When my sister and I were growing up in
rural Western Pennsylvania, our best friends lived just down the
hill and across the field from us. Their father had a great big
garden that captured our imaginations and encouraged us to dream.
We kids would feast on strawberries and scheme to get rich selling
the extras from the end of their driveway. Nobody ever stopped to
buy our strawberries, but we weren't too discouraged; the
strawberries tasted too good for us to be sad about it, and besides
the cornstalks were starting to grow. I really couldn't believe
that something as incredible as an ear of corn could have such
humble beginnings, starting out as one single shriveled kernel
pushed into the soil of a little cup.
Like many lucky kids, exploring nearby fields and watching a
garden grow were essential parts of my childhood. Children gain so
much from having the opportunity to roam and explore a chunk of
land, and to see and eat their food at its source. A hundred years
ago, Americans often took vacations to farms simply because many
people in those days had relatives who farmed. Over the years, the
percentage of farmers has dropped to below 2% of the population,
and most of us have lost our connections with farms. But losing
that connection has meant missing out on what was once a key part
of life - exploring the countryside, and learning about and tasting
the freshest possible food.
To honor the place I grew up, here are six hands-on,
family-friendly farm vacations in PA:
1.
Weatherbury Farm, a 102-acre, organic grass-fed
cattle and sheep farm 45 minutes southwest of Pittsburgh, draws
many of the same guests back year after year. Owners Dale and Marcy
Tudor pride themselves in offering guests a fully interactive farm
stay experience, with many opportunities for kids, especially, to
get involved in farming. Families staying for two or more nights
are given a packet filled with coloring & activity books.
Regardless of age, kids are invited to earn an official
"Weatherbury Farm Kid" certificate and cow wristband, which are
awarded after helping with farm chores and completing a
workbook.
The main Weatherbury guesthouse, called the Livery, is an area
barn that the Tudors transported from a nearby farmstead, rebuilt,
and renovated. The rough barn exterior belies surprising elegance
on the inside, with 20-ft loft ceilings, a deeply-lacquered
original hayloft wood floor, and lovely antiques. Farm breakfasts
are served in a large dining and common room in the lower level of
the Livery.
Rates start at $127/night for a two night stay. www.weatherburyfarm.com
2. The Farm
of Peace sits on 150 rolling acres of field and forest in
South Central Pennsylvania, at the end of a long dirt road. Renata
Parrino, animal caretaker, farm stay host, and head cook for
retreats, is one of five farm owners. The owners are all part of a
Sufi spiritual community who bought the farm in 2003. After
focusing for years on offering a Sufi retreat, they have opened
their beautiful and secluded farm to non-denominational visitors,
and all are careful to make guests of any background feel
welcome.
Twenty Tunis sheep with copper-colored faces graze the land in
rotation, with two donkeys serving as protection for the herd. The
farm also supports a flock of laying hens, and roughly 200 pastured
broiling hens during the summer. Children are excited - and welcome
-- to pet and feed the animals, and to collect eggs. A large
vegetable garden and small orchard produce organic vegetables and
fruit for guests and for a CSA that's offered to nearby
communities.
Families are welcome to stay in the farm's original, 1900
farmhouse. Occasionally, the new retreat center is also available
(but only for guests ages 16 and up). It's a remarkable straw bale,
passive solar building designed by Philadelphia-based green
architect Sigi Koko. The old farmhouse is cozy, providing simple
though comfortable accommodations in two rooms. The upstairs guest
room is set up specifically to welcome families with young
children, with play mats lining the floor and plenty of toys.
Rates start at $50/night, with a DIY breakfast included. www.farmofpeace.com
3.
Mountain Dale Farm
Ken and Sally Hassinger have created a little cottage village
for guests on their farm in Central Pennsylvania. The cottages have
been fully recycled, after serving a range of functions in their
previous lives. All of the cottages have kitchens and bathrooms. In
addition to the eight recycled cottages - which sleep 2 to 14 -
there are also three rustic forest cabins. The Hassingers offer
four more rooms in their farmhouse. The Hassingers grow mostly
field crops on their 175 acres, including corn, grain, and hay.
Most of the field crops go towards making feed for the animals, the
rest are sold to guests and locals. Mountain Dale Farm also has a
herd of 60 beef cattle, chickens, ducks, sheep, and fainting goats
(a special breed that actually falls over when startled). Guests
(especially kids) are welcome to gather eggs and help feed the
animals. Near the guest cottages, a pond offers opportunities for
fishing and skating.
Rates start at $30/night for rustic forest cabins, and $70/night
for efficiency cottages. www.mountaindale.net
4. Stone Haus Farm is a three story,
200-year-old stone farmhouse B&B situated on 100 acres of
Lancaster County farmland. The farm grows the best celery you might
ever try, so sweet and tender that it could win over even the
celery adverse. Merv and Angie Shenk, along with their three
children, are friendly and helpful hosts. Accommodations are
family-oriented: each room sleeps four, and a playground, yard
games, and barn rope swing await adventurous kids. Guests are
welcome to feed the goats, gather eggs from the hens, and tour the
fields. Breakfast is served family-style at the farmhouse's long
dining room table, and features Lancaster classics like baked
oatmeal and shoofly cake, along with fruit, sausage, and scrambled
eggs.
Rates start at $69/night. www.stonehausfarmbnb.com
5.
Schantz Haus Farm, historic homestead of Swiss
Amishman Josef Schantz, the founder of the nearby city of
Johnstown, is notable for its big, old barn, rich family history,
and present-day dairy farm. Although friendly host Jeanette
Hunsberger, with typical modesty, says that the three farmhouse
B&B rooms are not romantic or fancy, they are in fact lovely,
comfortable and simply, beautifully decorated with antiques. The
guest common room has a separate entrance, plus a TV, microwave,
and fridge, along with a photo album where Jeanette records all of
the guests who stay here.
The Hunsbergers sell the milk from their 80-Holstein herd to the
Maryland-Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative. In the farm's large
garden, the Hunsbergers grow vegetables, berries, and grapes.
They've also got peach and apple trees scattered about the
property. Jeanette cooks seasonal breakfasts with her garden's
bounty when possible, and she is happy to oblige requests for the
farm's delicious fresh milk. Jeanette also has a few sheep, which
she keeps for their wool. Guests are welcome to tour the farm, help
to bottle feed a calf or milk a cow, or to simply observe fieldwork
and milking. In addition to the dairy operation, the farm also
grows field crops -- feed corn, hay, beans, and wheat. The original
farm comprised 118 acres of woods; now the Hunsbergers farm on 800
acres.
Rates start at $50/night. www.schantzhaus.com
6.
Stepping Stone Farm is a hobby farm owned by Larry
and Vicki Rempel. Located in the southwestern corner of the state,
the farm sits on 31 acres of fields and woods, with a large 1939
farmhouse. Guests are welcome to collect the farm's fresh eggs from
the laying hens, and to feed the goats and rabbits. Guests also
enjoy picking the raspberries as they ripen. Larry, who has the
green thumb of the couple, grows a large vegetable garden. The
Rempels' fruit crops include pears, blueberries, apples, and
grapes, which they use to make jam.
The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP), a 150-mile trail open to
cyclists and hikers, stretches from Cumberland, MD to near
Pittsburgh, PA, passes only one mile from Stepping Stone Farm. Many
cyclists, some of whom are "thru-bicycling" the GAP, stay at the
B&B, as the trail passes only one mile from the farm. The
Rempels offer a courtesy shuttle for cyclists arriving in the
little town of Confluence. Train lovers will also enjoy seeing the
train passing literally along the edge of the Rempels' backyard,
hauling coal or passengers across Western Pennsylvania. A
short walk from the farmhouse is a swimming hole in Casselman Creek
where a beaver can sometimes be spotted. For nighttime
entertainment, the Rempels offer a campfire, featuring a glittering
show of fireflies, satellites, and stars.
Rates start at $80/night. www.steppingstonefarmbnb.com