82-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 13, 2002 City Slickers And Farmers Profit From Farm Stays LOU ANN GOOD like Tudor does, but that isn’t a Food And Family requirement for Farm Stays. Features Editor Bonnie Schubert said, “I home- AVELLA (Washington Co.) school six children and it’s “Farm Stays give farmers a enough to get them fed without chance to meet people from all cooking for guests.” walks of life and make extra money on the side,” said Marcy i (This is a way to help the farmer keep the farm. 9 9 Tudor. As the president of Marcy Tudor President of Pennsylvania Farm Vacation Association, Inc. the Pennsyl- vania Farm Vacation Association, Inc., Tudor is a vocal advertisement of the program that offers city and sub urban residents a chance to leave stress behind and escape to the peace and quiet of the country. She, her husband Dale, and son Nigel operate a 104-acre farm where guests from around the world get a taste of a working farm. “This is a way to help the farmer keep the farm,” Tudor said of the financial benefits of the Farm Stay program. But even more satisfying than monetary rewards for Tudor and other farm owners participating in the program are establishing friendships with guests from around the world. “I get to travel the world with out leaving my breakfast table,” Tudor said. Tudor compiles remarks about guests’ farm visits. Typical of the remarks are some version of the sentiments, “my best vacation ever,” and “perfect place to es cape the maddening crowd.” Each of the 24 farms listed in the Association’s Guide offer their own unique flavors. Some places offer hands-on petting zoos, others require visitors to watch farm activity from a dis tance. Some serve a full breakfast L The Schuberts six children mingle with guests at Hum merhaven Farmstead. Guide To Farm Stays Agriculture and tourism are the top two industries in the state. The Farm Stay program encourages farmers to combine the two by opening their farms to visitors. The Pennsylvania Farm Vacation Association has lots of expertise to help farmers get started. In addition to information, membership provides a brochure listing member farms. About 40,000 brochures are dis tributed at various shows and welcome centers. Each participat ing farm is entitled to a web page on the association’s Website www.pafarmstay.com. For more information, call Nadine Fox, iecretary/treasurer, at (888) 856-6622. For a copy of the Guide to Pennsylvania’s Farm Stays, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to PA Farm Vacation Associa tion, Inc., 1344 Negro Mountain Rd., Warfordsburg, PA 17267-9667. So visitors at Hummerhaven Farmstead, Juni ata County, are on their own for breakfast but quite involved in day-to-day activi ties. It’s difficult to discern who enjoys the Farm stay program more Bonnie, her husband Gary, and their six or the guests. “I tell them to plan to get dirty and bring their old clothes,” Schubert said. Their 127-acre farm is a child’s paradise. Lla mas, mini donkeys, babydoll sheep, dwarf goats, bunnies, kit ties, and even potbelly pigs are their for petting and snuggling. Fish in the pond, canoe or pad dleboat down the river, explore woodland trails “to lose the world and find yourself.” Not all places cater to little ones or are a working farm. Charlie and Bunny Yinger oper ate the Strawberry Patch Bed and Breakfast set on 10 acres in Lebanon County. The recently constructed log home with six large guests rooms, private baths, fireplaces, and Jacuzzi tubs offers a large tea room to hold wed dings, special events, and re treats. The Yingers boast the largest collection of Strawberry Shortcake items anywhere. Bunny said it took insurance ap praisers two days cataloging their collection. They also have every strawberry-related item imagin able. “If there is another one any where, we aren’t aware of it,” she said. Life couldn’t be more fun for these four kids riding in a wheelbarrow. Scenes such as these are typical for Farm Stay visitors at Cedar Hill at Spruce Creek Bed and Break fast. The Yingers also market their own house dressing and straw berry jelly to guests. A portion of the profits from the Strawberry Patch are donated to the Make A, Wish Foundation. In addition to typical bed and breakfast lodging, Barry and Linda Vance offer special events such as bicycle weekends and even murder mystery weekends. Linda said their 1820 stone farm home has been the site of wedding receptions, and retreats. Located on 42 acres within easy access to Penn State, Raystown Lake, antiques, caves, trails, and amusement parks, there is plenty to do. The Vances welcome help with morning chores. Gathering eggs, checking bee hives, and putting away hay are some of guests’ favorite chores. Tudor said that farm visits have been brisk since Sept. 11. “People see rural areas as safer places to go.” The Tudors raise Hereford cat tle, a small herd of Scottish High land cattle, a flock of registered Southdown sheep, and Araunca na and bantam chickens at Weatherbury Farm. To help guests understand about farm life, Tudor published a booklet “Everything You Have Always Wanted To Know About Weath erbury Farm.” The booklet offers a bit of in teresting history, activities, possi bilities, and farm safety rides. A chapter on “Farming Spoken Here” defines such words as cow, bull, yearling, steer, and ag termi nology such as crossbreeding and polled. (Turn to Page B 3) The renovated 1820 farm house at Cedar Hli| at Spruce ' Creek Bed and Breakfast is surrounded by bisatMlking views guests can savor year-round. Charlie and Bunny Yinger bottle their own strawberry dressing and strawberry jelly to capitalize on their Strawberry Patch Bed and Breakfast operation.
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