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Show Alo An echoofthe past, foreign farmers head for American oi Mentor: South Dakota transplantrecruits others from Canada and Europe to relocate operations Using information generated by a computer system that tracks and ual ambassador who jets monitors aif his cows, dairy farmer Arjan Biok in June waiks through one of his barns in White, S.D., By Suanon looking for cows that Conen beuruiet Proa BROOKINGS, are ready to be profitable S.D. AL inseminated. Blok was recruited by the ™m, he says, an producea six-figure income looked like an Old West poster, a people Bollen meets few hundred words promising a life in America, tucked have seen the “wanted” ads he bout cattle and Dairy fering settle on for. The place: South time: now When Julie Dakota. The Sean al her partner, James Ailsby, first spotted the ad last fall ina Brit farm publication, they alr fame d NATE Laura Ingalls Wilder of House on the Prairie’ parallel wasn't lost on a journalist who chese to w the English couple at arby Wilder home-turnedu then filmed part of his story in front of a covered wagon t Wilt beat any of a financia They were considering farm ing in France, Or maybe eastern Europe But the ad in Farmers Weekly offered a third choice: the wide openplains of America, the same Jand that had lured hardy Europeansin the 19th century Sitting in the kitchen of their red-brick Victorian farmhouse nestled amonglush pastures and | ed mae Utah Council of the Blind has helped the blind become moreetuiabain in theBoats since 1972. Bonded & insured "itt" 966-9366 = ca cheekily later THA Free Pickup + Tax Deduction ™=~ We Do All Paperwork - Runninger Hot" “Resmrcions iy + Powerful Truck Mounted Equipment * We vacuum and brush for the best possible results ‘Good luck, pioneers,” he said as he left them days had dec led to sell the northwest Englar ¢ome too much drain. Holland and open a Axer Sancerts/ The Asoniated Pro se that brought homesteaders rein thelatter 1800s ing eign soil state to move from dairy farm. places in ypean farm publi cations designed to look like Vehiciss, Real RV's, and more! 8000-767-0258 Ailsby, in his Bart Simpson T-shirt, smiled good-naturedly Ailsby and Scanlon werere spected farmers in England their 50-headherd wasone ofthe top milk-producers in the coun try but they say low prices and newrules imposedafter the mad cow scaretooka toll. The couple are among about 15 families from Belgium, En gland, the Netherlands and Can ada recruited by Bollen a number made more significant jsturdy oak trees, the British couple mulled the offer. First, they were skeptical Then, considering it translates into a intrigued. $20million-plus investment. Two Shows, One Ticket! SMTAaTnaaTh COMING JULY 31-AUGUST 17! ‘This spring, after selling their beloved cows Scanloncried for ‘months afterward they came ‘here for a look, tooling about itwo-laneblacktops, scouting out fields of green, chatting with farmers ; Not for sissies: It takes moxie and money to make thetrans Atlantic move: Bollen estimates it costs each family at least $1 million to start from scratch, much lessto buy anolderplace. Bysummer, they had decided. Come September, they'll bid farewell to their families, leave the picture-postcard village of iEdale and travel 4,000 miles to the wind-sweptprairie of South Dakota joining a tiny but growing number of Europeans becoming dairy farmers in America They will plunge into a world jof high risk and hard work a {combination that has forced thousands to flee the dairy busi. ‘The best people are the ones who areskeptical,” hesays. “We don't want them to romanticize this. It’s a serious step. You're pulling out your roots com. pletely and replanting them someplaceelse Wim Hammink, a_ trans planted Dutch dairy farmer walked away from a 400-year family tradition when he settled here. the “You'vegot to bea little bit of pioneer, really,” he says. hos but one that does notdis. here's something you've gotto frouragethem. “Nobody here says the roads re paved with gold or the sun have in yourgenesor blood.” Even then, it’s risky You're not reinventing the wheel,” he says, but adjusting it shinesall day,” Ailsbysays. “But {theopportunities arehere. We're jass-half-full rather thanhalf mpty people. That's the kindof Wnakeup youneed to considerdo- ing this.” all the time.” For Bollen, the recruitment is about much more than produce ing milk for cheeseplants Heis convincedhisefforts can help revive shrinking rural tat Joop towns. Bollenis lookingfot a few good ‘Thefarmersget tosell their jarmers, grain, the schools will get more A decade ago, the Dutch-born kids, the local grocery store, the Bollen was lookingfor a mapto vet, the bookkeeper get busi. figure out where South Dakota ness," Bollen explains. rom Chicago to work as a grain Prader communities have.” The idea had dawned on oth- f. ers, as well. fee ate beingt ansferred here bonThe » days, he is South Dako- E MARK ANDGAYLE VAN WAGONE NewspaperAgency Corpazation “It's one of the few chances these small a's international recruiter, a The Salt LakeTribune See NEXT PAGE te eeeTee kee Aue:Feo r Cool Since 4968. Helping People Keep Thei Heanwe & Ain Conpimionina ‘Yislt our Showrece at 1362 South Maia Streot ay 466-9084 FREE Estimates on Installations PARTS * SERVICE * INSTALLATIONS Le eae prent genital herpes infection Xually transmitted disease that 48 DESIGNER HOMES the lives ofone in five Americans. 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