owner Karl O. Ditges and an agricultural
representative of the area.
The owner told us about his farm of 625 acres and buildings that were 110 years old.
His farm consisted of a third wheat, a third sugar beets and a final third split between
barley and vegetables. He is a member of a growers' cooperative and all the crops are
grown under contract.
There was an exchange of questions and answers about the cost of land, crop production,
government regulations in his and other nations and the General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade.
The evening consisted of dinner at 7:15 p.m. and meeting Randy Miller of the State of
Kansas European Office in Brussels.
Rahjes:
We arrived in Dusseldorf at approximately 11:30 a.m. German time when we cleared the
passport check with no difficulty. After meeting our tour director, John Peacock, we drove
to Cologne. Other than the magnificent cathedral and large train station, the city was not
much different in appearance from many American cities.
The farm visit was very interesting. We learned that the German farmers' concerns are
not much different from our own. Their profit margin also is very slim, and it appears
that the GATT talks and other trade discussions will have a profound impact on their
future. It is too bad we cannot have farmers from their respective countries trying to
solve the trade problems, rather than the politicians because farmers have to live with
the results of the talks.
The visit with Randy Miller of the State of Kansas European Office was interesting. It
had to be. The group was in the process of caving in to jet lag. We are being well served
by Miller's work in Europe. It was nice to see a Downs, Kan., native in such a position.
Our hotel rooms were not lavish but were comfortable. We had some excellent-tasting
local beer.
Day 3: March 18, 1993
Reporters: Don Adams and John Thaemert
Thaemert:
Everyone was quite tired from the trip, which was made evident by the nodding heads at
the evening meal last light. This morning, however, is a new day, and everyone appears
rested. The Hotel Basselhof was accommodating although spartan by U.S. standards. As tired
as everyone was last night, however, it didn't matter. We had a great breakfast, loaded
the bus and took off to Monnheim on an overcast morning.
The tour of the Bayer AG proved to be quite impressive. The plant was very modern and
technically advanced. We had courteous tour guides who had no hint of arrogance. The
speaker before lunch, Jurgen Mahlstedt, was an upper-level manager from technical services
for Bayer. He spoke on the increasing difficulty of getting government approval to release
new pesticides and keeping existing pesticides on the market.
The cost to bring a new chemical to market is phenomenal at between $80 and $100
million and taking between six and 10 years. Only multinational conglomerates such as
Bayer could afford the process.
After an elegant lunch, compliments of Bayer, that included white reisling wine, we
boarded the bus for the long trip to Leipzig. The countryside became more rolling with
fewer towns and houses as we progressed northeast.
The difference between East and West Germany was immediately evident upon crossing the
line where the border once was. After a seven-hour bus ride, we arrived at the Hotel
Mittelmuhle in Kohren-Sahlis.
As soon as we arrived at the hotel, we sat down for dinner of pork and fried potatoes,
served with a fine local beer.
After the meal, we heard from some East German farm managers. These people seem very
capable of dealing with the future of production agriculture in a world market.
After dinner, we enjoyed an evening with some East German teachers in the hotel bar.
After saying our goodbyes to the East Germans, I retired to my room. Although small,
accommodations were very comfortable. From Bayer AG to the Hotel Mittelmuhle, it has been
an interesting day.
Adams:
7 a.m.: After a very restful night for most class members in what seemed to be 1950-ish
accommodations, the class enjoyed a great breakfast of cereals, meats, breads, cheeses,
juices, coffee and milk. Each of us seemed to be filled with emotions of anticipation. As
usual, faces beamed with smiles and the room rings with laughter. Discussions of our
new-found knowledge abounds.
9 a.m.: Once again, we board the bus to see new sites. Our first stop is at the Bayer
AG corporate offices and the Bayer research departments. It was quickly explained the
complex was split into separate buildings, according to the area of expertise. Areas
included advertising and promotion, veterinary medicines, human health products, consumer
products (including makeup) and agricultural products. We toured, we learned and we were
very impressed.
One particular department spends a great deal of time and money studying their products
and the effect of those products on the environment. After enjoying an excellent lunch, we
continued our touring.
12:30 p.m.: As we began our long trip towards Leipzig, I could not help but notice the
cleanliness and beauty of the countryside. It reminded me somewhat of the hills of the
Ozarks with much more farm ground. There are many small villages with mostly off-white
two- or three-story homes. The homes have tile roofs and appear to have two to four small
rooms per story.
5:30 p.m.: We cross the area where only three short years ago travel was next to
impossible because of the Iron Curtain. This was as different as day and night. The homes
were older on the East side, shabby, with some appearing to be shacks. The businesses were
run down, and the farms appeared to be much larger. The farm ground appeared to be as good
as in the West but the buildings were unkept.
The difference between western and eastern Germany was much greater than the difference
between the U.S. and western Germany.
8:30 p.m.: After a late arrival to our lovely little village inn where
most of us stayed, we enjoyed a delicious meal of pork, cucumber salad, potatoes and
onions and mixed vegetables. We were joined by seven very interesting East Germans,
including cooperative farm managers, journalists and a young woman who had studied to
become an economist. Eight months of her education occurred in Washington, D.C.
It was an interesting and valuable exchange of dialogue between agriculturists of two
different countries.
Even though we have some very different circumstances under which to produce food for
our fellow man, some things are very much the same. We all are proud of what we do, we all
very much love our families, we all seek to do what we do in a better way for a better
profit and we all share the same earth under the same God.
Words cannot express my feelings to be a part of this very special Class I of KARL.
This is an opportunity to embrace so much and so many. Also, this is my opportunity to
better prepare to help create our future, not just to accept it.
Day 4: March 19, 1993
Reporters: Fred Hall and Curtis Willhite.
The group divided up last night with eight of us going to the Gastatte Waldschanke in
Rudigsdorf. After six hours of rest, we awoke to cold showers and a breakfast of strong
coffee, boiled eggs, a variety of pork cuts, beef tongue and cheese.
Bradley Goering was scolded by the woman of the house in Rudigsdorf for sneaking out
the window to go running this morning. There is a marked contrast in the look and
accommodations in this part of Germany.
The other 24 members of the group stayed in Kohren-Sahlis at the Hotel Mittelmuhle,
which means "average mill." Most people got up before breakfast and walked
through the village.
We found the janitor at the grade school to be quite friendly. He told us the village
was 1,000 years old, and medieval towers overlooking the village were 2,000 years old. The
towers were built to overlook the Salt Road, which was a trade route through Germany to
the Czech Republic.
Even though a majority of houses appeared very decrepit, it was evident that the people
desired information after the fall of the communist regime. Almost every house had a
satellite dish.
The route through the country southeast of Leipzig was full of coal-fired electric
generating plants and large brown coal pit mines. The coal has a high sulfur content,
causing tremendous smog problems. We had a chance to witness the skill of a German truck
driver when we followed two trucks that were going down a dead-end street. At least one of
the trucks had to back all the way out of the street. The driver backed a tandem-axle,
straight-frame cargo truck, pulling a steerable four-wheel trailer all the way up the
street and around the corner without having to stop. Just to make it interesting, the
street was the width of one lane of an American highway, and there were two cars parked on
alternate sides of the street.
We arrived in Wittenburg at about 11:30 a.m. and spent most of the next hour touring
the city and eating lunch. Most class members visited the church were Martin Luther posted
the 95 theses that started his revolt against the Roman Catholic Church and began the
Protestant Reformation.
In Wittenburg, we saw a variety of shops from guns to toys, sporting goods, clothing
and electronics. The streets were full of vendors, pedestrians and construction equipment.
There even was a horse-drawn cart.
As we left Wittenburg, we passed many abandoned factories in varying degrees of
dilapidation.
To get to the farm at Zachow, it was necessary to take the bus on a ferry to cross the
lake. On the first attempt, the bus followed three other vehicles onto the ferry, but the
ferry bottomed out. The bus had to back off and wait for the ferry to return. Dr.
Flinchbaugh nearly swallowed his cigar in anxiety over the failed attempt. We were
successful on the second attempt but arrived late at the farm.
Our visit to Agro GmbH at Zachow, located just west of Berlin, was enlightening in
several ways. Agro was a former state farm that has been operating privately for only six
months. It consisted of 1,100 hectares (2,739 acres) of which 750 hectares (1,867.5 acres)
were arable and 350 hectares (871.5 acres) were grass. The operation also had 250
lactating dairy cows.
Under communist state control, it employed 120 workers, but privately, it has only 20
employees. All 120 employees were fired, and managers started hiring from scratch. The
manager said it probably was not the most socially responsible thing to do, but the farm
must operate at a profit now.
This farm probably will not improve in appearance very soon because this GmbH rents
much of its land from the state trust. Because the land has been "taken" from
the people three times in the last 50 years, there are many questions about ownership.
Until this debate is settled, the farm land can only be rented for a year at a time. The
farm manager does not want to invest in improvements on land he may lose.
The trip into Berlin showed us many aspects of a dramatically changed situation. We
drove past an abandoned Soviet military base, which was extremely run down and is not used
for anything now. We then drove through the area where "Der Maner" (The Wall)
once stood. Now it is an open area where something obviously was removed.
It appears obvious that the Germans want to leave no reminders of the physical barrier
that separated one people into separate societies.
As we continued into Berlin, it immediately was obvious that we had driven from East
Germany into West Berlin. The change was dramatic. But the change as we drove through the
Brandenburg Gate and entered East Berlin was shocking. The buildings that were brightly
colored and clean looking in West Berlin were suddenly dreary and run down in East Berlin.
We even could see evidence on old buildings of World War II strafing and shrapnel damage.
At 5:45 p.m., we arrived at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin where we heard from Harold
Foster, who is the deputy director of the economics section of the U.S. Embassy. We also
heard from Michael Deckwitz, who serves in the Berlin office of the German Department of
Agriculture.
We were told how under the old GDR, everyone was a "specialist" allowed to do
only one job on the farm. Now, farmers must learn to do many different jobs. This led the
KARL class into offering our farms as places for the German farmers to visit and learn our
methods first hand.
We also were told the German people were sure to face a much more difficult task than
they originally thought in bringing the two Germanies together on equal economic terms.
Chancellor Helmut Kohl, in the euphoria of the moment, promised the people whatever needed
to be done would be done to equal out the two. Now it appears obvious that will be harder
and more painful that most thought.
We arrived at Hotel Berolina at about 7:30 p.m., found our rooms, shared a wonderful
meal and retired to our rooms or started out to explore Berlin.
Day 5: March 20, 1993
Reporters: Rich Felts and Jerry McReynolds
Saturday was the first leisure day we had since leaving Kansas. We began our
Berlin-area tour with city guide Jana Schaarschmidt. She was a very attractive,
knowledgeable guide. We visited a remaining guard watch tower and section of The Wall
where local artists printed their contributions since the change in government. The stops
allowed us a photo opportunity.
Berlin is full of history. There is quite a contrast between East Berlin and West
Berlin. Dividing Berlin between East and West caused some duplication of facilities now
that it again is one city.
The Soviet-built apartment houses are depressing and plain. There is considerable
evidence of the Russians' lack of pride and upkeep. Rent has increased from 80 Dmarks a
month ($50.40) to 400 Dmarks ($252) while wages in East Germany have been set at only 80
percent of their western neighbors. A legal battle is in the works for East Germany that
concerns ownership of farm land and city property.
Stops included a small memorial for some of those who were killed trying to escape over
the wall and the Reichstag (former German Parliament building). Taste buds were challenged
for lunch in downtown Berlin while others shopped.
The Potsdam area was toured after lunch. The area was filled with history of interest
to the class and the United States. From July 11, 1945, to Aug. 2, 1945, the Potsdam
Conference was held. President Truman was elected chairman. The three countries -- Great
Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States -- were represented by five delegates
each. The code name "Terminal" was the room where the Potsdam agreement was
struck on Aug. 2, 1945.
The next stop included a visit to the last Prussian palace. Friedrick Der Grosse
(Frederick the Great) built an extravagant palace in the 17th century called Sanssoucci,
which means "without worry." This palace was used only by Frederick the Great,
(no women allowed) during the summer, for relaxation and to entertain male guests.
The evening was enjoyed by the class in various activities and entertainment. Some
enjoyed a symphony at the Philharmonic Chamber by the orchestra. Ethnic appreciation was
developed at a Russian restaurant near the Hotel Berolina. Dinner also was enjoyed at the
East Berlin television tower, which was built in 1969 and is 365 meters tall (1,198 feet).
Today was a day of historical reflection from the present, back through World War II
and to the 17th century.
It has been a privilege to learn, travel and meet with such a group of dedicated
individuals.
Day 6: March 21, 1993
Reporters: Steve Baccus and Tom Pressgrove
Baccus:
Today, we left Berlin and drove to Poznan. Farms are private, cooperative or
non-collectivized. Average size of cooperative farm is 5,000 hectares (12,450 acres).
Trucks are not allowed to travel on Sunday in Germany. At the border crossing, we
passed two lanes of parked trucks that stretched 2 to 3 miles. A small bottle of vodka and
six-pack of beer was needed to ease our way past border guards and into Poland. The
exchange rate on this day was 16,700 zloty per dollar.
As we entered Poland, we leave the autobahn and travel rougher roads. The roads have an
extra half-lane on each side of the two-lane road. Cars pass at will and both oncoming
vehicles move over onto the outside half-lane.
Poland has 3 million farmers. Overall, about 75 percent are small, private farms of 15
hectares (37.35 acres). Western Poland is largely big state farms. While in Germany,
farmers mostly live in villages, farmers in Poland live on farms that are scattered around
the countryside between villages. We pass many fields of grapes and miniature apple trees.
After checking into our hotel, we depart for Manieszki Farms. This farm has 6,413
hectares (15,968 acres). Of the Polish farms in this area, 30 percent are state owned, 12
percent are cooperatives and the balance are private.<
The government is trying to privatize by selling the state-owned farms. But since no
one has any money, it is hard to sell the farms. The state also is trying to lease the
farms to private groups. A final methods of privatization is for a manager to operate the
farm by contract.
This particular farm was recently sold at auction to a large, newly formed private
corporation. Ownership will change hands in April. Tillable land on this farm is 5,000
hectares (12,450 acres). The operation includes between 3,000 and 4,000 cattle, 10,000
hogs, 10,000 sheep and 80,000 chickens. The farm also produces 120 metric tons (132.27
tons) of fish, which are carp.
The crop production includes 1,000 hectares (2,490 acres) of corn, 350 hectares (871.5
acres) of sugar beets, 400 hectares (996 acres) of rapeseed and 200 hectares (498 acres)
of potatoes.
The soil is sandy with the main problem being a lack of water. Average rainfall is 400
millimeters (16 inches) annually. Irrigation is used on 2,500 hectares (6,225 acres) and
is done by underground canals.
This farm processes nearly all its production through its own processing plants,
bakeries and dairies. Out of 550 employees, 35 are engineers.
At first glance, there seems to be no ag policy in Poland, and its government seems to
have little concern for its farmers and farm problems.
We then visited a store owned by the farm that sold some of the produce of the
operation.
After dinner, we traveled to Poznan University and visited with several agricultural
students and the assistant dean.
Pressgrove:
The evening meeting with the students was interesting. We learned that 25 percent of
the population is farmers and 75 percent of them farm less than 50 acres.
There is a strong movement back to the farm in Poland. Many of the Polish people speak
English but don't care for the language. The Poles always have been trounced by other
nations and have a protective attitude.
The eastern portion of Poland has large, level timbered areas. The farm land in many
places is rolling with no terraces and has been tilled very deeply but has not shown much
erosion.
About 2 percent of the facilities are new, but the Poles are in great need of paint on
existing structures. Possibly the pride level will rise as communism is put into the back
of their minds. Currently, it seems as though many of the Poles still think in the old
ways as we saw on our tour of the Manieszki farm.
Day 7: March 22, 1993
Reporters: David Cross and Don Schroeder
We were up at 6:30 a.m. and had breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Breakfast included cold cuts,
bread and cheese. We leave the Novatel Hotel at 8:30 a.m. Poznan has nice weather, but the
smog already is quite heavy. Brown coal apparently is used for heating, judging by the
chimney smoke. We see many trolleys and buses for public transportation.
We arrived at Pozmeats, a pork and cattle packing plant that has a capacity of 1,500
hogs and 300 cattle per day. Most of their exports go to Europe, Asia and Africa. About
6,000 metric tons (6,614 tons) of pork is exported to the United States annually from
Poland. Of this amount, Pozmeats exports about 30 percent.
Prices for hogs are about 13,000 to 14,000 zloty per kilogram (35 to 38 cents per
pound) and 11,000 to 12,000 per kilogram (30 to 33 cents per pound) for cattle. Sirloin
steak is sold for 136,000 zloty per kilogram ($3.69 a pound).
Skilled workers at this plant get about 425,000 zloty per month (about $255). Pozmeats
employs 1,800 workers. The manager said his employees earned 30 to 40 percent more than
the average worker in Poland.
We stopped in Konin for lunch and a little adventure. Some of us purchased a Polish hot
dog and Pepsi for 66 cents (11,000 zloty). Konin has the appearance of a third-world city
with lots of smog, some extreme poverty and poor sanitary conditions. Yet, the people
dress quite well and would laugh and joke as they walked.
Driving through the countryside, the soil appears sandy with rocks here and there. The
terrain is generally flat with some rolling hills. The tillage is done by tractor, but
occasionally a horse in used for wagons or light tillage. There is a little new
construction, but most buildings are older and in run-down condition.
We arrived at the U.S. Embassy and met with Wayland Beegley from the agriculture office
of the embassy. He explained that Poland is twice the size of Illinois. Wheat is the major
crop and hogs and dairy cattle are the major animals produced.
There are four functions in this office:
- Extension project -- forest service, crop progress and quality.
- Research commodities -- economic research
- Ag marketing -- Working on the creation of new quality standards.
- Management of agricultural research
Soil acidity is about 4 to 4.5, which creates a problem for growing crops such as
alfalfa.
Other problems that affect Polish agriculture include 35 percent interest rates,
unemployment of 13 percent, $1.70 a bushel wheat and the price of good land ranges between
$600 and $700 an acre. Marketing skills pose the biggest problem for young farm students.
We checked into the Forum Hotel for two nights, which provides really nice
accommodations. We had a delicious steak dinner, followed by evening walks for most in our
group.
Day 8: March 23, 1993.
Reporters: Barb Oplinger and Mark Smith
This morning, we woke up in Warsaw, the capital and principal city of Poland. It is
situated on the Vistula River. It seems like we are as far east as we can be because we
see the light of the morning very early but cannot see the sun.
Today is the eighth day of our study tour and is the half-way point. Time is flying by,
and soon we will be back in our own world. There are certain habits of life in Eastern
Europe that we find interesting and we would like to mention:
- Meat and cheese for breakfast.
- Coffee that is as strong as it is expensive.
- The only water we drink is in bottles.
- Hair dryers that don't work.
- Receiving a menu that you can't read.
- Needing a bathroom and having to pay to use it and having to buy the toilet paper.
- Not knowing which is the men's or ladies' bathroom.
- Seven-foot-wide bedrooms
- The bombardment of noise in a city that never sleeps.
- The absence of nature's song.
- Trash and litter around the city that makes us appreciate our litter and clean-air
standards.
- The paradigm of zeros in converting low-value currency.
- The American cars in Warsaw.
After breakfast, we boarded our bus for a tour of the city along the way to Polmoz, a
vodka distillery founded in 1897. They produce 2.5 million liters (66 million gallons) of
vodka per year. We were very apprehensive that the tour would end up in a hall and we
would have to listen to lectures like our previous tours with former communist managers
who have not yet turned fully capitalistic.
Boy were we wrong! This vodka mixing plant is state-owned and the government has no
plans to sell it. The managers opened their doors, and the hospitality overwhelmed us.
They were very eager to expand their business to the west. After the tour, we were
entertained with spirits and tasteful Polish treats. After many toasts and cheers, we
joyfully departed.
All the joy and happiness turned to silence as we drove through the Jewish Ghetto and
stopped at the Monument to the Heroes of the Ghetto Uprising. The ghetto was originally a
Jewish quarter. The most famous resistance to the Holocaust took place in the Warsaw
ghetto, peaking in April 1943. Almost 500,000 Jews had been herded into the quarter in the
early 1940s.
In the spring of 1943 after a revolt that lasted nearly 30 days against impossible
odds, the Warsaw ghetto was completely destroyed, and all but a handful of Jews perished.
This well may be setting the stage for our tour of Auschwitz.
We then traveled to the Old Town Market Square. Today the Royal Castle (Zamek
Krolewski) is a monument to Poland's national culture. The walk along Sweilotansk Street
has stops and restaurants on the sides and enters into the Old Town Market Square, which
measures 90 by 73 meters (295 by 239.5 feet). The square was reconstructed in 1945, and
its architecture represents the 17th and 18th century.
The square is attractive and full of charm with all its restaurants, museums and
galleries. We also drove past the Monument of Warsaw's Nike, which is the Goddess of
Speedy Victory. We also saw the monument of the Polish Uprising or the People's Uprising
that started in 1956 and continued in the 1980s. The monument reminded us of the power of
the people.
After a quiet trip back to the hotel, we walked to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Economy Building and were greeted by local beggars.
In a conference with the Polish Ministry of Agriculture, we discussed the U.S. programs
to help Poland and the general problems faced by Poland. We found that the most important
aspect of Polish agriculture is the future of family farming.
The minister of the Agriculture Transformation Agency discussed how his self-financed
agency will accomplish the privatization of state land. We discussed problems faced by the
agency. It appears that most of the restructuring is going to be land leases. The
communistic mind appears to prevail in some places within government, and land reform will
take a long time.
Richard Rozwodowski of the World Bank talked about the different economic programs that
were being used to reconstruct different phases of Polish agriculture. Some of the items
discussed included infrastructure development, setting up national banks, reconstruction
of financial institutions and market development.
The remainder of the afternoon was free time for us to venture out on our own. Some
activities included naps, shopping, dining, discussions, a Chopin music recital and a
Rotary International meeting.
As not only our day comes to a close, our time in Warsaw also comes to an end. We are
reminded of some observations that were made when we arrived. When we left East Germany
and drove into Poland, it seemed as though we were in a different time as well as a
different place when we looked at the farms and villages.
In Poland, we saw horse-drawn equipment such as plows and wagons. We saw farmers
fertilizing their winter cereals by spreading the dry fertilizer by hand out of bags. The
Polish farms began to have character and maintenance. A new dimension of initiative is
seen as we notice the farm homes on the lots of land in comparison to the East German
dwellings.
We see the struggles of a people that looks like us and have suffered like no other
Caucasians in the world because of politics and power. These peoples are our ancestors --
the lands from which our forefathers came to America. We wish we could know the best way
to reach out and touch them and give them a helping hand. It may take many hands.
May KARL leaders have the wisdom and understanding to have such a hand.
Day 9: March 24, 1993
Reporters: Robert Torres and Carissa McKenzie
McKenzie:
After the previous late night, a 5 a.m. wake-up was difficult. Instead of the grueling
six-hour bus ride to Krakow over small country roads, we were able to drive quickly over a
highway that was not on the map. Our driver, Alan Cartledge discovered this route in a
conversation with locals last night. Fortunately for us, the original planned route is
under construction and apparently under the influence of hijackers. The change in plans is
just as well because Alan wanted to visit a new route and many wanted to stop at
Czestochowa.
Our good fortune carried further as we arrived just in time for the unveiling of the
Black Madonna. She has several changes of clothes -- some flashy -- but most unlike the
other Madonna. Tom Pressgrove and I were the first of our group to reach the chapel so we
positioned ourselves just beyond the sacristy.
Many believers have left their crutches and other votives in hopes of being cured or in
gratitude for a cure. A Kansas pin was added to the wall of votives.
A quick shopping spree to Old Town (Stare Miasto) in Krakow was enough to give a flavor
of the culture and history but not to do it justice. It is better to savor with time.
The evening meal took us to a folk restaurant where we were greeted and entertained by
a group of traditionally costumed folk musicians. Our hostess, Romechka, has the charm and
wit needed to work a crowd. She explained the songs during the evening. We were invited to
join the dance.
Having only four women, we danced more times in order for the men to each have a turn
if they chose to dance. Pieter was skillful in keeping me from flying out of control
during the spinning motion of Polish folk dance. Americans ought to dance like this. It is
quite exhilarating.
Tonight's carefree evening is in stark contrast to tomorrow's scheduled stop at
Auschwitz. For tonight, though, there will be a few hours for sleep on the European-style
beds -- bottom sheet, top comforter with large square pillow and real cotton damask bed
linens.
Torres:
In order to have more time for cultural enjoyment, the group voted for an early
departure of 6:30 a.m. The morning, bright and crisp, was a pleasant contrast to
yesterday's rain. John Peacock continues to enhance the bus tour with his knowledge and
dry British wit.
During the three-hour drive, we noticed a change in terrain from a flat, western-Kansas
type to steep and hilly fields of quite small farm plots. This contrasts with the larger
state farms we saw earlier. The woods, the roadsides and the farmsteads are better kept
here than in the area near Poznan, but trash is evident unlike the trim and tidy West
German land.
Krakow's castle housed Polish royalty but now is under restoration as a museum. Work
goes faster under capitalism than under communism.
The Poles in Krakow still consider the city as the capital of Poland since there are no
official documents moving the capital to Warsaw.
It is evident that the Poles have maintained strong ties to the Catholic Church. Thus
far, we have visited only Roman Catholic churches, no Orthodox churches or Jewish
synagogues. Most of the people we see in the churches are older with few younger people
around.
While strongly fighting for the right to attend church services during communist rule,
some Poles apparently no longer feel the need to attend church under the new freedoms.
There are 150 Catholic churches in Czestochowa, a city of 800,000. Jasna Gora, the site
of the Black Madonna, is kept in prime condition, housing many treasures from the past.
The whole history of Poland shows a great deal of turmoil. For 120 years, the country
of Poland did not exist, being divided among three neighboring countries.
Day 10: March 25, 1993
Reporters: Dr. Max Irsik and Ken Jorns
Irsik:
We were up early for a late start from Krakow for a visit to Auschwitz in southern
Poland. Auschwitz does not need much said about it. It was a solemn visit in which we left
some memorial flowers at the Killing Wall and Crematorium No. 1. It is unbelievable what
man can do to other people. It is a reminder that needs to be maintained.
We left Auschwitz in a solemn, meditating mood.
We cross the border into Czechie around noon and enter their rolling hills. The
countryside rapidly turned into beautiful valleys with large fields and mountains on both
sides.
We ate a late lunch at the Grand Hotel to live American and Polish music.
Off once again, we visited a Czech cooperative farm late in the day. After touring the
farm, it was obvious they were doing things right. We saw their red and white breed of
cattle. The cooperative has a high level of quality throughout the herd. It appears the
red and white cattle are primarily Simmental influenced.
After our farm tour, we were treated to a variety of farm products. There were numerous
lunch meats, sausages and cheeses for our tasting.
We stopped for our overnight stay in a collective farm hotel outside Brno. It was
interesting accommodations with two rooms sharing one set of restrooms.
It was a great day.
Jorns:
Having read Dr. Irsik's entry, I will endeavor to add a few details as Max has captured
the flow of the day quite well.
Polish wages seem to average between $200 and $250 a month. Of this, they will spend
about a third for housing. Large houses were prevalent in the countryside -- often housing
two or three generations of one family.
Poland is the largest producer of black and red currants in the world and is the second
largest producer of strawberries.
After a long delay at the Czech border, we entered the beautifully rolling countryside.
We seemed to notice more remnants of the Russian military presence, including a 2- or
3-mile stretch of freeway which was convertible into an airstrip.
During the administration of communism, the retail price of bread didn't rise for more
than 40 years. The price of milk changed relatively little during that period.
The Czech agriculture consists of large farms that are state-owned or collective. The
farms now are in the process of being privatized.
There was visible large amounts of antiquated junk -- Soviet-built farm equipment that
was now abandoned.
The store fronts by which we passed seemed to have retail goods displayed, but it
wouldn't be too hard to envision them empty as during the communist era.
We had an excellent lunch at the Grand Hotel at Prerov.
Visiting the collective farm near Brno was the most impressive farm. The manager there
was very conversant about his farm's production. He had all the statistics at his command
and also was interested in our production costs and goals and purchasing power. He had a
long conversation with Rollie Martin about milk production.
They were using high-tech genetics and embryo transplants. The manager seemed to be
very goal-oriented towards improving production. The operation had a 62 percent success
rate with embryo transplants.
We were royally entertained on the farm, educated and refreshed. We traveled to our
overnight hotel then for the evening.
Footnote: The standard dinner drink seems to be white vermouth with a slice of lemon --
rather stout.
Day 11: March 26, 1993
Reporters: Bob Hazelwood and Martie Floyd
We awoke to a cool, clear morning. Many of the class members took early-morning strolls
around the village and observed some of the local happenings. Our hotel was located next
to a potato warehouse. We saw several local people come and get a sack or two of potatoes.
It must be potato planting time in Moravia region of the Czech Republic.
We left the hotel around 8:25 a.m. for Brno to visit the Veterinarian University and
the Agricultural University.
On our journey, we observed a considerable number of fall-plowed fields with many
tractors doing spring field preparation and planting. Most equipment seemed large compared
to what we have seen in Poland and comparable in size to equipment on many U.S. farms.
Fields were large and gently rolling to steep with no terraces. Soil type appeared to
be more of a clay base than the sandy soil we saw in Poland. We saw a few center-pivot
irrigation systems.
We also saw many acres of orchards and grape vineyards, which generally were located on
the side of the steepest hills. Some were so steep, we don't know how people even walked
up and down the slopes.
Our group arrived at the university and were seated in an old college lecture room for
a short presentation by the vice dean. The Veterinary University was established in 1918
after World War I. The college was closed down in 1939 because of World War II and was
used as a military hospital for horses.
The University was reopened in 1945. They have 770 students enrolled in a six-year
program, which begins with general courses for two years and then four years of
specialized study. We then toured some of the school's facilities. While the facilities
were old, their techniques appeared up to date.
Then we went to the University of Agriculture, which also was established in 1918. They
have experimental farms for crops, forest and vineyards. Before 1989, they taught only
about the central planned economy. Now they teach economics in a capitalistic society.
We toured their botanical gardens which covered 11 hectares (27.4 acres). One of the
more interesting aspects of the gardens was the 1,500 different varieties of orchids
raised there.
The group proceeded to the Moravian square for sightseeing and shopping. As we walked
the square, snow flakes fell while the sun shone.
In the afternoon, we toured the Turvgny farm, a vegetable and flower production
processing plant in Brno. The facility we visited has a total of 23 hectares (57.3 acres)
with 2 hectares (5 acres) under glass for production of cut flowers, ornamental plants,
nursery stock and vegetable seedlings. The operation also had 50 hectares (124.5 acres) of
cabbage and explained to us the processing plant for cabbage was not in operation at this
time.
Later in the evening, we visited a local wine cellar. While at the cellar, we were
entertained by a Czech folk group. We also were able to sample some of the local meat
products and several different varieties of wine.
The evening enabled the group to get a better feeling for the regional culture. The
activities in which we were able to partake will not be soon forgotten.
Day 12: March 27, 1993
Reporters: Larry Hoover and Dr. Denise Kobuszewski
This was our last night to spend in Hotel Zerotin at Velke Bilovice village in the
Czech Republic. Today we left this Moravian region of the Czech Republic, en route to
Prague.
At 5:30 a.m., many KARL members were awakened by crowing roosters and singing birds.
The sun rose and we were greeted by a cool, crisp morning with a semi-sharp wind. At 8
a.m., we had breakfast at the hotel, including sliced ham, cheese, boiled eggs, bread and
coffee. Also, at my sorrow, my diary co-writer suffered from a bout of colic.
We left the hotel after breakfast at about 9:30 a.m. and toured the Velke Bilovice
farm. The farm specializes in growing and processing vegetables, fruit, orchards and
vineyards. They have about 2,000 total hectares (4,980 acres) in the farm of which 300
hectares (747 acres) are apple trees, 100 hectares (249 acres) are peach trees and 50
hectares (124.5 acres) of apricots. The balance is in grape vines, water ponds, processing
facilities and wine cellars
About 80 percent of the farm land is irrigated in the operation. Water for irrigation
comes from a river that flows through the farm. The operators have used chemicals in the
past but have reduced chemical usage by 30 percent. Their main apple variety is Golden
Delicious.
Employment has dropped from a high of 600 down to the present level of 400. The farm
produces about 3,000 metric tons (3,307 tons) of apples and 2,000 metric tons (2,204.62
tons) of peaches.
The trees and orchard were started in 1960. The average life expectancy for the trees
is 20 years. The operators have been replacing and replanting trees.
The operators have 600 hectares of vineyards (1,494 acres) and 650 wine cellars. The
vines are about 70 years old. Nearly all the grapes are harvested by mechanical harvesting
machines.
Annual rainfall in the area is about 27.5 inches. The terrain of the farm is extremely
rolling -- very steep slopes in some areas.
After touring the farm via coach, we went down into a wine cellar to taste some of
their 11 different varieties that the farm produces and sells. We then toured their wine
processing facility and underground storage tanks.
After the farm visit, we went back to our hotel for lunch and set sail for Prague at
about 1 p.m. En route to Prague, it snowed heavily at times as we approached the higher
elevations.
We arrived in Prague at about 5 p.m. and checked into the Poseidon Hotel. However, it
was quickly apparent that this was not the international-class hotel that Jack Lindquist
and KARL class members were lead to believe it would be. The Poseidon was a former
communist workers hostel in the heart of the industrial sector and had changed little
since the transformation.
After several minutes of deliberations and a class vote, Jack Lindquist and John
Peacock left in a taxi to find other hotel accommodations while class members had dinner
in the next-door disco.
At about 8:30 p.m., Lindquist telephoned and informed us to pack up as we were
departing for the Diplomat Hotel. We packed and reloaded the coach and traveled to the new
hotel. We arrived at about 9:30 p.m. and checked in.
Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh "gets the point"
Day 13: March 28, 1993
Reporters: Keith Allen and John Yost
Allen:
After a late-evening move from the "Poseidon Adventure" to the four-star
Diplomat Hotel, the class took advantage of the best accommodations since Warsaw. With the
first non-structure day of the trip, a late wake-up call and a leisurely continental
breakfast started a well-deserved break.
At about 10 a.m., the class met to be informed of the options available for the day.
Several options for city tours were available -- one set up by Stita Tours with Heleva
Sukova and another with Evza, who the class had met at the Czech Republic embassy in
Washington, D.C., in March 1992.
Still others went with Dr. Flinchbaugh to visit a Kansas State University business
professor who owns a castle near Prague. A few simply chose to relax at the Diplomat to
get their legs back underneath themselves.
The following is a description of the bus and walking tour provided by Stita and Heleva
Sukova.
Prague is known as a town of hundreds of spires or towers. The historic downtown has
four main sections: Jewish Town (Josefov), founded in 1137; the Old Town (Stare Mesto),
founded in 1232; Lesser Town (Mala Strana) founded in 1257; and New Town (Nove Mesto),
founded in 1348.
Overlooking downtown Prague, across the river on the left bank is the beautiful Prague
Castle. The adjacent town quarter of Hradcany is where the walking tour started.
The first stop in Hradcany was the Strahny Monastery, founded in 1140, which was closed
by the communists in 1950 with the monks being banished to the uranium mines. It contains
the most beautiful library in all of eastern Europe from where Mozart wrote some of his
works.
Next, we were able to view an overlook of downtown Prague, revealing two distinct
features. First, the View Tower was built in 1891 for the Jubilee Exhibition and is a copy
of the Eifel Tower in Paris. The top of the tower is a Prague's first television tower.
The second was a Soviet-style television tower that was built in 1980.
Loretto Square, one of the prettiest in Prague, was next on the agenda. The square was
dedicated to the Virgin Mary with the Santa Casa being built to copy the home of Mary in
Nazareth on the west side of the square. On the east side, stands the Church of the
Nativity with an awesome bell tower. Inside the church, there are many art and jewelry
treasures of the Czech Republic, including a chalice, the Diamond Monstrance, with 6,220
diamonds. The Church of the Angelic Lady and the Capuchin Monastery, the oldest in
Bohemia, form the north side of the square.
On the way to the Schwarzenburg Palace, Heleva made a social commentary that the subway
station that we passed was the only good thing the communists had done to Prague.
Schwarzenburg Palace is the best example of Renaissance architecture in Prague and
contains the Military History Museum. This palace is one of the five in Hradcany Square
that leads to the entrance of Prague Castle. Other important palaces are Sternberg, which
houses the National Art Museum and the archbishops for the head of Catholicism in the
Czech Republic.
The yellow house at the southwest corner of Hradcany Square was used for the home of
Amadeus Mozart in the movie, ``Amadeus.'' Prague Castle has been the official residence of
the president since 1918. Outside the castle, the guard is changed in a manner similar to
Buckingham Palace in England.
The castle consists of two entry courtyards to reach the main courtyard, which houses
St. Vitus Cathedral, the 11th largest Catholic church in the world. The church was started
in 1344 and finished in 1929. Inside the church was gold inlay everywhere with large
painted and stained-glass windows.
On the north side of the cathedral and square are the Royal Palace, containing
presidential offices, and Wladislay Hall, the 11th largest in Europe. Next was St.
George's Basilica and Convent. The church was built in 925 and the convent in 973, making
the facilities the oldest in Bohemia. Behind St. George's is an area called Golden Lane.
This consists of small shops that housed alchemists in the 16th and 17th centuries who
fleeced rulers by being paid to turn items into gold.
Once leaving Prague Castle, we headed toward the St. Charles Bridge through the Lesser
Town (Mala Strana). The path we took was the route for coronations of royalty through the
centuries. The houses all had designs on the outside of them to signify who lived in them.
Our guide indicated many natives of Prague take this route for evening walks. Nearby is,
the Knights of the Mortar Church, where Barbara Streisand filmed ``Yentl.''
On the St. Charles walking bridge, one receives a fantastic view of Prague. The bridge
is guarded by 31 statues that signify the important philosophies and people in the Czech
Republic.
A quarter of the way onto the bridge and looking back toward the Prague Castle is a
significant point for Prague school children. This point allows for a view of four styles
of architecture from four centuries as a vivid natural classroom. At the end of the St.
Charles Bridge is the St. Augustus bridge tower, built in the 14th century.
The tour finished with a jaunt through the smallest quarter of Prague -- Josefov
(Jewishtown). The beautiful synagogues were a fitting end to our tour of Prague.
The day ended with different groups enjoying dinner at various locations around Prague.
Yost:
Sunday was an "on-your-own" day for the tour group to experience Prague.
Everyone enjoyed an elegant breakfast buffet at the Diplomat Hotel. The day was unique in
that tour participants had the option of staying at the hotel and resting up; you could
tour the city of "a thousand gold spires" with private tour guide Evza, which
was arranged by Mark Smith and David Cross; or you could ride the coach downtown, shop in
the market square area for a bit and then take a partial tour of Prague Castle and Charles
Bridge with a professional tour guide.
Some of the activities for the day included "home tours." Dr. Barry
Flinchbaugh and Barb Oplinger toured a castle that a Kansas State University professor has
restored ownership through privatization.
Mark Smith and David Cross enjoyed a home-prepared evening meal at Evza's parents. They
took a bottle of wine, which is appropriate today. Traditionally, visitors would have
taken a gift of bread and salt as a sign of friendship, good health and happiness for the
host.
The class also learned that the professional tour guide and a masseuse in the hotel
relaxation center lived just outside the city and were putting in gardens.
We learned that 30 percent of the Czechs still live in rural areas. Many of the people
who live in villages, think it was better back in the 1980s when they had up to a 50
percent subsidy in agriculture and had to assume little risk to put out their crops or to
raise livestock.
Now, they are experiencing privatization. With the economy the way it is, they have to
make do with a 6 percent subsidy and accept risk. It is a tough time for them to
experience privatization when the world's and their own country's economy is not faring
well.
Day 14: March 29, 1993
Reporters: Donita Whitney-Bammerlin and Brad Walter
We received our wake-up calls at 6:30 a.m. in Prague's Diplomat Hotel. We packed our
bags with mixed emotions because we were anxious to go home, yet hesitant to leave. As we
pulled the curtains open to the outside world from our rooms, we were greeted by a blanket
of snow.
Breakfast was from 6:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. for our group. There was some talk of how
good it felt to be leaving for home. However, we still have three days left before
reaching home.
At 8:50 a.m., we left on the coach to travel across town to meet with the Ministry of
Agriculture for the Czech Republic. En route to the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Barry
Flinchbaugh turned seamstress and sewed a button onto the coat of Jack Lindquist's coat.
We also heard had a Volunteer Technical Assistance for Cooperatives and Agriculture Abroad
translator.
At 9:10 a.m., we arrived at the ministry and were greeted by six panel members who
represented foreign trade, livestock, plant production and arable land. The following is a
short summary of the comments made by the panel members.
Consumption of meats before 1989 was 85 kilograms (196.2 pounds) per capita. Most all
figures used prior to the collapse of communism were based on state subsidies. Now, meat
consumption is about 15 percent less than in 1989.
The average private farm in the Czech Republic is between 100 and 200 hectares (249 to
498 acres). For cooperative farms, average size is 1,000 hectares (2,490 acres) or more.
For sheep production, production has shifted to a focus on meat from wool.
The Czech Republic is land-locked, forcing fish farming to be done in lakes and ponds.
The Czech Republic is the world leader for carp production. The newest enterprise in fish
farming is the raising of carp for leather, which is used for items such as ladies' hand
bags.
Pork production in the Czech Republic is about 6 million head of slaughter hogs or
about 660 million metric tons (727.5 million tons) of meat. The major problem hog
producers face in the Czech Republic is overproduction.
There are three primary reasons for the overproduction of pork. First, people are
buying less in the meat shops and producing more of their own. Second, production from the
southern Slovak region was being transferred to the Czech Republic but now no longer can.
Finally, the Czechs are not exporting pork.
Crop production in the Czech Republic accounts for 3.25 million hectares (8.1 million
acres) of arable land of which 50 percent is used to produce grains and cereals. Winter
wheat is the No. 1 crop, grown on about 750,000 hectares (1.9 million acres). Farmers get
an average yield of 4.53 tons per hectare (66.85 bushels per acre) at an average price of
3,000 crown per metric ton ($107 per metric ton or $2.91 a bushel).
There are several other cash crops, such as spring barley, potatoes and hops. About 70
percent of the hops are exported, mainly to the United States, Germany and Japan.
One of the panel members concluded that "too large a farm is bad and too small a
farm is bad." Very astute thinking!
When questions and answers were concluded, Brad Walter presented the Czech panel with a
full-sized flag of Kansas while Jack Lindquist explained a few things about the flag. The
flag had flown over the state capitol in Kansas.
A new experience took place next. Most of the class members got to go for a
"ferris wheel" ride on a non-stop, open-door elevator in the Ministry of
Agriculture building. The elevator was not unlike the man lifts in Kansas grain elevators.
Our interpreter acted as a traffic director so our coach could pass through the
left-hand side of a tunnel that was too short on the right side for the bus to pass
through safely.
We then were greeted by two agriculture students at the Prague University Student Union
for lunch. After lunch, we toured the university, including farm equipment, classrooms,
greenhouses and other teaching facilities.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent with last-minute shopping in downtown Prague.
Everyone went their own way and we reconvened at 6:15 p.m. on the coach. Then it was off
for a farewell dinner at a quaint local pub and restaurant, which was three blocks from
the train station.
Our next challenge was to pack, load and transport our harvest of goods for the trip
home. So without the use of trucks or equipment, we bucked our metric tonnage up the
stairs and slopes to the awaiting train.
We boarded the train at 8:30 p.m. for a scheduled 8:45 p.m. departure. The hallways on
the train were hardly wide enough for one person with luggage, let alone 32 KARL persons
with luggage.
While everyone helped everyone else shuffle luggage, we had a thief among us. The man
boarded the train with us and stood in the corner. At the right moment, he slipped off the
train with Curtis Willhite's camera bag. Meanwhile, at the other end of the train car,
Keith Allen was searching for his blue carry on bag that had been misplaced.
The rock and roll of the train soon put everyone to sleep except Tom Pressgrove.
Finally, the end of an eventful day in the international traveling life of KARL Class I
had come to an end.
Day 15: March 30, 1993
Reporter: John Nye
Who would have guessed that Jack Lindquist would click his heels two times, and we
would still be 24.5 hours from Kansas?
At 12:30 a.m., the sleeper train, which is not an adequate description, came to a halt
at the Czech-German border. The border guards entered the compartments for a visa check.
The rock and roll accompanied by the clickety-click of the rail car was inviting to
periodic sleep.
At 7:30 a.m., we waited for check-in at Frankfurt International Airport for the
scheduled 10 hour and 17 minute flight to Dallas.
The movies on our flight were "The Body Guard" and "The River Runs
Through It."
At 2:26 p.m., the plane landed in Dallas. Through the time changes, we lost eight
hours. We headed to the customs inspection. Max Irsik and his sausage caused the
drug-sniffing dog to lose his concentration.
At 5:09 p.m., we departed Dallas for arrival in Kansas City at 6:40 p.m. We were
greeted by rain, hail and Mike Jensen and his lovely wife.
Overnight accommodations were at the Kansas City International Holiday Inn. It was
beginning to feel like we were home.
The international study tour was a true experience of plane, train and automobile with
ample time for reflection. The study tour was a quantum leap of sight, sound, experience
and emotions. We not only touched eight different time zones, we witnessed 30 to 60 years
in terms of development between the four countries -- the United States, Germany, Poland
and the Czech Republic.
The manner in which 32 strong-willed and accomplished people were able to compromise
and cooperate for two weeks under less-than-ideal circumstances is a marvel in itself.
The tour was an excellent tool with which to bring together all the training and study
that was presented during the past two years. Leadership and policy issues were very
clearly demonstrated as well as the results of policy and leadership.
As members of the world community, we definitely have seen a few myths altered and a
whole new conception of the world brought to our attention.
My reflection of the trip and personal interactions reminded me of a Henry Ford
quotation: "Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is a process and working
together is a success."
Appendix I:
(Translated letter from the assistant manager of the Hotel Diplomat:)
"Dear friends,
"We wish you the best for you only in your job and your life and we hope that you
enjoyed with us and we hope you will come again soon."
Appendix II:
(Translated letter from Ludamila Babcicka in the International Department of the Czech
Republic Ministry of Agriculture:)
"The Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic thanks you for your kind visit
and your interest that you have shown in our country in our agriculture and our present
problems.
"We trust that this is not our last meeting.
"With friendly greetings, we look forward to our further contacts and
cooperation."
Signed by Ludamila Babcicka International Department of the Czech Republic Ministry
of Agriculture
Appendix III:
(Translated letter from a Prague University student:)
"I hope that you like Prague and that you will visit Prague again next time you
should visit some other nice Czech cities and spend with Czech Republic more time. Wish
you a nice trip."
Signed by Peter Prochazka
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