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RANDOLPH – A Randolph man who toured Eastern Europe came away with a better appreciation for the American agriculture system.
Blake Hokamp recently returned from an impactful international study travel seminar to Romania, Hungary and Poland as part of the Nebraska LEAD program.
“I really appreciate American agriculture and we’re very fortunate to have end users right there to sell products that we produce and a ready market. Not everyone has that,” Hokamp said.
He found agriculture in Eastern Europe to be heavily subsidized to the point that producers “feel like their hands are tied” with the government paying more for growing organic crops free from synthetic fertilizer, for example.
“Even though they’re not the ones buying the product, they push for that,” Hokamp said.
The countries broke free of Communism in the early 1990s, but people still fear a return to those ideals.
“There’s not a whole lot of ambition to expand, with the thinking that . . . the government could take it all away,” Hokamp said.
There’s no generational wealth through agriculture as they haven’t been removed from Communism long enough to build that up over time. Also, much of the younger generation are taking better paying jobs with benefits in Western Europe.
Overall, people were friendly and showed an enthusiasm for American people and American products, Hokamp said.
“”Sometimes we’d be at a social place and there would be grumpy locals. They’d ask which coast we were from,” he said. “We would say, ‘No coast.’ They’d just light up, ‘Oh, from the Midwest. We love America.’ ” Hokamp along with 27 other Nebraska LEAD fellows traveled internationally as part of the seminar Jan. 3-17.
The seminar featured a diverse itinerary, including visits to farms, businesses and historical sites. Highlights of the trip included meetings with ag leaders including with the U.S. Embassy in Romania and a visit to the Regional Agricultural Chamber in Poland; visits to a large-scale Angus beef operation, an agri-tourism farm and a business specializing in animal genetics; and visits to historical sites including Auschwitz-Birkenau and Schindler’s Factory.
“One of the most important factors in becoming a good leader is being able to get outside of your bubble or your comfort zone and experience life through the eyes of others,” said Kurtis Harms, Nebraska LEAD program director. “This enhanced understanding of people and cultures around the world hopefully lead to better decision making and greater relationships with others.”
