Smithfield Fermeprovides employment opportunities for future ...

Training program for students
Smithfield Ferme provides employment
opportunities for future university graduates
This year as well, Smithfield Ferme, a continuously
developing company, will conduct the
internal training program for students, initiated
5 years ago, throughout which the participants
acquire knowledge and relevant skills, specific
to the company.
The aim of this program is to solve the needs for
qualified staff with higher education in the field of
Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry for the
departments of Production, Feed Mill and Land &
Nutrient Management within Smithfield Ferme, and
to establish whether a compatibility relation exists
between the future graduates and the company.
A complete cycle of the internship process lasts for
4 successive years for each participant.
In 2005, 20 students participated in this training
during one single summer session, whereas now, the
number was increased to two cycles per summer,
with the participation of an average number of 15-20
students per cycle.
Over these years, the collaboration between the relevant
universities from Timişoara and Iaşi turned out
to be highly successful. After the presentation of the
PagE 2
PagE 2
PagE 4
PagE 4
program in the universities in the two cities, Smithfield
Ferme conducts its selection and recruitment
procedures. Throughout the program, the students
are employees of Smithfield Ferme, benefiting from
all the facilities that the company provides to its employees.
Within each cycle, the training consists of 4 specific
modules 101, 102, 103 and 104, developing throughout
4 successive years, the participants not being able
to complete two modules within the same year. The
duration of a module is 6 weeks, and throughout each
module, the distribution of the theoretical and practical
knowledge is as follows: 2 weeks B&G, 2 weeks
FAR and 2 weeks N&F, the participants changing
thus departments every 2 weeks. Module 104 is an
exception, as the participants attend the training in
one of the beneficiary departments of their choice
(Production, Feed Mill, LNM). This module 104 is a
terminal one and addresses those who completed the
first 3 modules.
“Smithfeld Ferme provides the students in the Romanian
university centers and not only, with an employment
opportunity upon graduation, as well as a means
to gain experience in this field. The first generation to
have completed all the four modules was in 2009 and
we are proud that out of the 9 students who completed
module 104, all are currently employees of Smithfield
Ferme. This shows that our training program was 100%
successful” declares Sorin Lazar, Human Resources
Manager, Smithfield Ferme.
Throughout the training sessions, the training coordinator
supervises and controls the development of
this process, by regularly visiting the locations where
the internship program is implemented.
“We are satisfied that we have managed to develop
this training program for students and provide them
with an opportunity to learn from the best specialists
of Smithfield Ferme. From one year to another the stu-
Editorial:
Together we can make a difference
Editorial by Bogdan Mihail, Smithfield Ferme General Manager
Environment & Community:
This year, Smithfield Ferme won an Excellence Award for
Environmental Protection and Community Involvement!
Employee Profile:
“Managing a farm like Bacova is an intellectual challenge”
Interview with Mircea Belgea, Bacova farm manager
CSR/Social:
Development of local communities – a constant in Smithfield
Ferme’s strategy to come closer to the people
www.smithfieldferme.ro
No. 3 – September 2010
6 pages
UsefUl information:
n The training program is conducted in
two sessions: June 15th – August 1st, August
1st – September 15th;
n The training consists of 4 modules 101,
102, 103 and 104;
n The duration of a module is 6 weeks,
and throughout each module, the distribution
of the theoretical and practical
knowledge is as follows: 2 weeks B&G, 2
weeks FAR and 2 weeks N&F, the participants
thus changing departments every
2 weeks.
dents are better prepared and know what they want
from their future career” declares training coordinator
Claudiu Nişte.
At the end of the training period, the site manager
fills in assessment forms for each and every participant
and sends them to the training coordinator. In
their turn, the participants in the training fill in the
feedback form for the training coordinator. This information
is centralized and introduced in the program
database, respectively in the personal training
file of each participant by the training coordinator.
At the end of each module, the participants receive
a diploma certifying the completion of the respective
module, with a grade resulting from the assessment
made by the managers of the locations where they
conducted their activity.
1

EDIToRIAl
„ We
„ Bogdan Mihail General Manager – Smithfield Ferme:
have received yet another conformation
that we are a solid company, a performing
team able to react to any challenges and a
market leader with a long-term vision.
Environment
& Community
This year, Smithfield Ferme
won an Excellence Award
for Environmental
Protection and Community
Involvement!
l Smithfield Ferme received an Excellence
Award this year from its parent company,
Smithfield Foods, based in Virginia, USA,
for its Environmental Protection and Community
Involvement programs. The value
of the award, USD 2,000, will be donated to
the support centre for children with special
educational requirements „Pentru un zâmbet
de copil” (For a child’s smile) in Maşloc village,
Timiş County.
l “The Excellence Award for Environmental
Protection and Community Involvement
granted by Smithfield Foods and won this year
by Smithfield Ferme team is a recognition of
our efforts in environmental protection, in
educating the people around to maintain the
environment clean. This award motivates us
to further develop these projects and launch
new ones, which will help the young generation
breathe a cleaner air and live on a greener
planet”, declared Mr. Bogdan Mihail, Manager
of Smithfield Ferme.
l The Smithfield Ferme project was developed
over one year and included tree
planting campaigns, environmental trainings
and selective waste collection, a number of
information, education and volunteering actions
conducted under the aegis of the “Earth
Week”, water testing and monitoring actions.
l “Environment and community involvement
are essential components of Smithfield’s CSR
and sustainable development programs and
we are proud of our achievements in Romania.
You have a model of community involvement
which can become a model for other
companies in the Smithfield family”, declares
David Townsend, Environmental Affairs,
Smithfield Foods.
Together we can make a difference
Maybe now more
than ever, at the
beginning of this fall,
I would like to make a
point of being optimist
with regard to the future
of our activities,
despite the immediate
contextual realities.
This year, the producers
had to deal with a
difficult competition,
while proving that they
can find alternative and viable solutions to develop a
business dependant on continuous investments and
the risk generated by the unpredictability of the agricultural
cycles. We, at Smithfield Ferme, managed – as
proposed, to cut operational costs within the company
and increase the production indices and the performance
of all our activities.
This enables us to say that, while we are among those
who are trying to successfully overcome the difficulties
of this period, we are confident in the strength of
our company and, furthermore, optimistic about our
development potential. We have received yet another
With agricultural holdings of
more than 10,000 hectares
and direct cereal acquisitions in
excess of 250,000 tons every year,
Smithfield Ferme remains one of
the most important companies operating
in the field of agriculture,
both in the western part of the
country, as well as nationwide.
The acquisitions of cereals necessary
for the production activities of
Smithfield Ferme were maintained
at the same level as in the previous
years, generating an important
income source for the farmers in
Banat and, at the same time, a constant
support for the local agriculture
which can thus find a stable
and secure marketplace.
On the other hand, the company’s
agricultural holdings have successfully
used organic fertilization
techniques for several years now,
thus reducing the risk of soil and
underground water contamination
with chemical compounds, while
maintaining a maximum crop
yield, often higher than what is obtained
on non-fertilized or chemically
fertilized lands.
confirmation that we are a solid company, a performing
team able to react to any challenges and a market
leader with a long-term vision.
The successful continuation of our Contract Growers
program, to support local farmers in the development
of farms financed with European funds, as well as the
population of all our farms and bringing the system at
full operating capacity are only two of the good news
that make us maintain our optimism.
They add to the recent award for social responsibility
programs of Smithfield Ferme, received from our parent-company
in the United States, Smithfield Foods,
in recognition of the actions and activities to support
the local communities and their members conducted
by our company and Smithfield volunteers in the areas
where we operate.
I would like to thank all those who have voluntarily
chosen to get involved in the social responsibility programs
developed by Smithfield Ferme in the last years.
We want to be active members of the community and
manage, together, to make a difference, especially
where most people have lost hope that changing to
the better is still possible.
Bogdan Mihail
General Manager – Smithfield Ferme
Smithfield Ferme partnership for the purchase of grains
The activity on the cereals market
is particularly complex, especially
within the local context, affected
by tax evasion pressures in
the amount of billions of euros, according
to the estimates of the authorities.
This is one more reasons
why we are proud to have transparently
and competitively succeeded
to impose a good practice
model in the purchase of cereals
on the market in the western part
of the country.
Like every year, we restarted the
Smithfield Ferme campaign this
autumn, in order to purchase cereals
from farmers in Timiş and Arad
Counties. In addition to the direct
purchasing of wheat, corn and oth-
er cereals for feed production, we
continue to be particularly interested
in concluding partnerships with
the local farmers for permanent
cereal purchase, for the best prices
on the market. Thus, we ensure, on
the one hand, the constant need for
raw material in the two feedmills
owned by Smithfield Ferme, while
we also support farmers, who, by
pre-contracting, are protected
from potential negative effects of
the cereal market volatility.
We are confident that such partnerships
with the local farmers will
drive the development conditions
for the local agriculture in the western
part of the country. We therefore
encourage any partnership relation
for the acquisition of cereals on
the medium and long term, which
can bring both economic and social
benefits to the communities
where we conduct our activity.
Olimpiu Bejan, Manager
Cereal Purchasing – Smithfield Ferme
additional information:
Phone.: 0726-100-950 / 0256-27-88-04
Email: achizitii.cereale@smithfieldferme.ro
2 De la Ferme Adunate
The
Olimpiu Bejan Manager Achiziții Cereale – Smithfield Ferme:
acquisitions of cereals necessary for the production
activities of Smithfield Ferme were maintained
at the same level as in the previous years, generating
an important income source for the farmers in Banat.

n
Smithfield Ferme, as a continous development
company, is concerned not only
with securing its future specialists, but also with
training the present ones, so as to develop their
leadership and management skills.
Management Trainings on «Effective Management»
Smithfield Ferme managers to improve
their management techniques
Smithfield Ferme, as a continous
development company, is concerned
not only with securing its
future specialists, but also with training
the present ones, so as to develop their
leadership and management skills.
As of last November, Smithfield
Ferme, through its HR department,
started the internal training program
«Effective Management», organizing
ongoing development and training
courses aimed at transferring the
required management knowledge to
those who are in a leadership position
or aspire to a managerial position.
This training program for managers
is based on a similar project, successfully
implemented for many years by
Smithfield Foods, the parent company
of Smithfield Ferme from Timis, the
program enjoying therefore international
recognition of the applicability
of the methodologies taught during
the trainings.
The internal training program «Effective
Management» addresses all Smithfield
Ferme employees in managerial
positions or with managerial potential,
as well as those functions with direct re-
ports who want to develop or improve
their management techniques and the
way they can become more efficient.
“effective management” – an
investment under development
The sectoral objectives of this training
include: understanding and applying
the principles of proper motivation;
adopting an adequate management
style; efficient task allocation; efficient
planning of projects and timeframe
required to achieve them; influencing
and developing the staff, as well as efficient
communication.
After graduating from this course,
topics such as: conflict management,
communication skills, motivation,
Mihaela Blidaru, student (Faculty of Veterinarian Medicine and Animal Husbandry – Timişoara)
FARM UPDATE
No. 3 – September 2010 3
„ We
conduct, delegation, planning and
control, will no longer be a problem
for the managers and employees
who joined the program. Combining
theory with practice and analysis of
concrete managerial decision-making
situations, the «Effective Management»
program is the perfect lab for the situations
which may arise in a manager’s
leadership activity.
„With these trainings, we aimed at
improving the quality of the manager-employee
relationships. Managers
need to understand that each activity
should be approached in a specific
manner. We are certain that the future
trainings will be at least as successful
as those developed so far. We want
these courses to be an investment in
the development of our employees.”,
declares Sorin Lazăr, Human Resources
Manager, Smithfield Ferme.
To date, 30 managers, employees
of Smithfield Ferme, completed the
courses of this internal training program,
considering the information
gained within the «Effective Management»
training sessions very useful for
their professional development.
“The internship helped me acquire experience”
Mihaela Blidaru is one of the more than 100 students
who, as of 2005, participated in the internal training
program of Smithfield Ferme. A future veterinarian,
Mihaela would rather work in a farm and not a feedmill
after her graduation. She likes the veterinarian profession,
and the trainings of Smithfield Ferme helped her
understand better the productive cycle of a farm.
Why did you choose to follow an
internship with Smithfield Ferme?
The internship with Smithfield Ferme
seemed to be an interesting offer to gain
experience in my activity field, which
was also confirmed after completing it.
What module seemed most
interesting to you? Which one
gave you the opportunity
to acquire more experience?
I completed three modules: 101,102
and 103, and found 102 most interesting
because I understood much better
the productive cycle of a farm, at the
end of the technical and practical training
period.
Where would you like to work? In a
feedmill or at a farm?
Even though the activity within feedmills
is definitely more challenging from
a professional viewpoint, as attention
and precision are essential, I would like
to work in a farm because it is the profession
I chose and love.
How did you work with Smithfield
Ferme employees these years?
I became part of the team immediate-
ly. My colleagues from Smithfield were
very open – they helped every time I
needed a clarification.
Would you recommend to other
colleagues of yours to follow an
internship with Smithfield?
Absolutely, it is a useful experience for
their future, a first contact with the realities
of an activity requiring a lot of attention
and passion, as well as continuous
training and desire for development.
How do you see your career 5, respectively
10 years from now?
I see myself working as a veterinarian
in a farm where I can put my knowledge
into practice.
Why did you choose this career?
Simply passion – because I like it very
much!
Sorin Lazăr Human Resources Manager – Smithfield Ferme:
want these courses to be an investment
in the development of our employees.
Mircea Bîtcă,
ISo 22000 implementation
project coordinator:
« By the end of 2010,
Smithfield Ferme intends
to obtain the Food Safety
Management System
certification »
It is a known fact that Smithfield
Ferme is the largest pork producer
in Romania and uses stateof-the-art
technologies in feeds
production and swine growing.
For these considerations, the company
wants to prove that it is able
to provide safe products in terms
of food safety, for the food chain
segment it operates on: growth
and trading of live pigs. To achieve
this, the company needs to implement
the international standard
ISO 22000:2005, which will add
even greater value to its processes
and products.
The HACCP Plan (Hazard Analysis
Critical Control Point) is the
reference document for the permanent
monitoring of critical control
points (CCP) identified by the
application of the decisional tree
according to Codex Alimentarius -
Codex Alinorm 97/13.
”Smithfield Ferme started the
implementation of this international
standard in the first quarter
of 2010, in collaboration with the
Faculty of Veterinarian Medicine
from Timişoara, and set out that, by
the end of the year, it would implement
and obtain the Food Safety
Management System certification
according to ISO 22000:2005. By
implementing the requirements of
ISO 22000 standard we can state
that we meet all the food safety requirements
for providing products
which are safe for the consumer’s
health, throughout the entire chain
up to the last stage of swine production.
Thus, we can say that we
are the best and, last, but not least,
we produce the best”, declares Mircea
Bîtcă, ISO 22000 implementation
project coordinator.
The implementation of ISO
22000:2005 standard provides the
company with an organizational
framework to identify, assess and
control any potential food safety
dangers by specific operation procedures.

PRoJECTS
The youngest
of us...
Radu Andrei
Micota
3 years old
He likes trains and
playing with the boll.
Țintoi
Roxana Maria
5 ani
She is passionate about music,
dance, cartoons and wants
to become a kindergarten
educator or animal doctor.
CoMPETITIon
“Best piglet drawings”
Children between 3 and 14 years of age
had the opportunity to participate in the
piglet drawing competition organized
by Smithfield Ferme. The jury selected 4
winners:
l Formagiu Maya (3 years old): 1st Prize
l Popa Radu Luca (3 years and 7 months old):
1st Prize
l Bordianu Anca (8 years old): 1st Prize
l Bordianu Flavia (8 years old): 1st Prize
All four winners will receive a complete
painting set and fruits.
Formagiu Maya
Popa Radu-Luca
Bordianu Anca Bordianu Flavia
The contest will continue in the following issue!
We are looking forward to the pictures and drawings
of your little ones, so we invite you to write to us at:
Smithfield Ferme, Bd. Cetăţii 7-9, Timişoara
or: Andrada.Calancea@smithfieldferme.ro
„ We
Denis Țimbota
4 years and 7 months old
He likes cars and wants to
become an airplane pilot,
sportsman or engineer.
Ovidiu Ţimbota Head of the Agriculture Department – Smithfield Ferme:
are thus trying to reduce the application
time, so that the farmers can intervene more
rapidly and seed their crops in a timely manner.
Experiment
organic fertilisation
with one of the most
modern technologies
available within the EU
In September, Smithfield Ferme tested the latest application
technologies for organic fertilization in
the field of organic fertilization, including a comprehensive
fertilizer transportation system.
A first test, which lasted about one month, was finalised
at a farm in Bulgăruş, on an area of 103 ha.
The test revealed several benefits.
The main benefit is that it improves the organic fertilizer
application system, gaining precious time in
production. The very good working consistency and
diminution of soil compression are other benefits of
this technology. Another advantage would be that due
to this equipment, the fertilizer is integrated fully and
rapidly, owing to the attached disk system.
“We are thus trying to reduce the application time,
so that the farmers can intervene more rapidly and
seed their crops in a timely manner”, declared Ovidiu
Ţimbota, Head of the Agriculture Department
within Smithfield Ferme.
MOST COMMITTED EMPlOyEE
Mr. Mihai ALDA and Mrs. Rodica BUIA were
designated as The Most Committed Employees
within Smithfield Ferme
MR. MIHAI AlDA was chosen
The Most Committed Employee
due to the support provided for
the feedmill of Pădureni. The use
of his academic experience and
own scientific works helped the
feedmill of Pădureni achieve the
highest standards required by the
legislation in force on animal feeds.
We would like to Mr. Alda for this
achievement.
MRS. RODICA BUIA was recognized
throughout the years due to her special
achievements in the monitoring
and coordination of daily activities
related to financial and accounting
transactions. In addition to that, her
active involvement in setting/implementing
IT systems as well as document
and information flows qualified
her, once more, to be designated
as The Most Committed Employee.
Smithfield Ferme’s representative was not the only
person satisfied with the outcomes of the tests run on
the equipment, but also the principal commissioner
of the Timis Environment Authority.
“We appreciate the interest shown by Smithfield Ferme
in investing in new technologies which contribute
to a more efficient fertilization of agricultural lands,
mainly with regard to the spreading of the fertilizer on
the agricultural area”, declared Marian Eperieş, Chief
Commissioner of the Timis Environment Authority.
Smithfield Ferme has invested over 500 million
dollars in Romania with the aim of contributing to
the sustainable development of agriculture and animal
husbandry.
EMPlOyEE OF THE MONTH
Mr. VASILE IEZAN is the employee of the month of September.
Mr. Iezan managed to develop and to implement the planning
process for swine delivery to the slaughterhouse, as well as
between farms. Congratulations!
The members of the volunteers’
team of PERIAM farm were also
designated winners in this category.
They were appreciated
due to their special involvement
in volunteering actions within
the Smithfield Ferme Program
“Back to School”. We hope we will
have more and more colleagues
like them who, out of passion,
take part in the company’s social
responsibility actions on a voluntary
basis.
4 De la Ferme Adunate

„ The
„ Mircea Belgea Bacova Farm Manager:
investment made for the
acquisition of ventilation systems
was one of the best decisions for
Smithfield Ferme.
Interview with Mircea Belgea, Bacova farm manager
“Managing a farm like Bacova
is an intellectual challenge”
Mircea Belgea is only 27 years old and has been managing for a few months one
of the biggest Smithfield farms in Romania. A zootechnical engineer by profession,
Mircea Belgea wants to create an optimum working environment for every employee
at Bacova Farm by providing them with informational, learning and technical
support. He admits that managing a large farm like Smithfield Ferme Bacova is
an intellectual challenge in solving production issues.
How long have you been working
for Smithfield Ferme?
I have been working for Smithfield
Ferme as a zootechnical engineer
for 4 years, more precisely
since August 2006, a position that
I got following a job interview.
How long have you been in this
farm manager position?
I was promoted as farm manager
this year, on June 1st. I can say that
commitment and experience in
the field were an advantage in my
promotion as farm manager.
How does a day in your life as a
farm manager look like?
My daily activity is currently
focused more on improving the
farm performances, finding the
best solutions to the problems that
may appear during the day.
You manage one of the biggest
farms of Smithfield Ferme. What
does that mean to you?
Managing a large farm like
Smithfield Ferme Bacova is an intellectual
challenge in solving production
issues.
How easy/difficult is it to be a
farm manager? What are the
main problems you have to deal
with?
Due to the experience acquired
in the 4 years spent within the
company, I believe that solving the
issues one-by-one is the best solution.
Communication with the
other departments and my relations
with the subordinates help
me solve any production-related
issue.
What would be the measures
that need to be taken (and do
“I want to create an optimum
working environment
for each and every employee
by providing them with
informational, learning
and technical support.”
NAME: Belgea FIRST NAME: Mircea
AGE: 27
MARITAl STATUS: married, a 4-month
old daughter
EDUCATION:
• 2001-2006: Zootechnical Engineer,
University of Agricultural Sciences
and Veterinary Medicine of Banat
Timişoara, Faculty of Animal Husbandry
and Biotechnologies, Specialized
in Animal Husbandry;
• 1997-2001: Agricultural High School
of Timişoara – specialization: veterinarian.
HOBBy: chess, hiking
not depend on you) so as to develop
the activity sector?
I can say that the investment
made for the acquisition of ventilation
systems was one of the best
decisions for Smithfield Ferme.
What was the most memorable
moment you have experienced
in your profession/ farm activity?
I believe that my appointment
as manager of Bacova farm was
EMPloYEE PRoFIlE
No. 3 – September 2010 5
I
a memorable moment that has
brought me intellectual and professional
satisfaction.
You coordinate more than 50
employees. How do you manage
to create an optimum working
environment for each and every
employee?
Bacova Farm has 53 employees.
Personally, I want to create an optimum
working environment for
each and every employee by providing
them with informational,
learning and technical support.
What kind of relation do you
have with the employees? Is it
just a professional relation? (Do
you get involved in solving the
employees’ personal problems?)
My relation with the employees
has a professional nature. So as
not to create an unpleasant atmosphere
within the team, every employee
can come to me whenever
they are concerned about personal
problems.
What are the benefits of an employee
of BACOVA farm?
Permanent communication
within the team and good working
conditions are just some of the
benefits of an employee at Bacova
farm.
How do you spend your spare
time?
I spend my spare time with my
4-month old daughter, as she is my
main occupation.
What are your future plans? How
do you see yourself five years
from now?
I want to progress professionally,
striving for perfection.
Mircea Belgea Bacova Farm Manager:
want to create an optimum working
environment for each and every
employee by providing them with informational,
learning and technical support.
Insurance policy
for Smithfield
Ferme employees!
For the safety of the employees and their
loved ones, starting with the fiscal year 2010,
Smithfield Ferne concluded an insurance
policy for all company employees. As part of
the benefits package, the insurance policy
covers 24 hours out of 24, in case of accident,
the following situations:
l Surgical interventions
l Hospitalization allowance
l Partial permanent invalidity
l Total permanent invalidity
l Death
For additional information, you can contact
the Human Resources Department.
Farm oF the month
GAtAiA Veche
Finishing Farm
Has been designated as
The farm with
the highest production
performances
De la Ferme Adunate
Editor in chief: Andrada Calancea
Editorial group: Sorin Lazăr, Claudiu Nişte,
Mircea Bîtcă, Ovidiu Țimbota
Photo: Mugurel Prodan
Editorial consultant: PRAIS Corporate Communications
Editorial Office:
Smithfield Ferme, Bulevardul Cetăţii; Nr. 7-9
Phone: 0256 27 88 02; Fax: 0256 490 614
andrada.calancea@smithfieldferme.ro
www.smithfieldferme.ro
“De la ferme adunate” is a publication made by PRAIS Corporate Communications
for Smithfield Ferme. Any reproduction of the text or images from this
publication, without the agreement of Smithfield Ferme, is forbidden.
© 2010 All rights reserved.

CSR/SoCIAl
n
Smithfield Ferme is a company
which develops continuously,
with the aim of also achieving the
same development for the communities
where it operates.
n
In supporting these communities,
Smithfield Ferme implements programs
related to fostering economic development,
environmental protection, access to education,
local traditions and customs.
Development of local communities – a constant in
Smithfield Ferme’s strategy to come closer to the people
“Back to School“ Program –
support to children in Smithfield community
Started in 2007, “Back to School“
Program continues this year
as well, the children from the
villages where Smithfield has farms
or feedmills looking forward to the
arrival of Smithfield caravan. Until
this autumn, around 6,000 children from more
than 36 villages of Timiş and Arad County received
school supplies, pencil boxes and backpacks. Within
the same program, at the end of each school year,
Smithfield Ferme awarded the best achievers in the
1st to 8th grade. The awards, consisting of books –
titles included in the specific bibliography of each
grade, encyclopedias and albums, were granted at
the beginning of summer, to more than 300 pupils
in the villages of Maşloc, Cenei and Niţchidorf. The
pupils with special educational requirements from
the Centre “Pentru un zâmbet de copil” (For a child’s
smile) in Maşloc village were not forgotten either,
each of them receiving a book with an audio CD.
At the beginning of this school year, the program
Support to preserve
local traditions
The involvement of Smithfield
Ferme in the local communities
does not have only an economic
component, but also an educational
part. Thus, we are trying to
preserve and pass on the local traditions
and customs from one generation
to another. In the months
of June and July, Smithfield Ferme
was involved in the organization of
several local celebrations: Bacova
– on the occasion of the Open Day,
Boldur – on Youth Day (June 20th),
Gătaia Town Days (July 9th). In September
as well, celebrations like
Ruga de la Birda (September 8th)
and “Flori de Sanziene » Festival,
Bârsa in Arad County (September
12th) will also benefit from the support
of Smithfield Ferme.
Information, education
and volunteering actions
on the International
Earth Day
Under the aegis of the “Earth
Week“, more than 500 pupils – 1st
to 12th grades in 8 villages in Timiş
County participated, in the period
April 19th to 23rd, 2010, in a series
of information, education and
volunteering actions. The event
supported by Smithfield Ferme
was organized by the High School
of Buziaş, in partnership with the
schools from Buziaş, Bacova, Boldur,
Chevereşul Mare, Niţchidorf,
Racoviţa, Mosniţa, Tormac. The actions
consisted in organizing exhibitions
of drawings, costumes and
boards made of recyclable materials,
literary works on the topic
of the “International Earth Day“,
sports and skills contests, contests
on the development of scale models
with the topic “Animal world“
and artistic moments and sketches,
all under the umbrella of the “Earth
Week“. On this occasion, informational
materials about waters were
continued with its fourth edition, more than 3.500
pupils in 40 schools (1st to 8th grades) and kindergartens
of the rural communities in Arad and
Timiş counties receiving school supplies: backpacks,
fully equipped pencil boxes and time tables
with advice for a healthy lifestyle and a balanced
nutrition, manuals and books, while preschoolers
received supplies for the teaching activities. Compared
to the previous editions, the program was
extended to cover the employees’ children as well.
Thus, 130 pupils received a backpack and a pencil
box equipped with 31 pieces.
distributed, followed by discussions
during biology classes, and
cleaning and tree planting actions
were organized in the parks.
Support for people with
intellectual disabilities
In 2010, Smithfield Ferme continued
to support people with intellectual
disabilities by sponsoring
the sixth edition of the Special
Olympics Regional Games – for the
Western region of the country.
The competition addressed
people with intellectual disabilities
over 16 years of age and included
five trials: athletics, football, table
tennis, basketball – shooting the
ball and basketball – target throws.
NEW – “Green campaign“
on selective collection and recycling
of paper and plastic waste
As of this August,
Smithfield Ferme
employees participate
in a new environmental
protection program
consisting of selective collection and recycling
of paper and plastic waste. Once the school
year begins, the pilot program will be extended
to the school in Bacova. The money obtained as
a result of the green campaign will be invested
in the purchase of bins so as to be able to extend
the program in all Smithfield Ferme locations.
More than 350 1 st to 4 th graders
and children of Smithfield Ferme
employees attending ecology classes
In the school year 2009-2010, for several weeks,
more than 350 1st to 4th graders, as well as
children of Smithfield Ferme employees, participated
in courses about the environment and selective
waste collection organized by Smithfield
Ferme and the teachers of 11 schools in Timiş
and Arad Counties within the national initiative
“Your World? Clean!”.
The program, implemented locally by Smithfield
Ferme, will continue this autumn with the
third edition, informing the pupils about environmental
protection and waste recycling by
means of courses, books, brochures and posters
about environment and selective waste collection,
distributed to the pupils and teachers
in the participating schools. In the school year
2010-2011, the program will be extended to 4
other schools, more villages in Timiş and Arad
counties, the number of the schools involved
in the program amounting to 15. The program
supported by Smithfield Ferme is part of the
national initiative “Your World? Clean!” initiated
by PRAIS Foundation, with the support of the
Ministry of Environment and the School Inspectorate
of the Municipality of Bucharest, aimed at
developing a civic responsible behavior among
the young generation, while promoting modern
learning methodologies for pupils.
6 De la Ferme Adunate