November Bus Tour – 2007

Farm Fresh’s November 2007 Bus Tour to Pennsylvania and Virginia
Date: Sunday, November 11 to Thursday, November 15

Summary: This was Farm Fresh’s 24nd tour. Since 1987, we have been touring markets, pick-your-own operations, entertainment farms, some related businesses, and some “just plain fun” places. A few of the years we did 2 tours, and on three of the years we took 2 buses!

Here is a summary of some of the farms we visited. We’re did a big loop down through Pennsylvania to the top of Virginia, stopping at markets on the east and west side of Pennsylvania. This tour was focused on ‘experience’, developing an experience that customers will enjoy, tell their friends about, and return to year after year.

• Mason Farms, Erie, PA – www.masonfarms.net
  First stop is Mason Farms. It was founded in 1975, and is still a family run business. Its owners, John and Sue Mason along with their sons, John Jr. and Joe, and their wives, are involved in every area of the operation – from planting and harvesting crops to running the market.
• Shenot Farm, Wexford, PA – www.shenotfarm.com
  Shenot Farm was founded by Christopher Scheno when he arrived in America in 1854. The land was passed down through the generations and is now being operated by the 5th and 6th generations of Shenots. For many years, much of the land was dedicated to a small dairy operation along with sweet corn, apples and other small vegetables.
• Soergel Orchards, Wexford, PA – www.soergels.com
  Located at the intersection of two busy roads in Wexford, Soergels has been successfully in providing family fun, an extensive market and garden centre as well a gift barn all the while surrounded by a growing city. The family farm history started in the mid 1850 by John Conrad Soergel, who planted apple trees on the present location.
• Great Country Farms & Bluemont Vineyard, Bluemont, VA – www.greatcountryfarms.com
  Our stay in Virginia will be centered around Great Country Farms. Great Country Farms is a 200 acre working farm situated at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains outside the village of Bluemont, VA. Great Country Farms offers produce as well as the farm experience to its customers.
• Marker—Miller Orchards, Winchester, VA – www.markermillerorchards.com
  The current farm market is on the land that great-grandfather Amos Marker bought in 1905. Presently the fourth and fifth generations are farming the land. During the 1950’s and 1960’s the management of the farms and orchards were in AD Marker and Fay Marker– Miller’s hands. Fay especially wanted to diversify and added several varieties of apples, plums, pears and apricots.
• Butler’s Orchards, Germantown, MD – www.butlersorchards.com
  In 1950, George and Shirley Butler of Silver Spring purchased a 37 acre farm with a log house. The original 25 acres of peaches provided their only crop at first, but now the Butlers grow more than 25 kinds of fruits, vegetables and flowers on over 300 acres. Following in their fathers footsteps, three of the four Butler children now live and work on the Butler farm.
• Maple Lawn Farms & Maize Quest, New Park, PA – www.maplelawnfarms.com
  Hugh McPherson comes from a long line of farmers and innovators. His heritage goes back to 1867 when the first McPherson staked out a corner of southern York County PA. Today, Maple Lawn Farms is a highly integrated fruit and grain operation covering over 1650 acres of owned and rented land.
• Hope Acres, Brogue, PA – www.HopeAcres.com
  Tucked among the peaceful hills of York County, Hope Acres combines old fashioned traditions with the best in dairy science technology, creating a place of fun, excitement and learning for visitors of all ages. Operated by the Heindel family of Brogue, Pennsylvania since 2000, all aspects of the farm are guided by a vision for creating experiences defined by quality and respect for nature.
• Cherry-Crest Farm, Ronks, PA – www.cherrycrestfarm.com
  Cherry-Crest Farm is one of the America’s finest examples of agri-tainment. It was also named North American Farmer’s Direct Marketing Association’s Market of the year at their annual convention in Calgary, Alberta this past February. Cherry-Crest Farm features 15 acres of family fun centered around a professionally created corn maze.
• Roba Family Farm, Dalton, PA – www.robafamilyfarms.com
  After working on a Christmas tree farm in high school, John Roba dreamed of someday owning a similar business. In 1984 he found the perfect piece of land to make this dream a reality: a 52 acre dairy farm. After planting his first batch of trees in 1985, the farm opened for “choose and cut” business in December of 1990. Today, Roba’s is spread over three farms that are growing over 100 acres of trees, including evergreens, and shade and flowering trees.