Wayfaring Lancaster: I Meme it!

Welcome to Wayfaring Wednesday! My career as a real estate agent takes me all around Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and its surrounding areas. Though I wasn’t born and raised here, I’ve come to deeply appreciate the unique blend of urban and rural charm this region offers over the last 20 plus years that I have called this region home. Wayfaring Wednesday is a Newsletter for www.wayfaringLancaster.com my Buy Local- Buy Small initiative.

I learned a new word today: Agritourism.  It’s basically tourism based around agriculture.  Right now that is big in Lancaster, PA.  People come here from nearby cities and look at farms, do corn mazes, find petting zoos, and shop roadside stands.  

I used to live near the Corn Wagon and Now I live near Everfresh Produce and many farm stands.  In truth one could just drive around Lancaster and wander past roadside stands.  Get your cash ready though since most don’t take anything but cash and need exact change.

 Here are some random examples that I found.  I’m sorry if your favorite isn’t in here, but there were far too many for this Newsletter.  

• Amish & Pa Dutch County, Route 10 Roadside Market, 941 Compass Rd, Honey Brook

• Peach Lane Farm Market, 85 Peach Lane, Ronks

• Calamus Run Farm Market, 72 Georgetown Road, Ronks

• Glenbrook Farm Market, 338 Glenbrook Road, Leola

• Melvin Nolt Produce, 130 Glenbrook Road, Leola

• Lapp’s Farm Market, 1406 Lampeter Road, Lancaster

• Bubbling Springs Produce, 165 N. Hershey Ave., Leola

• Stoltzfus Produce & Market Fare, 96 S. Groffdale Road, Leola

• King's Produce, 224 S. State St., Leola

• Horst Farm Market, 640 Reading Road, East Earl

• Pop’s Produce Stand, 265 Paradise Lane, Ronks

• Everfresh Produce, 3145 Division Highway., New Holland

• Red Barn Market, 1402 Georgetown Road, Quarryville

• The Corn Wagon, 2100 Block of Millersville Road, Lancaster

• Masonic Village Farm Market, 310 Eden View Rd, Elizabethtown

Christmas Events Start Now! Ready or Not!

The Christmas trains at Strassburg, Dutch Winter Wonderland, and Hersheypark Christmas Candylane Started  November 5th and run until Dec 31st.  What happened to the 12 days of Christmas?  It’s now the 56 days of Christmas.  I know that Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” said “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”  But I thought it was figurative to be charitable, kind, and gracious to people all year long.  Instead it’s come to mean having decorations up all the time.  My sister is passionate about decorating for Christmas early.  But me….. well, if I ate Chocolate cake everyday then it wouldn’t be special.  The same goes for Christmas.  I would rather keep it a bit more special than commonplace.

Did you know that most pumpkins and decorative squash can be eaten?  I bought a Circus Squash and a Fire Pumpkin this week. They are beautiful!  I plan to eat them when I am done using them to decorate.  I just cut them in half, get the seeds and guts out, put in a pat of butter and bake it until it is soft.  That usually takes about 30 min for a small one.  It’s really good for you and simple food can be so nice. 

Don’t Eat Gourds Though since many are poisonous: https://www.anses.fr/en/content/beware-inedible-gourds When you go to a farm stand, don’t be afraid to ask the farmer questions.

Laughter: Have you heard that laughter is good medicine?  Well it does bring the body good according to a study found here:  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6125057/

Most of us didn’t need the study to know that.  We all know a good laugh can change the tone in a conflict filled room, a toddler’s tantrum, and a sleep deprived middle school child’s outlook.  

As the holiday season rolls around it can be a very sad season for those who lost a loved one recently.  It’s good to remember that crying is good for the soul too.  So let yourself feel some emotions.  Laugh, cry, stand on a box and sing Christmas Carols loud for all to hear (reference from the movie Elf. I can’t get Christmas off my brain!)

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