Hello. We’re getting closer to our Lancaster County Meetup. The current plan calls for us to gather outside the Shady Maple Supermarket on Route 23 (not the buffet!) in front of the coffee stand at 9:00AM on Saturday 17th.
What I’m going to need now is a list with the names and cell numbers of people who are attending. PM me with your information and I’ll create a private contact list.
Thank you very much, this should be a really great day.
We are back down to 2 people. We will do our best to get there by 9 am but it is a 2 hour drive. I am personally aware of 7 am existing, but I rarely witness it.
Sounds lovely — look forward to the reading about where you went and what you ate!
Dean, to recap, you two are the only ones still interested in the event. If you’re still game, call or text me at 848 214 0919 later today. We can arrange a time you’re comfortable with.
Will there be a meet-up recap?
There were only three of us, so I wasn’t sure. We started at Hope Springs Farm and blew most of the money we had on organic, grass-fed cheese and beef. Then lunch at Town Hall where we were told that they were probably staying open through the new year - the food was great but I felt a bit old rather than the retro feeling it had for so many years.
Next was Centerville Bulk Foods where we got a serious lesson in Amish frugality, followed by ice cream and coffee at Down On The Farm Dairy. The place is on the cusp of agro-tourism and agro-entertainment and the ice cream and cold brew were both excellent.
After those two, we went to White Oak Orchard and bought pears and plums. Sadly, it still wasn’t known if my favorite heirloom apple variety; Hudson’s Golden Gem, would bear fruit this year.
Our last stop was Stolzfus Produce where we did our last shopping of the day. I got some great cauliflower and red cabbage and some farm-baked whole wheat bread.
It was a day of fun and some learning too.
Thanks!
i can’t find White Oak Orchard online, and i’m interested because i want to source heirloom apples as well.
This is the address I use:
White Oak Nursery
2515 White Oak Road, Strasburg
It’s run by a conservative Amish family and there are very few references to them on the web. Even the name can vary, the person who introduced me to it called it “orchard” or “farm.” Other people call it “nursery.”
No matter, it’s worth visiting any day between July and October for fresh fruit.
would liked to be there but the lack of organization / plan / schedule . . .
made for a “whot?” reaction, and we stayed home.
fyi. take it. leave it. not my issue.
We really enjoyed the ice cream. Town Hall was a throwback. I doubt I will be back before they are gone, but I would gladly have a variety of their sides. Stolzfus produce had great pricing and product. The fruit orchard had lots of good apples with some hard-to-find varieties like smokehouse. The best part of the day was driving thru pretty beautiful farmland and hills.
Tom, it was a first. I had no idea how many places we could get to or how long we would spend at each stop. A few more meetups and I’ll have a better idea - although not firm enough for those who require serious structure.
Dean, it was great touring the county with you! More destinations are in order including places that we could walk around in. Pennsylvania is big and the surrounding states offer just as much. The gastronomic world is ours for the taking.
