Sower - Issue 165

TheSowerThe American Farm SchoolThessalonica Agricultural & Industrial InstituteThessaloniki, Greece

Summer 2010

Issue 165

American Farm School students raising day-old chicks to 30-35 day-old pullets for egg production. Each spring the girls and boys sell local farmers a total of some 5,000 birds. The pullets grow into laying hens in approximately one year.

The American Farm SchoolThessalonica Agricultural & Industrial Institute

American Farm SchoolDimitris Perrotis CollegeMarinou Antipa 12, Post Office Box 23GR-55102 Thessaloniki, GreeceTel +30-2310-492-700Fax [email protected]

U.S. Office1133 Broadway, Suite 1226New York, NY 10010Tel +1-212-463-8434Fax [email protected]

TheSowerPublished semi-annually for friends and contributors to the institution.

Chairman of the Board of TrusteesCharlotte P. Armstrong

Vice ChairmanStavros Constantinides John R. CrunkiltonWilliam A. Tsacalis

SecretarySharon W. Vaino

TreasurerBarbara K. Heming

TrusteesDavid G. AckerGeorge P. ArgerakisSheila BairdPeter BienFrank BledjianJohn H.CleaveJoannie C. DanielidesConstantine N. DarrasSpyros DessyllasChristos S. FoliasSeth E. FrankDimitri Gondicas Constantinos HadjiyannakisTruda C. JewettLydia LegakisAnnie LevisPantelis PanteliadesAnastasia PappasJoel S. PostGail D. SchoppertManita R. ScocimaraJudson R. ShaverCharles L. Thomas, Jr.

PresidentPanos Kanellis

Vice President for Institutional AdvancementJoann Ryding-Beltes

Vice President for Academic and Student AffairsTasos Apostolides

Vice President for Administration and FinanceJohn Ziambras

Communications DirectorRandall Warner

From the President

It is a great privilege to join the company of presidents of this exceptional institution, and to be challenged, as all of them were, by the task of leading students, staff and

supporters into a secure and dynamic future.

I am indebted to the Board of Trustees for the faith it has invested in me. In the short time I have served to date, I have already been rewarded with the enthusiasm voiced by Board members and staff, as well as by donors and friends of the American Farm School and Perrotis College, who have reacted

positively to the ideas and directions I have placed before them.

As we move forward, you will be reading in more detail about strategic initiatives designed to help the School better meet contemporary educational demands and to build creatively for the future. Two examples of such initiatives are illustrated by topics that appear in this Sower issue: capitalizing on the American character of the institution to strengthen the opportuni-ties we offer young people to achieve excellence; and the School’s being recognized as the regional forerunner in agricultural and life science research. I hope you will enjoy reading about the outstanding American interns who are mentoring our students; our graduates who are completing Ph.D.s in the U.S.; and the agreement the School recently signed with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service to undertake projects of mutual scientific interest. Other developments that harmonize with our strategic initiative of making the School a more technologi-cally advanced institution include offering a specialized cur-riculum in the Secondary School for Milk Processing and Cheese Making; newly equipped laboratories for Chemistry and Biology; and the use of interactive electronic boards in an increasing number of our classrooms.

The Sower news also includes the opening of the new Educational Dairy and Milk Processing Training Center, a modern facility that extends the School’s historic leadership position in dairy science and is the result of multiyear invest-ment from private and public funders on both sides of the Atlantic. In her commencement ceremony address this June to the recipients of the first BSc (Hons) degrees awarded by the Dimitris Perrotis College of Agricultural Studies, benefactress Mrs. Aliki Perroti spoke of the new residence hall she has endowed that greatly enhances our capacity to accommodate the College’s international student body on campus, giving them the benefit of an American-style residential college experience. Few educational institutions are in the extraordinary situation to have realized two such major improvements to infrastructure in today’s lean global economy. For this we are immensely grateful.

The most noteworthy feature in this Sower issue, however, is the entire roster of donors to the Annual Fund in the United States for the previous fiscal year, and a summary of those who gave in Greece during the same period. To the loyal supporters of the American Farm School and Perrotis College who make our work possible, and help to provide our students with the educational opportunities they so deserve, we are profoundly thankful.

Panos Kanellis, Ph.D. President

Printed on FSC certified paper

Design & PrintingAlternative Graphic Solutions, Inc.

It is a great privilege to join the company of

presidents of this exceptional institution, and

to be challenged, as all of them

were, by the task of leading students, staff and supporters

into a secure and dynamic future.

2 The Sower Summer 2010

Dear Sower Readers,

I am pleased to invite you to get to know Panos Kanellis, who has been appointed as the

8th president of the American Farm School by the Board of Trustees. He took office last

December at the conclusion of William McGrew’s distinguished and deeply appreciated

service to the School.

Dr. Kanellis is superbly qualified to provide the outstanding leadership that celebrates and

builds on the American Farm School’s distinctive strengths and core values, and advances

its mission of preparing future leaders in agriculture, food systems, and life sciences. In

a rapidly changing environment, and under increasingly challenging economic condi-

tions for nonprofit educational organizations, Dr. Kanellis also brings valuable strengths

in business management and entrepreneurship to those he has honed as a scientist and a

seasoned senior academic and administrative leader.

Prior to beginning his role as president of the American Farm School, Dr. Kanellis

served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Anatolia College,

a U.S. nonprofit educational institution in Thessaloniki operating a four-year business

and liberal arts college with a graduate MBA program, K-12 schools, and a two-year

International Baccalaureate program. He also held the post of Provost of Anatolia’s ter-

tiary division, the American College of Thessaloniki.

A Thessaloniki native, Dr. Kanellis was graduated from Anatolia College and went on

to complete undergraduate and graduate studies in the U.S., earning his Ph.D. in Bio-

Organic Chemistry from the University of Houston. After several years of teaching and

research in the field of bio-organic chemistry during academic appointments at U.S.

universities, Dr. Kanellis returned to Greece, where he held several top managerial posi-

tions in private industry before electing to serve his alma mater.

We believe that Dr. Kanellis’ background in academe, capped by his deep administrative

experience at Anatolia, his executive positions in private industry, thorough understand-

ing of the educational systems and culture of both Greece and the U.S., proven leadership

skills and, finally, energizing vision of the future of the American Farm School rooted in

a recognition of its unique history and mission, will ensure an inspiring and successful

presidency. His first months of leadership, culminating in the recent Board approval of

his President’s Strategic Initiatives Plan, augur well for the future of the institution.

Sincerely,

Charlotte P. Armstrong

Chairman of the Board of Trustees

The Sower Summer 2010 3

Ambassador Nicholas Burns Addresses New York Committee’s Benefit EventFormer Ambassador to Greece R. Nicholas Burns addressed an audience of friends and supporters invited by the New York Committee of the American Farm School at a benefit dinner at the Yale Club on April 19th.

“Ambassadors come and go, but the American Farm School, serving Greek and Balkan students for over a century, remains a strong and visible example of what is best about America, and does more for U.S. relations abroad than almost any other kind of investment we could be making in the region.”

R. Nicholas Burns came to know the work of the American Farm School as U.S. Ambassador to Greece 1997-2001. Burns served as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, U.S. Ambassador to NATO, State Department Spokesman, and Senior Director for Russia, the Ukraine and Eurasia Affairs on the National Security Council. He is currently Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School and one of the nation’s top experts on foreign policy.

Audience members also had the opportunity to meet President of the American Farm School Panos Kanellis, and to hear about new initiatives being planned for the institution. Benefactress Mrs. Aliki Perroti was also on hand at the event, as was AHEPA Supreme Secretary Anthony Kouzounis, among the many new and long-time friends and supporters in attendance.

Thanks to Hardworking Volunteers, U.S. Events Raise Funds and Friends

Maliotis Center Pays Tribute to Former Trustee Arthur G. DukakisFriends and supporters of the American Farm School gathered at the Maliotis Cultural Center of Hellenic College in Brookline, MA on December 3rd to pay tribute to the memory of Arthur G. Dukakis, a former Trustee of both the School and the Maliotis Center.

Guests also enjoyed the photographic exhibit based on Brenda Marder’s history of the School, “Stewards of the Land: The American Farm School and the Development of Modern Greece,” and remarks by Trustee Peter Bien, former President of the School, George Draper, and others. American Farm School alumna from the class of 2006, Marianthi Karampoukouki, spoke movingly on how the School prepared her to excel at Mount Holyoke College, where she graduated in May 2010 with a double major in Biology and Classics, and to envi-sion her future career in pharmaceutical research.

One of the School’s most successful and longstanding biennial events, orga-nized by the Greenwich, CT Committee and chaired by Trustee Manita Scocimara, was held at the Milbrook Club on March 6, in support of the Annual Fund and the Greek Summer program. Special guests included Greenwich High School Band Direc-tor John Yoon, about to embark on the band’s highly successful Greek Tour that included a performance on the School’s Thessaloniki campus; and many Greek Summer participants, counselors and parents from previous Greek Summer throughout the decades.

Jamie Hutchinson, Trustee Joel Post, Holly Bodman, Tim Hartch, Trustee Barbara Heming

Greenwich Taverna 2010 Committee Members. Front row, l to r: Vicky Kyriakou, Soulas Rizzos, Manita Scocimara, Nafsika Chalekian. Back row, l to r: Teresa Vassileiou, Natalie Gianesello, Anna Lycouris, Anna Povinelli, Maria Allwin, Elizabth Chu, Amanda Spyrou, Darcy Hadjipateras, Diane Hamilton-Papas, Nancy Mortimer, Afroditi Skeadas.

Teresa Vassileiou, Manita Scocimara, John and Anna Lycouris, Panos Kanellis.

Greenwich Taverna 2010

Marianthi Karampoukouki

Brenda Marder and Clotilde Zannetos

Stephanie Andrews and Patti Dukakis

President Panos Kanellis, Mrs. Aliki Perroti, Ambassador R. Nicholas Burns

American Farm School Chairman of the Board Charlotte P. Armstrong, and Trustees Constantinos Darras, Joannie Danielides

New York Committee Chair and Trustee Joannie Danielides, Susan Stupin Gamble, Trustee Manita Scocimara


Perrotis Graduates Are Committed to Careers in ResearchIntegral to the vision that drove the American Farm School to establish Perrotis College in 1995 was inspiring students to continue their education beyond the undergraduate level, and encouraging their desire to pursue scientific research in the ever-expanding and diver-sifying areas of agriculture, food, and renewable natural resources. This year, two members of the Perrotis College Class of 2001 manifested that vision with the achievement of their Ph.D. degrees at U.S. universities that are preeminent centers of agricultural and agriculture-related research.

Christos Kolympiris was recently awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO, having suc-cessfully defended his dissertation entitled “Three Essays on Location Aspects in Biotechnology Entrepreneurship.” After earning the Perrotis College Associate Degree, he completed his BSc at the University of Arkansas, as well as an MSc in Agricultural Economics there with “An Optimization Model for Winery Capacity Use” as his thesis topic.

He was drawn to the University of Missouri with a fully paid research assistantship that has focused on the role of universities in affecting entrepreneurial outcomes in the biotechnology industry. Christos explains, “I do research that is informative on practical matters that can really help people…The field invites the researcher to employ ideas, techniques and methods from dif-ferent sources.” He is now engaged in postdoctoral research into regional welfare brought about through start-ups of local biotechnology firms, and forces that affect market outcomes for GMO products.

Alexandros Doukopoulos is a researcher at Auburn University in Auburn, AL, in the area of Plant Breeding and Genetics. For the Ph.D. dissertation he plans to defend in December 2010, Alexandros has worked on the evaluation and adaptation of a legume species called

Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea), pictured in the photo. This has entailed constructing experimental designs, managing the field and growth-chamber experiments, and perform-ing statistical analysis of the collected data.

His Associate Degree studies at Perrotis College set Alexandros on a firm path to higher studies in plant science. His BSc degree in Crop Management completed at the University of Arkansas was followed by an MSc in Molecular Biology in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences,

with the thesis “Phylogenetic Analysis of Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) from the Caribbean Basin and Florida.” In 2006, the Department of Agronomy and Soils at Auburn University awarded him a full research assistantship to pursue his Ph.D.

Alexandros feels his graduate studies in the United States have made him highly qualified for employment in “research positions in academia and industry, regardless of the country.” Christos Kolympiris believes that future graduates of Perrotis College can learn from the positive experience of his decision to earn the highest degree possible in his field of study and commit to a career in research. He further stresses that, “Regardless of career objective, I would strongly advise students to take on graduate studies outside their country of birth. Besides the straightforward educational benefits, doing graduate studies in another country helped me develop as a personality, and I think most students can realize the same benefits as I did.”

American Farm School, USDA Agree on Joint ResearchThe United States Department of Agricul-ture, through its Agricultural Research Ser vice, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the American Farm School to conduct and coordinate sustainable agricultural research on topics of mutual interest. Areas of investigation include crop and animal production and protection, as well as agricultural utilization

and bioenergy. The document was signed in Thessaloniki on March 1 by Dr. Panos Kanellis and Dr. Daniel Strickman, leader of the National Program for Agricultural Research Service, Veterinary and Medical and Urban Entomology at USDA, and wit-nessed by U.S. Consul General Catherine E. Kay. The School looks forward to this long-term partnership through coopera-tion with research specialists based at public and private universities and science institutes throughout the United States. The USDA Agricultural Research Service operates a satellite laboratory of its main European Biological Control Laboratory in Montpelier, France, in facilities located on the American Farm School campus, and headed by entomologist Javid Kashefi.

Front row: Catherine E. Kay, Dr. Daniel Strickman, Dr. Panos KanellisBack row: Farm Director Dr. Athanasios Giamoustaris, Vice President Joann Ryding, Javid Kashefi, Head of Lifelong Learning and Coordinator of Research Activities Dr. Evangelos Vergos.


Perrotis College Awards First BSc (Hons) DegreesA milestone in the 106-year history of the American Farm School was achieved the evening of June 24, 2010 as Trustees, special guests, graduating students and their parents gathered for the cer-emony to award the first BSc (Hons) degrees to the graduating class of 2010 in the School’s division of higher learning, the Dimitris Perrotis College of Agricultural Studies.

Mrs. Aliki Perroti, whose generous gift in 1995 made possible the founding of the College, was a guest speaker, as was Trustee Dr. John R. Crunkilton, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and Dr. Eleri Jones representing the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff. In her remarks in honor of the graduating students, Mrs. Perroti pointed out that the new residence hall she has recently funded, whose construction and furnishing will be completed in September, will double the residential capacity for students to study and pursue a rich program of extracurricular activities. Perrotis College is the only residential institution of higher education in Greece and neigh-boring countries, and is based on the U.S. model of young men and women living on campus and participating in holistic education that teaches them the values of citizenship and service to society, in addition to challenging them with academic knowledge and practical skills.

At the same ceremony, Dr. Philippos Papadopoulos, Program Coordinator for the International Agribusiness major, was awarded with the Athinoula A. Martinos Professorship for 2010-2011, established through the generous endowment of donors Thanassis and Marina Martinos.

Perrotis College graduates earned their BSc (Hons) degrees, which are validated by the Univer-sity of Wales Institute, Cardiff and recognized worldwide, in Management of Environmental Systems, and International Agribusiness.

Greece’s Minister of Agricultural Development Addresses Secondary School GraduationThe 2010 graduates of the Secondary School, their families and special guests, as well as Trustees of the American Farm School who had gathered for their annual meeting on campus, were greatly honored to welcome Mrs. Katerina Batzeli, Greece’s Minister of Agricultural Development and Food as the keynote speaker for the June 25 commencement ceremony. Earlier in the day, Mrs. Batzeli toured the School’s newly-opened Educational Dairy and Milk Processing Training Center and was briefed by President Panos Kanellis on the Milk Processing and Cheese Making specialization to be introduced this September, and on the news that day students from the city of Thessaloniki will eli-gible for admission as of fall 2010 to follow the same academic and practical skills training program offered to students with rural backgrounds who board in the School’s dormitories.

Dr. John R. Crunkilton

Dr. Philippos Papadopoulos receiving award from Perrotis College Dean Don Schofield

Valedictorian Spire Arsov and President Panos Kanellis

Salutatorian Ivance Dimitrevski awarded by Trustee Seth Frank

Tad Lansdale presents the Bruce and Tad Lansdale Leadership Award to Viktor Ivanovski

Mr. Seth Frank and Mrs. Aliki Perroti

Trustees, graduates and faculty on the steps of Princeton Hall


Planned GivingPlanned giving allows supporters of the American Farm School to integrate gifts into the their overall financial, tax, and estate plan-ning. A planned gift enables a donor to make a positive financial difference for the donor and his or her family, while also contribut-ing significantly to the School. Planned gifts are often thought of as leaving a legacy that benefits not only the donor and the donor’s family, but also future generations.

BEQUESTS By including the American Farm School in their wills, the following individuals provided a final gift to strengthen the School’s endowment.

Esther Carhart

Maria Couvaras

Alexander Drapos

Elizabeth M. Godley

Eve Curie Labouisse

Eleanor McKay Norris

Winifred E. Weter

ESTATES AND TRUSTS By creating an estate or trust, the following individuals provide annual support to the American Farm School past their lifetimes.

Esther Carhart

Ernest Thomas Chepou

Philip and Hazel Constantinides

Fred W. Kolb

Mary P. Gill

Henry T. Maijgren

Dean C. Zutes

METAMORPHOSIS SOCIETYThe Metamorphosis Society recognizes and honors the generosity and foresight of those individuals who have made provisions in their estates to include the American Farm School, and who have apprised the School of their intentions. The name “Metamorphosis” is chosen for the resonance this word has in the School’s tradition of education that brings about positive change, or metamorphosis, in the individual; and by association with the titles of books by Bruce M. Lansdale, Metamorphosis: Why Do I Love Greece? and by Elizabeth Lansdale, My Metamorphosis.

David Acker

Charlotte Armstrong

Peter Bien

Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Carson Jr.

Marvin Fisher

Phillip G. and Mary Foote

Truda Jewett

Edmund and Mary Keeley

Lois Kerimis

Bruce M. and Elizabeth (Tad) Lansdale

Mary R. and Charles F. Lowrey

Nicholas Pisaris

Charles L. and Joan Thomas

Barbara Wood

Androus Foundation Strengthens Learning Support through the Arcadia ProgramDeborah Androus of Alexandria, Virginia, recently reaf-firmed her long-standing support of the School’s initiative to provide professional diagnosis and counseling to stu-dents with a broad range of learning challenges. Thanks to Mrs. Androus’ help via the Androus Foundation, the School has been a pioneer in this field in Greece, bringing qualified help to students, most of whom are from rural areas where dyslexia and other forms of learning challenges are not widely recognized or acknowledged. With steady assistance through the years, the School’s program led by English teacher Mary Chism and now administrated by Lyceum Principal Catherina Diafa, offered the consulta-tions of a learning disabilities expert and a psychologist to students in a limited number of classes.

The generous new commitment of funds by the Androus Foundation establishes the Arcadia Program, named after the region in the Peloponnese where Mrs. Androus’ family originates, and bestowing on the effort the affirmative con-notation the word “arcadia” implies. As of 2010, students who are in need of support to contend with and overcome learning disabilities from all three years of the Secondary School’s educational programs will be helped.

Deborah Androus, left, pictured with Catherina Diafa, center, and Trustee Manita Scocimara during Morning Assembly of Secondary School students in James Hall.


Emphasizing “American” in American Farm SchoolOne of the most valued aspects of an American Farm School education is the chance for students in the Secondary School and Perrotis College to come into daily contact with recent graduates of U.S. colleges and universities who spend ten months on campus, opening stu-dents’ eyes to a world of new ideas about American culture while sharpening Greek and international students’ English language skills in the process. Student Life Interns for academic year 2009-2010 Jacques Edeline, a graduate of Emory University in Atlanta and crack soccer coach, and Emily Schneider, a graduate of Berea College in Kentucky and all-around athlete, taught, mentored, and acted as role models for students. They share highlights of what they experienced:

During my ten months in Thessaloniki, the American Farm School has become much more than a place of employment; it has become my second home. Committing to live and work 10,000 kilometers from home is a daunting task, however the family atmosphere at AFS was undeniable from the moment arrived on campus. I am grateful to have been welcomed into this community with open arms. The unique environment at AFS produces a special experience

for students, staff, and anyone who comes to know the school even for a short period of time; my year at AFS was no exception.

My personal odyssey at the American Farm School has been life changing and profoundly educational; I hope my relationship with AFS has been reciprocal and my presence has enriched the overall experience for others. My involvement with the secondary school and Perrotis College has heightened my understanding of the world atlarge. Every day spent at the American Farm School bolsters my belief in the innate goodness of humankind. My interaction with the students and exposure to their contagious energy has unlocked in me a renewed enthusiasm for life. The warmth of the AFS staff has redefined my definition of hospitality, and I am eager to return the favor in my reception of others. Immersion in Greek culture has reminded me to celebrate life on a daily basis.

— Jacques Edeline

When I was given the news last year that I was accepted to intern at the American Farm School, I was struck with many different emotions. I was to travel half way around the world, live ten months in a place I had never been, try to understand the language and then communicate my English skills with the students. I made my journey with hopes of helping this AFS community and to learn as much as I could about the Greek culture.

As my time here has past I have many memories that will never leave my heart. Not only did the AFS family accept me with warm smiles and open arms they also taught me how to grow and I am forever grateful for this. Working with the students every day has taught me patience, understanding and how to live life with happiness. The AFS staff has gone out of their way with any issues or help that I needed and that alone shows how kind and humble their hearts are. My time here at The American Farm School has opened my eyes to a new form of respect for education. AFS creates such a unique and special environment for students to learn. AFS, thank you for all of the great memories. I will never forget such a wonderful place and family.

— Emily Schneider

Vered Yakovee, attorney and graduate of University of Southern California Law School in Los Angeles, spent the 2009-2010 aca-demic year in a similar role, mentoring and serving as a role model for students of Perrotis College.

For academic year 2010-2011, the Secondary School welcomes Carrie Rosenblum from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and Micah Smith from Berea College in Kentucky as Student Life Interns. Kate Peterson, a Fulbright Foundation English Teaching Assistant recently graduated from Linfield College in Oregon will

also be devoted to enhancing Secondary School students’ written and spoken English skills, using her extensive experience in oratory and other speech and debate coaching. Matthew Hartman from Havre, Montana will join the other Americans from September through December, serving as this year’s International Four H Exchange Program Ambassador to the Secondary School. And Perrotis College welcomes Ashley Douglas from the University of Florida who will be engaged in strengthening English language skills of, and sharing aspects of American culture with, that international student body.


Building on its uninterrupted thirty seasons of performances, the Theater Club of the Secondary School this April presented a highly contemporary and original play by Chryssa Spilioti entitled “Who Discovered America?” directed by Maria Rapti. The 18-member cast also performed at a regional meeting of student theater groups of northern Greece, and has been invited to give a special performance to the public during Thessaloniki’s prestigious international “Dimitria Festival” in fall 2010.

Students in the first year of the Vocational School wanted something different this year. Rather than rotating with students from other classes and sharing responsibility for vegetables grown in the gardens and greenhouses, they proposed new cultivations for their afternoon horticulture projects, from seed selection to marketing the produce. And they wanted something out of the ordinary – not the more common cabbages and carrots, spinach and green onions. They wanted something that Greek cooks were not used to serving, and they aimed to – and succeeded – in educating the consumer in the process. The students choose the pale green bulb-shaped fennel, which makes a crisp, distinctive addition to salads when sliced, and a flavorful alternative to potatoes when cooked in the oven with cheese and breadcrumbs. Their other selection was the beautiful Italian radicchio, with its deep green outer leaves and ruby red interior leaves that is delicious when the whole head is charcoal broiled, and adds a pleasantly bitter flavor when mixed with other salad greens.

Scenes from the 2010 trip to Houston Rodeo & Livestock Show, Texas A & M University, local farms and ranches and other attractions, generously sponsored by the Pan Macedonian Association of Greater Houston. Deepest thanks go to Harry Simeonidis, President of the Association, Peter and Nina Peropoulos, Antonis and Linda Sideris, Dionysis Moustakis, Dan James, Barbara Scott, George Moore, AHEPA Supreme Secretary Antonis Kouzounis and others who made this visit such a success and an unforgettable experience for the students who were chosen to participate: Sophia Tatsi, Olga Tialiou, Tasos Chatzipapadopoulos, Vasilis Korakis, and escorting teacher Anna Kalincheva with her daughter Michaela Kalincheva Kondou.

The joint cultivation of Echinacea purpurea by students of the American Farm School and Greece’s award-winning manufacturer and global retailer Korres Natural Products has expanded to nearly three times the size of the crop originally planted last year. The handsome purple flower, with leaves, stems and roots also considered valuable as medicinal and cosmetic ingredients, is native to North America, but also grows well under local Greek conditions. The national certifying body ΔΗΩ certifies the organic cultivation methods the students use to raise the crop.


A New Dimension to DairyThe American Farm School’s historic – and at certain periods during the 20th century virtually solo – role in the development of Greece’s dairy industry took on an entirely new dimension with the opening this spring of the Educational Dairy and Milk Processing Training Center, a multiyear project for which Farm School educators and scientists joined forces, and public and private funders on both sides of the Atlantic contributed their support. Notably, both U.S. and Greek governments assisted in the effort, with grants from the USAID ASHA (American Schools and Hospital Abroad) Program and Greece’s Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food under the INTERREG Program.

Trustees gathered in June for a ribbon cutting ceremony and tour of the new facility, which more than doubles the space of the exist-ing historic brick dairy barn, reminiscent of farm structures in New England and the Midwest. Instead of just a milk pasteurization and bottling line, there are also production laboratories for making several kinds of cheeses as well as yogurt, butter and ice cream. And there are classrooms and laboratories on the second floor of the building where students can observe production while follow-ing academic and research aspects of the dairy science curriculum.

Two of the classrooms are named, through an anonymous gift, for Dr. J.W. Sexton, a legendary figure in dairy science at Iowa State University, and for Senator William J. Fulbright.

Earlier, MEVGAL, one of Greece’s major dairy producers that is also establishing a North American presence, held a separate ceremony at the new facility to inaugurate one of the cheese making laboratories the company had helped to fund, named after the founder of that company, Constantinos Hatzakos.

The new facility enables the School to package milk in recyclable PET bottles and to adapt to cornstarch-based and other packaging in the future. To signal that the new packaging contains the same highest quality milk the School has been known for longer than any other producer in Greece, distinctive new labels have been designed for the milk bottle, as well as for the American Farm School Omega 3 eggs, prized by consumers in Athens and Thessaloniki. The words “γάλα” (milk) and “αυγά” (eggs) appear to be rendered in chalk on a green board to remind the consumer of school days, reinforcing the fundamental values of education and tradition that make the School’s products unique in the market.


Greek Summer 2010

Marcelle Abi-EsberDanvers, MADanvers High School

Alexander AlexakosOld Greenwich, CTHackley School

Elizabeth ArgyDover, MADover Sherborn High School

Robert Beecher, IIIHyattswille, MDSidwell Friends

George DrewCincinnati, OHCincinnati Country Day School

Georgia EagerPrinceton, NJPrinceton High School

Grace GardnerNew York, NYTrevor Day School

Tyler GawLynnfield, MALandmark School

Buchanan GoresSan Francisco, CAThe Webb School

Asha-Kai GrantBethesda, MDSidwell Friends

William HamelArnold, MDSeverna Park High School

Margaret HarrisRochester, NYPittsford Sutherland High School

Alea KrauseBoulder Creek, CAPacific Collegiate School

Andrew KyriakosGreenwich, CTLow-Heywood Thomas

Peter LansdaleSanta Cruz, CAPacific Collegiate School

Mary LempresBerkeley, CABishop O’Dowd

Anthea LeviNew York, NYTrevor Day School

Suzanne MossSan Rafael, CASan Rafael High School

Sarah PenderLos Altos Hills, CACastilleja School

Maxwell PhelpsPittsford, NYMcQuaid Jesuit

Samantha RathbunNaples, NYNaples Central School

Olivia RydingTaunton, MASt. Mary Academy – Bay View

Jimmy Salgado JuarezSanta Rosa, CASanta Rosa High School

Anteneh SarbanesBaltimore, MDMt. St. Josephs

Ilana SilvermanMerrick, NYJohn F. Kennedy High School – Bellmore

William SkoufalosOld Greenwich, CTGreenwich High School

Emily ThompsonNaples, NYNaples High School

Eliza WehrleLocust Valley, NYBrooks School

Greek Summer 2010 Participants

The wonderful people of Mikro Dasos in the prefecture of Kilkis hosted Greek Summer 2010, where participants built and landscaped a small outdoor amphitheater next to the village cultural center. Kira Tolla (GSC ’07, ’08) was the Head Counselor and Judy McGinley (GS ’96) and Sam Cuthell (GS ’06) were Counselors. Campus-based staff included Thanos Kasapidis, Kyriakos Anthoulakis, Klearchos Papacontantinou, and Rena Karypidou.


Dear Friend of Greek Summer,

I think all of us who have been involved with Greek Summer over the years, as a participant or a counselor, or as a parent, grandparent or other sponsor, have our own ways of expressing how special this intercultural program is. But the words of Sam Cuthell, GS’06, and a Greek Summer counselor this year, come as close as anyone has done to articulate why the feelings about this life-changing program are so strong:

“Take the happiest moment of your life; seriously think about it. Take that moment and stretch it out six weeks. Now share that moment with your best friend, so that you can have inside jokes, and someone who can relate to the experience. And turn your best friend into the 35 participants who have become your best friends. You will have my trip to Greece with Greek Summer!”

Wanting to reunite with classmates to savor our Greek Summer experiences, and to support the future of the program, volunteers across the country have banded together to orga-nize “Celebrate 40 Years of Greek Summer,” three delightful events based at the Radisson Martinique on Broadway Hotel in New York City on 5-7 November. First, the opening reception Friday night hosted by Tucker Robbins (GS’70); then a Gala Greek Taverna Evening Saturday night, and finally a Sunday breakfast to visit with GS friends and learn about exciting future directions of the American Farm School and Greek Summer. Tad Lansdale, widow of beloved former president of the American Farm School Bruce Lansdale, will be the Honorary Chair for these festivities. Tad and I warmly invite you to join us in New York City in November. Your participation will help to make this celebration the great success we all look forward to.

Warm wishes,

Joel Post, GS’83Trustee, American Farm SchoolChairman, Celebrate 40 Years of Greek Summer

P.S. To register to attend the event, become a sponsor, and/or make a contribution to “Celebrate 40 Years of Greek Summer,” please complete and return the enclosed registration form to the U.S. Office of the American Farm School, or do so online at www.afs.edu.gr/gs40reunion. And find photos, maps, and much more about Celebrate 40 Years of Greek Summer on the Greek Summer Alumni-American Farm School Facebook Page.

Tad Lansdale’s tender memoir, My Metamorphosis, recalling hers and her husband Bruce Lansdale’s lifetime of devotion to the American Farm School and to Greece, was recently published in Greek translation. Mrs. Lansdale made several appearances to inform audiences about the book and to autograph copies, including at the Alumni Reunions for the Classes of 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000 held on campus in May. She is pictured here, left to right, with graduates and staff members Babis Simeonides, Thanos Kasapidis, Nikos Papaconstantinou, Stephanos Kessides, and Sotiris Yalamas; and flanked by students Kostas Malakides and Dimitra Hina. Tad will be autographing copies of the English edition of My Metamorphosis and Metamorphosis at the “Celebrate 40 Years of Greek Summer” events.


Documents

Sower - Issue 165