Crop Update from Ukraine

[Jagfarms]

We have only seen from Kiev West to Lviv and North to Chervonohrad. Crops look very good and about 5 weeks ahead of our crops back home. The train traveled 160km/hour so it was hard to tell what the crops were. Looked like some kind of winter wheat, some barley, a little bit of flax and some canola. Not many big fields mostly smaller fields 20 acres or less. Then you will see the odd field that is 640 acres . It is very wet and they get a lot of rain where were are in Chervonohrad about 30 inches a year average. Just like back home the last few years.

The landscape is very green and there was a lot of beautiful scenery on the trip. People from the city have little cabins out in the country where they stay and tend their gardens. We could see these gardens all the way along the train track with potatoes in full bloom. Some of the gardens are close to 1 acre in size. We also noticed that the livestock (sometimes as many as 20 or more head) is lead into the pastures with no fences and someone stays with them until they finish grazing. We've seen this along the highways and on the way to camp as well - they are out in the morning and still there when we return to Chervonohrad. And we always thought there were only shepherds in Jesus' time.

There is lots of trees here in Chervonohrad and not much farm land. Looks like things grow very fast as the potatoes are in full bloom and when we were here in March it was colder here than at home. Also noticed new growth on the spruce trees here in 3 months is more growth than we would have in 2 years back home.

Will be here another 3 to 4 weeks yet. Looks like it is raining back home.

Can follow along on our blog if any one is interested.

http://blog.travelpod.com/members/gizenadoption

[burnt]

Thank you for the information and the link. I will certainly be following your fascinating story!

[hedgehog]

this year will be 80yrs since stalin starved half the ukraine to death and stole their land in the "holodomor"

[charliep]

Off the topic of marketing but a big day
at Euro Cup. A must win for Britian and
the Ukraine. Been watching some.

[Jagfarms]

Euro cup 2012 really a big thing here.

Tents are set up all over Chervonohrad where they serve beer and with TV's you can watch the games on. You can get 2 - 500ml beer for around $1.20 CAD. It is cheaper to drink vodka or beer here than it is to drink water or pop.

The night Ukraine played soccer (first game) we were walking home from the market and we heard a lot of cheering in the streets and out of the apartment buildings when Ukraine would score. We could even hear it out the windows of our apartment on the 7th floor when we got home.

[charliep]

It would have been a very sad day in
both the Ukraine and Poland when their
teams got eliminated on the first round.
My first trip to the Ukraine was in 2004
and at the time of the European cup. My
memory is sitting in a families kitchen
and listening to them talk about the
games - not so different from being in a
friends house here watching football or
hockey. God memories.