86-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 20, 2003
“If you want to eat, you must go to work,” Pam tells her
animals and birds as she prepares to take her “zoo” to a
party as entertainment.
Barnyard Inn Offers
‘Stress Busters’ Animals
LOU ANN GOOD
Food And Family
Features Editor
ADAMSTOWN (Berks Co.)
The name Barnyard Inn Bed and
Breakfast conjures up the image
of a typical farm. But the barn
yard of Pam and Jerry Pozniak is
anything but ordinary.
Strutting around the fenced in
area surrounding the barn is an
Alexandrian Ringneck that looks
like a parrot but is from a para
keet family. Forty unique ani
mals are housed on the property.
Included are a chinchilla, a hair
less, skinny pig, a miniature pos
sum, a miniature horse named
Bibbs, miniature sheep, Buddy
the alpaca, King the llama, and a
featherless Turken chicken.
“1 grew up not allowed to have
even a dog,” Pam said. “I started
with owning one goat when we
lived in Long Island, N.Y. Then I
saw a llama that I just had to
have. And, of course, you can’t
have just one Hama, so I got two,
and everything just sort of snow
balled from there.”
In order to support her grow
ing animal population, Pam
came up with the idea of trans
porting a petting zoo to private
homes and events as part of
party entertainment.
“I tell my animals that if they
want to eat, they must go to
work,” Pam said. “I take my ani
mals wherever they pay us.”
Her concept of taking a petting
zoo to parties became popular
among New Yorkers looking for
a novel party entertainment, and
for awhile Pam was content. But
Long Island was not quite coun
try enough for the Pozniaks’ lik
ing.
Jerry didn’t share her love for
the animals. His passion as a res
taurant chef was food not ani
mals.
“We decided my love for ani
mals, Jerry’s for food, and our
shared love for people would
make a great bed and breakfast
concept,” Pam said.
The Pozniacs looked at many
different Pennsylvania sites as a
possible place to establish a bed
and breakfast.
Six years ago, when the Pozni
aks peeked through the windows
of an empty Adamstown house,
they knew they had found their
home. The rocky hillside in the
rear of the property is perfect for
grazing animals although the
Guests can relax in the upstairs balcony that overlooks
the barnyard and its assortment of animals.
potbelly pig is known to occa
sionally roll down the hill.
It took the Pozniaks about one
year to turn the property into a
bed and breakfast. Jerry did most
of the remodeling himself. Pam
had the fun part shopping the
local antiques markets and sales
for furnishings.
“When we purchased the
property, we didn’t know Ad
amstown was known as the an
tiques capital. But it’s been so
much fun searching the area that
is so rich in antiques for the right
items to furnish it,” Pam said.
The large Victorian-decorated
livingroom boasts some great
finds: An elaborately-carved fire
place mantle, a pump organ that
still works, an old barber chair,
and several china closets are
packed with a collection of De
pression and Carnival glassware.
Each guest bedroom is named
after an animal on the farm. The
room’s decorating theme is built
around the animal it is named
after. For example, the pig room
is filled with “pig” collectibles.
The cow room, sheep room, and
llama room are filled with repre
sentative memorabilia.
It’s difficult to believe that the
farmhouse with an old-fashioned
front porch is a former school
house.
“When we purchased the
property, we didn’t know that.
But some of our first guests were
two brothers, more than 70 years
of age, who had gone to school
here. Their parents eventually
purchased the property and
turned it into a home.
“When they pointed out the
original floorplan of the school, it
helped me to understand some
aspects of the house, such as why
there was a spigot behind the
family room sofa. Also the inside
stairsteps are extremely wide and
steep, just like those of other
school steps from that era.”
The Pozniacks added unique
touches such as four doors tacked
to the ceiling with molding trim
to give it a custom-design ap
pearance.
The animals provide never-
ending entertainment for guests.
“I have a miniature possum
that I tell people is a miniature
hippo and they believe me,” Pam
said.
“Animals are stress busters,”
Pam said. Guests find great de-
Situated in the outskirts of Adamstown the antiques capitol of the world the Inn
serves as home to the Pozniaks, their assortment of animals, and a place for guests.
The old-fashioned porch stretches across the front of the inn beneath spreading shade
trees. It’s a place where guests can relax on the wooden porch swing or settle in the
wicker sofa and chairs. The porch is decorated like an indoor room. In addition to the
wicker set, the furnishings include an old school desk, school bell, plants, and wrought
iron end tables.
light in sitting on the back balco
nies watching the animals.
It would seem that the name
barnyard bed and breakfast
would appeal to guests who like
animals, but Jerry’s culinary ex
pertise is just as much influence
on returning guests.
“We serve a good breakfast.
Jerry creates original recipes, and
every day’s menu is different,”
Pam said.
Potato pancakes is one of Jer
ry’s specialties.
The Pozniaks envisioned that
their bed and breakfast duties
would mainly be serving guests
meals and providing a dean bed.
“But we found out that our
guests like us to sit down with
them and talk,” Pam said. They
have many repeat guests who
also invite them to go to dinner
with them.
Adult dients only are accepted
in the house, but a carriage house
on the property has rooms for
families with children.
The Pozniaks said their biggest
surprise in the bed and breakfast
industry was finding out how
much work it is. They hire help
for cleaning and the care of the
animals.
“At first we tried to do every
thing ourselves, but it was a
24-hour-a-day job and we didn’t
get to go anywhere. We learned
to take some time off,” Pam said.
She found out that it’s better to
allow laundry to accumulate and
take it once a week to the laun
dromat where everything can
done at one time. It requires four
hours but because it’s a once-a
week job, it’s ‘doable.’
“It’s a real panic if a helper
gets sick, and we need to cook
two breakfasts, clean, take care
of the animals and squirt on
some perfume before the next
guests come,” Pam said.
In addition to the bed and
breakfast, Pam continues taking
her animal collection to parties.
She takes what she calls a small
zoo of 20 caged animals or the
large zoo, which includes 30 large
animals.
“We thought operating a bed
and breakfast would be a great
way to retire,” Pam said.
“Wrong!
“It’s so much work.”
Nonetheless, Pam said, “I
don’t miss New York, and nei
ther do my animals.”
For more information on the
Barnyard Inn, call (888)
738-6624.
Guests are often gullible enough to believe that this
miniature possum is a miniature hippo.
The Denver Fair, Denver, offered elephant rides last
week to the delight of children and adults.