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.