The Auksuciai Foundation

Annual Report

2010

This report highlights 2010 accomplishments and provides financial supporters with an accounting of how their dollars are being utilized.

Background:

The Auksuciai Foundation is a California based privately funded, 501(c) (3) nonprofit public benefit corporation that works in Lithuania for the benefit of small – scale farmers. To carry out its purposes, it has

a “Contract for Service” with the Auksuciai Farm and Forest Center (AUMC). This organization is a separate legal entity, established under Lithuanian law as a nonprofit public institution. It receives most of its funding from the Auksuciai Foundation U.S.A. It is located near the town of Kursenai in the Siauliai Region. Here on 157,5 hectares (389 acres) of land, staff conducts a year – long program of research on new crops, improvements of existing crops and sustainable farming and forestry practices. In addition, the Foundation engages in people – to - people education, training, information, technical and cultural exchanges between the agricultural and natural resource communities of Lithuania and the U.S.

Major accomplishments of the foundations per the contract for service with AUMC:

·                     Conducted an Asparagus Production and Marketing Work Shop in May for local farmers on the     site at the AUMC Giudaitis Center. This event involved more than 30 participants, including local farmers, TV and newspaper  press, university and government officials.

·                     With financial support from Rotary International we are able to purchase, locate on the Farm and build a roof over a 20 foot refrigerated container that will be used by local farmers to hold asparagus prior to marketing. Rotary also helped fund a new well that will serve as source of portable water for the Gudaitis Center and for irrigation of research plots.

·                     AUMC continued to provide leadership and guidance in the development and of a farmer’s association called “Village Innovations.” One of the major purposes of this association is to serve the production and marketing needs of local growers of asparagus. Some of its farmer members will begin sales in early summer of 2011. It has the broader purpose of improving economic conditions in Siauliai area villages.

·                     Completed the sixth harvest season of a one – hectare asparagus field trial and continued distribution on a trial basis to local hotels and restaurants.

·                     Constructed a new plastic greenhouse for producing seedlings of asparagus and other crops for field transplantation.

·                     Begin a six month trial program with a firm call Constant Contact in the production of an Email news letter directed at interested parties and financial supporters of the program.

·                     Secured approval from Fordham University for a program called “Go Lithuania”. This involves ten students and a chaperone spending three weeks in Lithuania doing “hands on” community service work. This is scheduled in May 2011 and during their stay they will be involved in public service activities that benefit local farmers. They will be housed in the Gudaitis Center at the farm.

·                     Arranged for a five day education program with the University of California, Davis for a delegation from the Lithuanian Agricultural Advisory Service. It focused on the structure of the California Agricultural Cooperative Extension Service and the services it provides to California farmers.

·                     Developed a new Agreement of Collaboration between the Auksuciai Farm & Forestry Center and Siauliai University.