Family Fun Day planned at Wholesome Valley Farms
Wholesome Valley Farms believes in “hands-on” agriculture. And on Saturday, Oct. 1, locals and tourists alike will have the opportunity for their own “hands on” experience.
The farm, located just past the Amish Door campus on U.S. 62 near Wilmot, is celebrating the harvest season with a Family Fun Day on Saturday, Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A diverse lineup of activities and demonstrations will include noodle making, canning, soap making and even honey extraction, along with a bee seminar.
Other demonstrations will include carpet weaving and basket making. There also will be children’s games, wagon rides, horseback rides and pumpkin and gourd picking in the fields. And for those who have ever wondered what it’s like to feed chickens (and listen to their soothing, amusing banter), gather eggs, or even feed and milk a goat, well this is their chance. Visitors will be able to see these animals up close and personal.
The entire event is aimed at being, “A day of education, fun, nourishment and more,” according to Joel Kurtz and Aden Keim, who operate a CSA produce group and natural foods store at the large barn adjacent to the Hasseman House B&B.
Wholesome Valley Farms opened earlier this year in the former 1881 Antique Barn. The barn now houses a natural food store where customers can buy fresh, chemical-free produce, meats and cheeses from grass-fed cattle, grass-fed pastured poultry, true free-range eggs and much more. The produce is grown on site, and visitors also will discover that “The eggs in the store are about as fresh and local as you can get. They come from the hens in the pasture next to the barn,” Kurtz said.
Kurtz and Keim are trying to show people, “How to get back to the basics, by planting, harvesting and preserving their own foods,” Kurtz said. He added, the farm staff would like to show people that they can eat healthier and save money on their grocery bills, “by running to the freezer instead of to the fast food place.”
Keim added that Wholesome Valley Farms also believes, “we can increase family time — something we all say we wish we had more of — by making food projects family projects.” He said Wholesome Valley Farms encourages people to grow and package as much of their own food as possible, and that when those winter storms hit, “your loved ones will love you for it!”
Local author and “Real Food” expert Karen Geiser also will be on hand, sharing, showing and teaching the benefits of backyard gardening. Geiser is the author of Local Choices, a frequent speaker at local food-related events and an expert on heirloom seeds.
And what would a day centered around food be without a few tasty treats? There will be a number of mouth-watering items to get your hands — and tastebuds – on. Plans call for homemade soups and stew, corn bread chicken burgers, potato chips, apple cider and ice cream to be served (all homemade on site). Kurtz and Keim promise, “If you arrive hungry, we will get you filled up.”
Kurtz said they hope to make the event a “memory maker, whether it’s the pony-pulled wagon train for the kids or a horse-drawn wagon ride through the woods for the adults. We know we’ll have something for everyone.”
Admission to the daylong event is free and open to the public. Many items will be available for purchase as well. Wholesome Valley Farms is located at 927 U.S. 62, Wilmot. For questions or more information, call 330-359-2129.
The farm, located just past the Amish Door campus on U.S. 62 near Wilmot, is celebrating the harvest season with a Family Fun Day on Saturday, Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A diverse lineup of activities and demonstrations will include noodle making, canning, soap making and even honey extraction, along with a bee seminar.
Other demonstrations will include carpet weaving and basket making. There also will be children’s games, wagon rides, horseback rides and pumpkin and gourd picking in the fields. And for those who have ever wondered what it’s like to feed chickens (and listen to their soothing, amusing banter), gather eggs, or even feed and milk a goat, well this is their chance. Visitors will be able to see these animals up close and personal.
The entire event is aimed at being, “A day of education, fun, nourishment and more,” according to Joel Kurtz and Aden Keim, who operate a CSA produce group and natural foods store at the large barn adjacent to the Hasseman House B&B.
Wholesome Valley Farms opened earlier this year in the former 1881 Antique Barn. The barn now houses a natural food store where customers can buy fresh, chemical-free produce, meats and cheeses from grass-fed cattle, grass-fed pastured poultry, true free-range eggs and much more. The produce is grown on site, and visitors also will discover that “The eggs in the store are about as fresh and local as you can get. They come from the hens in the pasture next to the barn,” Kurtz said.
Kurtz and Keim are trying to show people, “How to get back to the basics, by planting, harvesting and preserving their own foods,” Kurtz said. He added, the farm staff would like to show people that they can eat healthier and save money on their grocery bills, “by running to the freezer instead of to the fast food place.”
Keim added that Wholesome Valley Farms also believes, “we can increase family time — something we all say we wish we had more of — by making food projects family projects.” He said Wholesome Valley Farms encourages people to grow and package as much of their own food as possible, and that when those winter storms hit, “your loved ones will love you for it!”
Local author and “Real Food” expert Karen Geiser also will be on hand, sharing, showing and teaching the benefits of backyard gardening. Geiser is the author of Local Choices, a frequent speaker at local food-related events and an expert on heirloom seeds.
And what would a day centered around food be without a few tasty treats? There will be a number of mouth-watering items to get your hands — and tastebuds – on. Plans call for homemade soups and stew, corn bread chicken burgers, potato chips, apple cider and ice cream to be served (all homemade on site). Kurtz and Keim promise, “If you arrive hungry, we will get you filled up.”
Kurtz said they hope to make the event a “memory maker, whether it’s the pony-pulled wagon train for the kids or a horse-drawn wagon ride through the woods for the adults. We know we’ll have something for everyone.”
Admission to the daylong event is free and open to the public. Many items will be available for purchase as well. Wholesome Valley Farms is located at 927 U.S. 62, Wilmot. For questions or more information, call 330-359-2129.
Published: September 22, 2011
