Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Days 7 & 8 - Touring the countryside

DAY 7 Bucharest - Costesti - Saliste - Sibiel - Sibiu. Much of the day spent on the bus today. Leaving Bucharest the group traveled northwest across a mountain range to Transylvania, to a 1900 ha cereal farm growing wheat and soybeans, located near Costesti, on the way to Sibiu. Much of the acreage is rented from small subsistence farmers enabling the cultivation of larger tracts of land up to 120 ha in size. Geography is much different in this part of the country.

On to a traditional sheepfold, where the group learned about the traditional way of life for shepherds. Four of them do it twice a day, 7 days a week, 365 days each year! Much of the milk is used for cheese production and the group was able to try fresh and aged product.

From here it was only a few kms to the village of Sibiel, part of the ethnographical area of Marginimea Sibiului, where the Romanian shepherds created and are still supporting a strong, original culture. Here the group met a local farmer with eight head of cattle, (four cows & four calves), chickens and three pigs, all kept in a building(s) attached to the house and similar to all the neighbours) and supported by plots of land outside the village for growing feedstock, grapes and vegetables along with a forest for harvesting wood for heating their home.

Just down the village street we enjoyed a traditional Romanian dinner including homemade plum and blueberry brandies and wine.

The day ended in Sibiu, the former European Capital of Culture (2007). Sibiu is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Romania, and has been carefully restored. The city is known to have existed from the 12th century, rising in prominence to become an important trading town inhabited by Saxon merchants who formed themselves in guilds, fortifying the town to protect its wealth.

DAY 8 Sibiu – Viscri - Sighisoara The day started with a wonderful walking tour of the historic fortified city area. The group then boarded the bus for a visit to a World Vision Foundation project here in Romania – Agrovision, a project farm created to present to and teach local subsistence farmers how to make the transition to a more commercial venture.

The farm has about 40 head of cattle and must self-finance itself. Meeting with the farm manager, it was apparent from his comments and looking around that this project is less than successful. Local farmers are just not interested in learning new ways or making the effort to work hard to be successful.

Back on the bus to Viscri village. This Saxon village is included on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and is one of the villages in this country where Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, owns a traditional Romanian house. It is said that he visits two times each year and it is used as a guest house when he is not in residence.

The AALP Alumni and Friends group enjoyed a traditional lunch prepared by locals in the village and, as most times, the meal was accompanied by homemade plum brandy (100 proof) and wine. Following lunch, they climbed on horse drawn carriages for a tour of the village and surrounding area.

The group then visited a traditional blacksmith and brick-making shops and the village’s fortified church. 

A number of the group climbed an upward stone passage and many rickety steps to the top of the fortified tower for a wonderful view of the surrounding countryside.

A bit of history… the German colonists (the Saxons) arrived in the territory of Romania 800 – 900 years ago when invited by the new master of Transylvania, the Hungarian king. They occupied the fertile valleys, bringing the feudal system to the area and laying foundations for villages, towns and cities. The mountains, higher grounds and the land close to the borders of Transylvania remained Romanian however, or as they called them at the time, Wallachian. Nowadays, following the Red Army invasion in 1944 and the communist era, most of the German population is gone. Tourists now have the opportunity and privilege to enjoy an enormous open air museum. The area left by the Saxons consists of naturally preserved architecture and over 150 medieval fortified churches. Nowhere in the world can one find so many reinforced churches and fortresses. Seven of them are included on the UNESCO World Heritage list.


The last leg of travel today saw the group transfer to Sighisoara, a medieval citadel inhabited continuously ever since its settlement in the 13th century by German colonists. Another very interesting day for this group of AALP alumni and friends of the program and organization!

Views: 94

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Key International Export Markets See Significant Agri-Food Volume Increase

Algeria, Indonesia and Morocco, three of Saskatchewan's key international markets, saw significant increases in provincial agri-food exports in 2023 over, the previous year. "The increase in exports to important international markets like Algeria, Indonesia and Morocco are yet another example of our agriculture sector's resiliency and dedication to providing reliable, high-quality agri-food products worldwide," Agriculture Minister David Marit said. "Numbers like these showcase the success we are seeing through our presence in world markets and building key relationships with our partners across the globe." Exports to Algeria had the third-highest increase in volume among Saskatchewan's top markets at 1,232,110 tonnes, or over 69 per cent. Algeria is Saskatchewan's fourth-leading market in volume with the top export commodities being durum and lentils. Indonesia's export numbers had a similar rise with an over 62 per cent increase in volume. Indonesia rose to Saskatchewan's sixth-

Supporting Research and Innovation in Agriculture with Funding for 101 New Projects

The governments of Canada and Manitoba are providing $16.3 million in grant funding under the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership (Sustainable CAP) to support 101 projects under the Research and Innovation Program over the next three years, federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced today. “Folks around the world are looking for more sustainable agri-food products and I know our producers can deliver,” said MacAulay. “By investing in research and innovation across the value chain, we can address current and future challenges and help make sure the sector remains resilient, competitive, and efficient.” The funding will go towards research and capacity building to accelerate innovation in agriculture in Manitoba, supporting companies that are leading innovative research and putting Manitoba at the forefront of sustainable agriculture research. “Research and innovation drives growth and economic de

Low to Moderate Risk of Significant Spring Flooding for Manitoba

Manitoba is facing just a low to moderate risk of significant spring flooding this year, according to the provincial Hydrological Forecast Centre. With normal- to below-normal soil moisture at freeze-up and well-below-normal to above-normal winter precipitation for most Manitoba basins, the March Flood Outlook report on Tuesday said the risk of significant spring flooding is low to moderate for most Manitoba basins. Water levels are expected to remain below dikes and community or individual flood protection levels. The spring flooding risk is low for the Red River and tributaries, low to moderate for the Assiniboine River and tributaries and the Interlake region including the Icelandic and Fisher rivers; and generally low for the Souris, Qu’Appelle, Rat, Roseau, Pembina, Saskatchewan and Churchill river basins, and the Whiteshell Lakes region. Most Manitoba lake levels are normal to below normal and forecasted to remain within their operating range after the spring runoff, the out

Potato planting in peril: Irish farmers face uncertain future amidst wet weather woes

In a concerning turn for the Irish potato industry, farmers across the nation are grappling with a pressing dilemma due to unrelenting rainfalls. The situation has left them in a state of uncertainty, as they question whether planting their crops this year is a feasible option, as Louise Walsh reports in a news story published on breakingnews.ie.

CPMA announces the 2024 PFP participants

The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) is proud to announce 20 rising stars who will participate in the 2024 Passion for Produce (PFP) program in Vancouver.

© 2024   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service