Be a farmer's apprentice
for an hour or two

As a Farmer's Apprentice you can experience farm life on a real working farm in Lancaster County's Pennsylvania Dutch Country. There are dozens of "hands on" farm activities for adults and children, including hand milking a cow, bottle feeding a calf, collecting eggs from the farm chickens, interacting with farm animals, touring the fields, quilting and learning about the history and issues in agriculture. By the end of your stay, you will have a basic understanding about where your food comes from, and a first-hand account of life "down on a real farm."

Activities are seasonal, and some only occur at certain times of the day. Here is a sampling of the Farmer's Apprentice activities:

  • Milk a cow
  • Feed a calf
  • Lead a goat
  • Groom a baby calf
  • Collect eggs from the farm chickens
  • Learn how big post-and-beam barns are built
  • Interact with the other farm animals - rabbits, chickens, kittens, geese, turkeys, ducks, swan, little Roscoe the farm puppy, and Manoel the guard donkey (from a distance! He can bite.)
  • Learn quilting
  • Plant some crops, dig potatoes (seasonal)
  • Learn about the 24 vegetables in the farm garden
  • Take a Ride on the unique "Farmland Fun Wagon"
  • Learn about the history of the farm, of the area, of Amish & Mennonite beliefs
  • Go fishing for bass or bluegill in the farm pond
  • Peruse Ginny's new cookbook, with 300 recipes (buy for $12 + tax)
  • Make your own cheese or butter
  • Pick a pumpkin (fall)
  • Hot cider and Christmas cookies (winter)
  • Plant crops (spring)
  • Make your own ice cream (summer)

The Farmer's Apprentice can be for individuals, families or groups. It can be combined with a Farmland Fun Farm Tour.

Tours are offered year-round and Farmer's Apprentice is offered March through November.

Picnic lunches are welcome, or boxed lunches are available upon request

Schedule
when calling for reservations, please indicate which tour time and activities you prefer; you can combine the Farmer's Apprentice program with a tour for a more in-depth experience

7:30am Farm tour...includes milking and calf feeding
9:30am Wagon Ride & Farm tour
10:30am Farmer's Apprentice
11:30am Wagon ride, Farm tour & optional box lunch
1:30pm Wagon ride & Farm tour
2:30pm Farmer's Apprentice
3:30pm Farm tour...includes wagon ride and milking
4:00pm Farm tour...includes milking and calf feeding
4:30pm Farm tour...includes milking and calf feeding
5:00pm Farm tour...includes milking & wagon ride

 

Rates:

One-hour Apprentice plus one hour Tour: $15/Adult & $15/Child Monday through Saturday

Specialty Group Tour: Call or e-mail for prices
Group discounts available

Contact us:

Don & Ginny Ranck
Verdant View Farm
429 Strasburg Rd.
Paradise, PA 17562
1-888-321-8119
(717) 687-7353
E-mail: reservations@verdantview.com

 

 

 

 

Farmland Fun Tours
Verdant View Farm Bed & Breakfast
Farmer's Apprentice