"Our goal is to connect you with the farms in Central PA offering you the best in healthy, sustainably raised food. We hope your experience will leave you with an understanding of how critical local and organic food systems are to preserving the beautiful agrarian landscape of rural Centre County." PASA
The Penns Valley Learning Garden is located in Millheim PA behind the pavilion at the American Legion, post 444. After checking in and being greeted by Maggie the friendly wet lab, our tour guide Brian Burger of New Harmony Farmstead took us over to this wonderful garden.
From Valley View, it was a short drive, down a long winding road to home.
My five hour journey had ended. Yes, I was wet, hot, had muddy 'sturdy shoes', but, I was loaded down with information, gardening tips and tricks, informational handouts, and products from the places I had visited.
Perhaps best of all, I met some wonderful and passionate entrepreneurs who want those of us in central Pennsylvania to have healthy, locally grown, sustainably raised products. What could be better than that?
LINKS
For more information on these farms and others visit:
The Piper's Peck
Penn's Valley Conservation News
Farm Aid - Stone Meadow Farm Story
Having prepared for this tour all week, gathering maps, directions, GPS settings, poncho, umbrella, bottled water, and sturdy shoes, one would have thought I was going to visit the most remote region in the State.
I set out Noon on Saturday and headed up over Centre Hall Mountain to Rt. 45 towards Spring Mills, then Millheim for my first stop, Penns Valley Learning Garden.
The mist of rain that had fallen most of the morning turned in to a full force pounding of water, wipers barely keeping up. Not discouraged, I continued on, through Spring Mills, past farm after farm now barely visible through the storm, towards the Millheim Legion, and The Learning Garden.
I set out Noon on Saturday and headed up over Centre Hall Mountain to Rt. 45 towards Spring Mills, then Millheim for my first stop, Penns Valley Learning Garden.
The mist of rain that had fallen most of the morning turned in to a full force pounding of water, wipers barely keeping up. Not discouraged, I continued on, through Spring Mills, past farm after farm now barely visible through the storm, towards the Millheim Legion, and The Learning Garden.
This community run garden produces herbs and vegetables, as well as tests innovative techniques for season extension and pest management techniques. We learned about cover cropping, mulching, composting, and companion planting. The Learning Garden has plans for expansion to include a herbal garden and 1,000-gallon rainwater collection system. The tour was hands-on, I especially enjoyed crushing and smelling the leaves of the many varieties of plants--it was heavenly.
One of the coolest 'frames' was this tee-pee style, pictured below, supporting “scarlet runner beans” which produces bright orange flowers and attracts a variety of butterflies--a great way to grow plants, minimize space, and enjoy nature.
After rechecking my directions to my next stop, Stone Meadow Farm, headed out and north through Millheim and Aaronsburg and on towards Woodward.
Stone Meadow Farm
Stone Meadow Farm is owned by Brian Futhey and is a 'generational' dairy, located a few miles off of Rt. 45. I was familiar with Stone Meadow having bought their products at the local farmer's markets in and around State College.
Winding my way down the narrow Quarry Road, the rain had slowed once again to a mist. Drivers need to be careful driving as I encountered a number of Amish buggies as I headed towards the farm. After pulling in to the designated parking area, off on foot to check in again, and yes, be greeted by another wet dog!
While waiting for one tour to end and ours to begin, just had to visit with the heifers. Those old enough, will remember when the Penn State Dairy barns were on campus and spending a Sunday afternoon with the cows was a fun and inexpensive way to keep the kids busy! I still love talking to cows.
Stone Meadow Farm Cheeses includes Cheddar, Camembert, Colby and Baby Swiss to name a few, and can be found at our local farmers markets, co-ops and natural foods stores.
We started in the cheese making room where the milk is loaded in to a large steel vat, processed in to curd, and loaded on to a presser, turning out 40 lbs blocks of cheese. From there, we moved on and up to the milking room, where the milk is piped in from the milking stalls in to another large steel vat, more processing, and then piped down to the cheese room.
Leaving the milking room, and on to the stalls where the cows are milked once a day (another interesting story). We learned in this area it is critical to ensure sanitary cleaning of the cows teats--before and after. The cows know the routine, step up 16 inches into the stall, get milked, and then walk out the other side.
From the milking stall, we wound our way down to the cold room where cheese is stored and aged. The cold room was a blast of icy relief after the warm and humid outside. Depending upon the cheese, they may be in the cold room a day or weeks. Various cheeses are stacked and dated waiting to go out to a farm market, co-op, or retailer like Nature's Pantry.
Leaving Stone Meadow Farm, one more stop on the tour. The Pipers Peck located on Valley View Road, Bellefonte.
The Pipers Peck
The Piper's Peck farm grows a wide variety of peppers and tomatoes on a hillside outside of Bellefonte, specializing in hot pepper products.
Owner Janet Robinson grows these peppers and tomatoes, processes them in a small kitchen, and produces a large selection of salsa, hot barbecue sauce, pepper jelly, dried hot peppers (including chipotle), and a line of fruit jams and jellies. The Piper's Peck may be found in local farmer's markets, retailers, mail order, and over the internet.
After rechecking my directions to my next stop, Stone Meadow Farm, headed out and north through Millheim and Aaronsburg and on towards Woodward.
Stone Meadow Farm
Stone Meadow Farm is owned by Brian Futhey and is a 'generational' dairy, located a few miles off of Rt. 45. I was familiar with Stone Meadow having bought their products at the local farmer's markets in and around State College.
Winding my way down the narrow Quarry Road, the rain had slowed once again to a mist. Drivers need to be careful driving as I encountered a number of Amish buggies as I headed towards the farm. After pulling in to the designated parking area, off on foot to check in again, and yes, be greeted by another wet dog!
While waiting for one tour to end and ours to begin, just had to visit with the heifers. Those old enough, will remember when the Penn State Dairy barns were on campus and spending a Sunday afternoon with the cows was a fun and inexpensive way to keep the kids busy! I still love talking to cows.
We started in the cheese making room where the milk is loaded in to a large steel vat, processed in to curd, and loaded on to a presser, turning out 40 lbs blocks of cheese. From there, we moved on and up to the milking room, where the milk is piped in from the milking stalls in to another large steel vat, more processing, and then piped down to the cheese room.
Leaving the milking room, and on to the stalls where the cows are milked once a day (another interesting story). We learned in this area it is critical to ensure sanitary cleaning of the cows teats--before and after. The cows know the routine, step up 16 inches into the stall, get milked, and then walk out the other side.
From the milking stall, we wound our way down to the cold room where cheese is stored and aged. The cold room was a blast of icy relief after the warm and humid outside. Depending upon the cheese, they may be in the cold room a day or weeks. Various cheeses are stacked and dated waiting to go out to a farm market, co-op, or retailer like Nature's Pantry.
Leaving Stone Meadow Farm, one more stop on the tour. The Pipers Peck located on Valley View Road, Bellefonte.
The Pipers Peck
The Piper's Peck farm grows a wide variety of peppers and tomatoes on a hillside outside of Bellefonte, specializing in hot pepper products.
Owner Janet Robinson grows these peppers and tomatoes, processes them in a small kitchen, and produces a large selection of salsa, hot barbecue sauce, pepper jelly, dried hot peppers (including chipotle), and a line of fruit jams and jellies. The Piper's Peck may be found in local farmer's markets, retailers, mail order, and over the internet.
Janet greeted me at her tent, handed me a bag to pick some pepper samples, and off we went up the side of the hill to the pepper garden. She explained her growing process, types of peppers--who knew there were so many types--hot, sweet, jalapeno, habaneros, and my new favorite banana! Leaving the garden, we stepped in to a small well-equipped kitchen where the canning process takes place. From here, we walked backed down the hill to the tent, where I picked up some Black Bean Salsa and Hot Banana Peppers.
From Valley View, it was a short drive, down a long winding road to home.
My five hour journey had ended. Yes, I was wet, hot, had muddy 'sturdy shoes', but, I was loaded down with information, gardening tips and tricks, informational handouts, and products from the places I had visited.
Perhaps best of all, I met some wonderful and passionate entrepreneurs who want those of us in central Pennsylvania to have healthy, locally grown, sustainably raised products. What could be better than that?
LINKS
For more information on these farms and others visit:
The Piper's Peck
Penn's Valley Conservation News
Farm Aid - Stone Meadow Farm Story
