There is no better depiction of spring coming to life in the Susquehanna River Valley than farm fields being prepped for planting. After a well-deserved winter’s rest, farmers throughout the region are tilling, fertilizing, planting and pruning – field crops, vegetables, and fruit orchards alike.
Take some time to visit one of these local farms this spring, summer, or fall – each family has graciously agreed to open their farm to the public, giving visitors a unique insider’s view of what it takes to grow the food that makes it our tables every day.
Encourage your kids to get dirty, ask good questions, listen closely to the answers, and smell produce at its peak of freshness. Then, take the goodness home and make a pie, muffins, jam, or a crisp (or in the case of fresh milk, make a milkshake!) – there’s nothing quite like it. We think you’ll agree: country life is pretty sweet!
Mapes Farm Fresh
If you’re looking for the freshest, creamiest milk, Mapes Farm Fresh is where it’s at. Mapes is a small family dairy farm that recently transitioned to its third generation, daughter Jennifer Mapes.
On their 150-acre farm, they milk around 75 Brown Swiss and Holstein cows. Brown Swiss cows are known for producing milk that is higher in butter fat and protein content.
The milk is then pasteurized and bottled as their own cream-line milk. Their milk isn’t homogenized, so you can see the distinct layer of cream on top of the milk. Delish!
They offer regular whole milk, as well as chocolate milk (that alone is worth the trip to Mifflinburg/New Berlin) and seasonally: strawberry, maple, and orange cream. Are you drooling yet?
Milk is sold daily at their farm store, which also features cheese made from their milk, local yogurt and butter, locally grown and processed beef, chicken and pork, fruits and vegetables, baked goods, to-go soups, and much more!
Jennifer says that the farm is a team effort, and she continues to be guided by her mom and dad, Sue and Mark Mapes, who have been married for more than 35 years.
Banty Rooster of Ards Farm
While Ard’s Farm isn’t a new farm business (they have been family-owned for 25 years) the business has evolved and is under new ownership by Justin and Leah Midkiff and is now called Banty Rooster of Ards Farm.
“We are the third-generation owners,” said Justin, the grandson of original owners Nancy and Ray Ard, and son of recent owners Kyle Ard and her husband Alan.
Nancy and Ray Ard started the business as a dairy farm in the early 1900s and eventually passed it on to Kyle and Alan, who opened the market store in 1991. A restaurant was added in 2007 and soon after fall agritourism activities followed.
Currently, the farm business offers full-service catering, a farm-to-table restaurant, old-fashioned soda bar and agritourism activities in the fall, including a massive corn maze.
Country Vale Alpacas
OK, OK, this one is a bit of a departure from “fresh finds,” but we had to include cute and furry alpacas in this post! Country Vale Alpacas in New Columbia is one of the most relaxing and engaging on-farm experiences for kids of all ages (and their adults).
Visitors get to meet, feed, pet, and take pictures with the very photogenic herd of twelve alpacas, while learning more about their lifestyles. Warning – each one has its own personality!
Did you know that alpaca fiber is four to six times warmer than wool, as soft as cashmere, hypoallergenic and moisture-resistant? Owner Pam Rosado loves sharing little tidbits like that with visitors!
Alpacas are members of the camelid family, which includes camels, llamas, vicunas and guanacos. They originated in the Andes Mountains in South America around 5,000 years ago.
The alpacas have an average lifespan of 20 years. Every spring, Rosado’s alpacas are sheared and the fiber is sent to a mill. Six months later, she receives the yarn in natural colors.
While you can’t take the alpacas home (although some are so friendly they might follow you to your car!) you can take an alpaca product home with you – the farm features an on-site store with alpaca socks, sweaters, mittens, throws, hats, toys, and many other items.
Bridge Avenue Berries
When Harry and Susan Jones purchased their 6-acre blueberry farm, Bridge Avenue Berries, from the Byers family in the spring of 2018, their intentions were clear. They wanted to have an organic pick-your-own farm with a family-friendly feel, while also educating the public in a subtle, approachable way.
As they enter into their eighth season, they have already achieved those goals, offering blueberry bushes at an ideal picking height, mowed grass between the rows and shaded areas for families to rest, eat lunch and play on the swing set.
Harry said in a recent article, “The soil here is absolutely beautiful. It’s 10 to 12 inches of sandy loam and then it goes to the subsoil as sandy clay. These blueberry plants love it and they can withstand dry conditions.”
The pick-your-own blueberry farm is open mid-June through early August, weather permitting. They also offer pre-picked blueberries and frozen blueberries. While you’re there, pick up some blueberry baked goods (the whoopie pies are amazing!) or fresh flowers.
Lewisburg Farmers Market
If you’re anywhere near Lewisburg on a Wednesday, you must stop at the Lewisburg Farmer’s Market – a vibrant community of more than 100 local farm vendors, located inside and outside. The market has been a staple in the community since 1937.
Here you’ll find fresh meats and seafood, cheese and other dairy products, seasonal produce (fruits and veggies), syrup and honey, coffee and tea, baked goods, prepared foods and to-go meals, and even wineries and breweries. The market also has fresh flowers in pots and baskets or for in-ground planting, flea market offerings, craft vendors, and the like.
It's a not-to-be-missed treasure in the region – and you never know what you might find!
Check out a complete list of vendors here.
Mountain Dale Farm
For a peaceful hands-on, on-farm experience look no further than Mountain Dale Farm! The farm is located on 175 remote and gorgeous acres in McClure.
The farm has several overnight cottages to choose from – visitors often comment on their ability to slow down, de-stress, and perhaps even turn off the ever-present screens!
In addition to native birds and wildlife on the property, the owners of Mountain Dale raise a variety of sheep, cattle, horses, ducks, geese, goats, pigs, turkeys, peacocks, chickens and more – and visitors often pitch in to help tend to them.
There are also trails for hiking or cross-country skiing, a large pond for skating, fishing and paddle boating, and berries and fossils to gather.
Engle's Farm and Greenhouses
Whether you have a green thumb or not, Engle’s can help you bring your floral vision to life. Their expertly planted, nourished, and thriving plants, trees, flowers and shrubs will make your garden, yard, porch or patio look stunning this summer!
Situated on 18-acres and boasting over 70,000 square feet of greenhouses you’ll find the largest selections of annuals (they
must be replanted every year), perennials (they come up on their own every year), vegetables, fruits, trees and shrubs in the region.
Engle’s literally has thousands of hanging baskets, plus all the supplies that a do-it-yourselfer would want – lawn and garden supplies, vegetable and flower seeds, tools, pots/planters, fertilizer, soil, mulch and much more.
Don’t waste another minute – clean out your trunk and head to Engle’s to add a rainbow of floral color to your outdoor living space this season!
Blooming Meadows Farm
When Matt and Colleen Musgrave purchased their small, 5-acre farm in 2013, they had a brightly colored vision in mind. Where grass was planted, the couple saw fields of blooms – flowers, herbs and evergreens.
Today, Blooming Meadows Farm offers visitors the unique and calming experience of picking your own flowers.
The farm strives to use sustainable organic practices and features 80 varieties of what the couple calls “focal flowers, filler flowers and foliage”. I especially loved their dahlias, celosia, sunflowers, snapdragons, eucalyptus, strawflowers, zinnias, and cosmos when I visited several summers ago.
In addition to PYO flowers, they also offer floral arrangements for special events like proms and weddings, on-farm themed events and classes, private events, photo opportunities (senior pictures and family sessions!), and a store with farm-grown products, home and garden decor, gifts and bath/beauty products.
Owens Farm
Owens Farm, just outside of Sunbury, is a working farm that welcomes overnight visitors to their 112-acre regenerative family farm. The cozy guesthouse sleeps 6 and includes a private kitchen.
The farm is home to hundreds of sheep, working border collies (watching them herd dozens of sheep is truly a marvel!), friendly pigs, chickens, turkeys, horses and honeybees.
Owens Farm truly is the perfect country getaway – featuring rolling fields and woods, a traditional red barn, and a peaceful pond.
The farm is open March 15 through November 1 and offers unique on-farm events like lambing slumber parties and educational classes, too.
You can also (gulp) order their lambs as custom-cut halves or wholes, as well as meat chickens and ducks, so keep an eye on their social media for those opportunities. If you’re not familiar with the lambing “schedule” lambs are born in spring and ready to eat in October/November.
Green's Fruit Farm
Green’s Fruit Farm is a 100-acre Eco-Certified orchard located at the intersection of Montour, Columbia and Northumberland counties.
Their family has been growing apples, peaches, nectarines, cherries, plums and pears for nearly 80 years. Today, Bobby Hricko and his wife Sara have expanded to include over 40 different apple varieties, several varieties of pears and Asian pears, over 20 varieties of peaches and nectarines, a wide variety of pumpkins and gourds and both sweet and tart cherries.
Their passion is growing fruit while taking care of the land and the people they work with. They love teaching the community about farming during farm tours, you-pick events, workshops and other community outreach.
Being Eco-Certified demonstrates their commitment to being attentive, observant and responsive to dramatically reduce synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.
Having toddlers, they know how hard it is to find quality food! That’s why they strive to provide the most nutritious fruit possible; growing their family and yours.
Blue Sparrow Farm
Driving along Route 147, drivers may notice the historic blue farmhouse located along the busy thoroughfare, but what’s growing in the adjoining fields is a bit more subtle.
In December 2021, Pam Harper, previous owner of Star Hollow Candle Co. in Middleburg, purchased the 22-acre farm, making a conscious decision to shift her life’s focus from candle-making to lavender-growing and agritourism. The new endeavor is called Blue Sparrow Farm.
In addition to lavender growing, Blue Sparrow is also a venue for weddings, parties, and on-farm events like a Lavender Festival in June and a PA Dutch Festival in August.
During the Lavender Festival, lavender-inspired foods and drinks like lavender lemonade are showcased, as well as live music, handmade-craft vendors, and friendly donkeys to visit and pet. They also offer an educational self-guided tour using a map with explanations about the various stages of lavender growing.
Ponduce Farms
While Ponduce Farms is a family-owned and -operated tree farm and wreath manufacturer in the Roaring Creek Valley, they also offer a year-round restaurant and market with fresh baked goods like cakes and pies.
Insider tip: their sheet cakes are delicious and can be beautifully decorated based on any theme: call ahead for custom cake orders.
If you have a hankering for comfort foods like mac and cheese, homemade soups, or their signature Paczki donuts, this is the destination. After breakfast, lunch or dinner, stroll the grounds or sit and enjoy their pond. Given the surroundings and homemade food, it’s not surprising that Ponduce is also a lovely event space, perfect for family gatherings and special events.
