This time, though, the voices were not of captured soldiers pining for home but of former East German farmers and their families eager to learn all they can about American farming and how they are striving to stay afloat in an increasingly turbulent farming economy.

Traveling through south Alabama en route to a weekend tour of the Gulf Coast, the farmers stopped in Covington County to visit the Cravey farm, operated by brothers Jim and Albert Cravey.

The visit was arranged by Charles Simon, Covington County Extension coordinator, who was able to converse directly with the visitors, thanks to a command of their language acquired from his German-born mother.

Since the visitors had toured row-crop farmers in Southeast Alabama earlier in the day, Simon wanted to expose them to other sources of farm income.

As it turned out, the Germans felt right at home, partly because Covington County, minus the cold weather common in Germany this time of year, bears a striking resemblance to their home state of Brandenburg, a flat region that abounds in pine trees.

They also related to the comments of the Cravey brothers, who, like many of them, have had to undertake drastic changes in their farming operation to stay competitive.

The Cravey farm originally specialized in cattle and timber, with a few row crops and swine. Today, much of the Cravey farm’s income is derived from guided hunting tours conducted on their 1,100-acre farm and an adjoining 3,000 acres leased for that purpose .

"Since the Germans had toured row crops earlier in the day in the Wiregrass, we thought it would be a good idea to introduce them to see forestry and natural-resource development as well," said Simon. "This is a good example of a small-farm cattle and timber operation that is branching out to other enterprises, including opening a hunting lodge."

Changing to meet new challenges is nothing new to Udo Folgart, president of the Brandenburg-based Havelland Farmers Association, who conducted the tour.

Prior to the fall of East Germany in 1989, Folgart farmed land that ran all the way up to the western face of the Berlin Wall. When the wall opened in 1989, Folgart knew that his world had changed and that he and fellow farmers must quickly adapt to free-market reforms that would soon be sweeping across the land.

As part of an agreement between Alabama and Germany that grew out of the decision to locate the Mercedes-Benz plant in West Alabama, Folgart paid his first visit to the state in 1993.

Alabama farmers, he quickly realized, possessed a trait many East German producers lacked.

"When I visited Alabama for the first time, it was only four years since the wall came down and only three years since German reunification, and a lot of changes were under way in Germany," Folgart recalled. "It was very interesting for us to see how flexible you are – how quickly you are able to adapt in times of great change.

Folgart has conducted Alabama farm tours every other year since his first visit so other Brandenburg farmers can gain a firsthand understanding of how well they adapt. In the past decade, about 150 former East German farmers have participated in these tours

"We talk about everything – fertilizers, soil dynamics," Folgart said. "And when we have questions about our farm bill, we call Alabama experts for their advice, and when Alabama farmers have questions, we are happy to provide any information we have."

Approximately 120 Alabama farmers and others associated with Alabama agriculture also have visited farms in Brandenburg. The Brandenburg visits are one of several international tours sponsored by the Auburn University College of Agriculture and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

German farmers are planning to host a delegation from Alabama during the latter half of July, 2003. Individuals who would like to participate in this tour should contact their local Extension office or the Office of International Agriculture at Auburn University, (334) 844-3513.

(Sources: Charles Simon, Covington County Extension Coordinator, 334-222-1125; and George Young, Coordinator of Extension International Programs, 334-844-3513.)

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