OUR DAYS IN THE SUN: April 2010

We went and stayed a weekend In Lancaster Pennsylvania (Amish Country), in my opinion one of the most beautiful places in the country. I haven't enjoyed nature so much I think....ever. My kids never see animals being the city folk that we are so they needed to learn all about where their food comes from. We stayed on 2 different farms that were like a bed and breakfast. We stayed with Mennonite family's. We had the best farm fresh homemade Ice cream I've ever had. We went on a buggy ride and visited Hershey. The highlight was the buggy ride (Amish horse and buggy). It was amazing to see the Amish out working in their fields with Work horses and Donkeys. They REALLY don't use tractors. It's a trip to see the kids that are like 8 years old out there bailing hay. But an amazing wake up call. We visited a real Amish farm (which isn't common). The farmer isn't in the pictures of his farm because it's against their religion or maybe just their customs to use camera's. The farm we went to is the farm that I buy my raw milk from. They deliver it to us in the city straight from the farm. They hire a driver to bring them in since they don't use cars. Anyway, it was AMAZING after seeing the usual dairy farms where they produce the milk you buy in stores to see how my farmer runs his dairy. Grass fed and pure beauty. Free range rabbits, turkey's and chickens all farmed for meat. When we pulled up he was out on his manure spreader with a knife chipping away the old dried manure off with his little son. His wife and all his daughters were out in the garden working away. His other sons were tearing down concrete to make a new cooler for their milk. He has 11 kids and they were all working away on a Saturday afternoon. I LOVE THE AMISH!

This last weekend we went to another of our Amish farmers farm to visit for customer appreciation day. They let us camp out on the farm. That was even cooler. I will post those pictures another time though.

The train ride on the farm

This branch fell from the tree and almost landed on me.

Th dutch belt cows out in the fields eating grass ( the food cows are supposed to eat....NOT CORN!) If you ever have a chance to drink milk from a Dutch Belt, it's the best.

These are the free range baby turkeys that they raise for Thanks giving. I got one from them last year and it was definately by far the best turkey I ever had. Maybe that's just because I cooked it though, (hehehe Just joking, ......kinda)!

Out on the buggy ride.

miniature goats, so cute!

Sky for days, never see the sky like that here in the big app.

Waiting for the buggy ride.

Collecting eggs.

baby kittens

The hay ride

Pierson LOVES cats.

Our feast for breakfast.

These are all the calves. He puts them out in the field with one NURSE cow. They all nurse from her. At all the other dairy farms they put the baby's on hay right away. The cow's get their mothers milk (or A mothers milk). Much healthier for the cow, and me.