32
July 2009
C
Ohio’s Country Journal
Ountry life
Serbian visitors see how agriculture works together during Ohio visit
By Kyle Sharp Connections program. The program’s
Ohio is blessed with an agricultural goal was to enhance and improve the
community that has often worked agricultural cooperative effort in Serbia.
together to achieve common goals. Broadly, the program goals were:
Different commodity groups support • To understand how U.S. agricultural
each other, the government assists with cooperatives and producer associations
research and education through funding are organized.
Ohio State University Extension and the • To see good examples of agricultur-
Ohio Agricultural Research and al cooperatives and associations and how
Development Center, and even the regu- they can help overcome some of the con-
latory branch, the Ohio Department of straints Serbia faces.
Agriculture, assists farmers and pro- • To learn how farmers are motivated
motes Ohio agriculture. to join together in cooperatives and asso-
Most significantly, Ohio boasts strong ciations and what services are offered to
broad agricultural groups such as the members.
Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and Ohio • To transfer new knowledge to
Farmers Union that advocate for farmers Serbia and implement some of the U.S.
as a whole, as needed. Farmer members lessons learned.
develop the policy that drives these In addition to Suluburic, other pro-
groups’ actions. gram participants were: Zeljko Nimcevic,
To a group of Serbian agriculturists manager, Vocko Cooperative, specializ-
who visited Ohio and Michigan May 6- ing in fruit production; Marijana Pejak,
27, this support and cooperation was a president, Vegetable and Fruit Growers
foreign concept, in more ways than one. Association; Dejan Marovic, member,
A group of Serbian agriculturists visited Ohio May 6-27 to learn how to improve the agricultural cooperative effort
“Cooperatives in Serbia were initially Slankamenka Cooperative of fruit grow-
in their country. Here, the group is visiting the dairy farm of Tony Wenning and his family near Yorkshire in Darke
County. Wenning and his family milk 100 dairy cows on the farm that his been in the family for three generations.
created by the state, so there was not ers; Milan Aleksic, president, Village
much private investment or stake in Development Center Zupa, and Wine Farmers of America in Medina, the voice heard across the country and in
them,” said Adam Suluburic, veterinari- Makers Association member; Suluburic; Central Ohio Beekeepers Association in negotiations with the government,
an and vice president, Preobrazenje Goran Simic, president, Rtanj Association Columbus, Shumaker Loop in Toledo, Zivadinovic said.
Cooperative, which specializes in live- of Cattle Breeders; Rodoljub Zivadinovic, MBG Marketing Inc. in Kalamazoo, Visiting the Ohio Department of
stock and dairy production. director, Union of Beekeepers; Petar Mich., Cherry Central Cooperative in Agriculture and seeing how the govern-
In fact, to most people in Serbia and Mojzes, manager, Agrocooperativa fruit Traverse City, Mich., Black Star Farms in ment entity supports farmers, in addition
other former communist countries, the and vegetables; and Slavisa Suttons Bay, Mich., the Northwest to its regulatory role, also was significant.
term “cooperative” carries a very nega- Radosavljevic, executive manager, Michigan Horticultural Research Station “It was a hands-on experience in learn-
tive stigma because of its association Golubac Cooperative which produces in Traverse City, Mich., among others. ing the way government interacts with
with the Soviet era, said Mark grains, bakery and storage facilities. The visit with Ohio Farm Bureau farmers and how they help farmers grow
Poeppelman, executive director of the During the 22-day tour, the group made an impression. and develop their production and market
Columbus International Program, which toured facilities and visited with repre- “We were thrilled by Ohio Farm their products better,” Suluburic said.
hosted the group’s visit. Part of the chal- sentatives of the Ohio Department of Bureau because there is a huge need for The group stayed with host families
lenge this group and other current Agriculture, COBA Select Sires in Plain an advocacy and lobbying entity in and enjoyed other cultural experiences.
Serbian agriculturists face is redefining City, the Ohio Seed Improvement Serbia for agriculture,” Zivadinovic said. The significance of volunteerism, not
what an agricultural cooperative is and Association, the Ohio Soybean Council, “We saw Ohio Farm Bureau as a prime, common in Serbia, also was shared. For a
learning how cooperatives can benefit Ohio Farm Bureau, the Online Computer quality example of one organization that hands-on experience, group members
the farming community. Library Center, the Ohio Cooperative is very successful in those activities.” participated in the Susan B. Komen Race
Current Serbian cooperative efforts Development Center in Piketon, Moyers At the end of their visit, the group for the Cure on May 16 in downtown
are small, most with 25 members or less, Winery in Manchester, the Ohio Grape developed an action plan of how they Columbus, and one member helped flip
Poeppelman said. But, they have been Industry, the Towne and Country would use the information they gained pancakes at a fund-raising breakfast for
formed and are led by private members, Cooperative in Ashland, Advanced Agri- on their trip, upon returning to Serbia. the Central Ohio Beekeepers Association.
not mandated by the government. Solutions in Botkins and New Bremen, One of their goals is to develop an organ- “We really enjoyed the hospitality on
The Columbus International Program Buschur Farms in New Weston, Wenning ization similar to Farm Bureau in Serbia every stop of the trip, from the presenters,
received a U.S. State Department and Poeppelman farms in Yorkshire, that would unite all farmers and make the farm owners and from the host families
(USAID) grant to run the Community Grieshop farm in Willowdell, Dairy them powerful enough to have their in particular,” Radosavljevic said. “We
appreciated how people were open to shar-
ing their experiences and their knowledge
with us. The whole delegation is very
thankful for the opportunity, because this
was a very unique opportunity for us to
get prime education and knowledge on
very precise topics of interest.”
Now back in Serbia, the group is
charged with implementing programs
to improve the cooperative sector of
Serbian agriculture.
The group heard from a number of experts throughout
“The challenges they face are great,
Fruit and vegetable production is a big part of Serbian their visit on various areas of interest. Their first presen-
Rhonda Williams, 4-H leader in Darke County, and several
because not only are they coming out of
agriculture. Here, the group is visiting Hirsch Fruit tation upon arriving in Ohio was from David Hahn, Ohio
of her members discuss current projects for the upcom-
Farm near Chillicothe. Pictured also with the group are State University agribusiness professor emeritus. Hahn
the communist era, but also 10 years of
ing fair during an evening presentation on agriculture
Steve and Jeff Hirsch who operate the fruit farm. Four offered an overview of Ohio agribusiness and Ohio’s role
civil war,” Poeppelman said. “But they are
youth programs. The evening celebration was on the farm
of the Serbian delegates have orchards and were very in U.S. agriculture. He also discussed the business and
excited. They’re a good group and they’re
of Bill and Madonna Poeppelman, Yorkshire.
interested in the Hirsch operation. cooperative planning and development process. ready to implement some changes.”
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44