FRONT PAGE ARTICLE IN THE “SIAULIU KRASTAS” DAILY NEWSPAPER THE CITY OF SIAULIAI, LITHUANIA
News Article from July 17, 2006

THE AUKSUCIAI FARM AND FOREST CENTER – DEDICATION

In the Siauliai Region (Rajonas), at the Auksuciai Farm and Forest Center (in Kursenai Rural District) in the farm which formerly belonged to our national activists Jonas, Rokas, and Stanislovas Sliupas, an outstanding event took place yesterday – the Farm Center Building, named after Forester Jurgis Gudaitis, was officially dedicated. It is visualized to organize in this building events for local farmers and other area residents and to create possibilities for Lithuanian and foreign scientists to perform their experiments.

Mrs Grazina Gudaityte Liautaud, building's donor from Chicago, accepts a symbolic key to the Auksuciai Farm and Forest Center Building. Vytautas Sliupas watches, and Lawrence Clement is in the background.

CENTER WILL UNITE SCIENTISTS AND FARMERS

During opening of the Center Building, the traditional ribbon cutting could not be done. Vytautas Sliupas, the originator of the Auksuciai experimental farm, announced, that the ribbon was being brought from Siauliai, but unfortunately the vehicle became involved in an accident this side of Gruzdziai, just 10 kilometers from Auksuciai.

Vytautas Sliupas (left) had to overcome many bureaucratic obstacles. Lithuania's Ambassador to the USA Dr. Vygaudas Usackas (right) speaks to the visitors.

It is hoped that J. Gudaitis’ Center will become a field laboratory for agronomists and foresters, as well as for the Siauliai University Botanical department scientists.

The Center will also become a place for seminars, for computer training courses offered to local farmers, for agricultural scientists’ “get together”, will help promulgate local enterprises and creators, art students, as well as possibility for meetings of local farmer groups and organizations.

When Lithuania’s Independence was reestablished, Vytautas Sliupas, a USA resident, son of Dr. Jonas Sliupas, reclaimed his ancestral 54-hectare land. He enlarged it into 157 hectares where a Lithuanian not-for-profit organization, Auksuciu Ukio ir Misku Centras, is headquartered.

Center workers – mostly volunteer American agricultural specialists, experiment and grow and improve varieties of grains, vegetables, fruits and several imported species.

Some 150 participants (from four countries) were told about the aims of the organization, then the experimental plots were shown by the retired University of California Extension Agronomist, Lawrence Clement, who spends part of his summers here. He invited the farmers to come to the Center, where consultations are provided free of charge.

GOVERNMENT AT FIRST DID NOT BELIEVE

Edvardas Gedvilas, at that time in charge of Kursenai rural department (seniunija), told all listeners, that regional government at first met the idea with great skepticism. Even a bet was offered to him – a box of cognac – that nothing would develop from this idea. (The cognac has not yet been given to Gedvilas by the offerer).

The Board member of the Auksuciai Foundation, created in 1999 in the USA, Mr. Leland Ruth remembered well the time when here was only a plain field overgrown with weeds, a poor quality pathway, and electrical line – far away.

After a while here sprang up a building for workers, a hangar for the field machinery. That is a building for housing the farm equipment that was brought with great effort from the USA.

Mr. Edvardas Makelis, former Minister of Agriculture, was pleased to say that in 1999 he found a common interest with V.Sliupas and his American friends, because their effort is an example how to toil for Lithuania.

It is hoped that building, of log construction, dedicated to Forester J.Gudaitis, will become popular with farmers and scientists

Posted August 2, 2006 by: The Auksuciai Foundation (USA),
2907 Frontera Way,
Burlingame, CA 94010 USA

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