Food Fun Family

Hersheypark in the Dark

Lolli — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 03:04:39 +0000

As part of my Sweetest Moms Ambassadorship this year, my girls and I were invited to spend Saturday (which happened to be my birthday!) at Hersheypark for the opening weekend of Hersheypark in the Dark – Hersheypark’s annual Halloween celebration. Although we were given tickets, we covered all travel expenses and food ourselves. All thoughts are my own.

Fall is my favorite season – with the changing leaves, the cooler temperatures, and the acceleration towards my favorite holidays of the year.

After spending the weekend at Hersheypark, I’ve convinced that fall is also the perfect time to be in Hershey! Hersheypark is transformed into a festive Halloween town, with family-friendly activities and lots and lots of chocolate. Hersheypark is fun all day long, but it becomes magical at night when the sun goes down and the lights come on. I loved the festive Halloween lights, the singing jack-o-lanterns, and the festive music being played throughout the park.

But I think my favorite Hersheypark in the Dark perk was the Pumpkin Pie Funnel Cake – a seasonal treat featuring a pumpkin spice funnel cake drizzled with cream cheese frosting, sprinkled with crumbled graham crackers, and topped with whipped cream. It was heavenly.

Hersheypark In The Dark

Hersheypark In The Dark takes place Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from October 14 – 30 (2016 schedule)

Here are a few of the things you can expect from Hersheypark in the Dark as well as other area attractions:

More than 50 rides and attractions including 13 roller coasters and Halloween-themed live entertainment.

NEW Laff Trakk will be a dark ride experience (ie, NO LIGHTS!) during all operating hours. In addition, the Park will once again turn the lights off the last operating hour of each evening on the three wooden roller coasters: Comet, Lightning Racer and Wildcat.

Hershey’s Trick-or-Treat Adventure with two locations – Hershey’s Chocolate World and Treatville, a hometown village of treats and sweets inside Hersheypark, for children 12 and younger (costumes are encouraged).
Fall-themed food and beverage offerings including pumpkin funnel cakes, pumpkin chili and more!

Live entertainment including favorites “Screaming Mummies,” a band of misfit mummies and their classic Halloween tunes, performing in the Amphitheatre. Additional entertainment offerings including “Boo Crew,” “Monster Party,” and “Treatville Tales” will be located at the exit of Treatville.

Hersheypark In The Dark will offer meet and greet opportunities with your favorite Hershey’s Characters.

For more information about Hersheypark in the Dark, plus hours of operation, visit www.hersheypark.com/seasons/halloween.php.

Laff Trakk is our favorite ride at Hersheypark, but I have to admit…it WAS scarier with the lights out!

Creatures Of The Night at ZooAmerica

Just like the rest of the year, your one-price admission to hersheypark in the Dark also includes admission to ZooAmerica. Starting at 6:00pm every night, guest are encouraged to come to the Zoo with their flashlights to experience Creatures of the Night…after dark and after-hours. This is the only time of the year when guests can experience ZooAmerica in the dark!

See ZooAmerica’s newest additions – two black bears and two armadillos!
Guests may observe the nocturnal habits of North American species with programs and activities nightly starting at 6:00pm (like howling with the wolves!)
Pumpkin treats for select animals.

My girls and I thought it would be fun to howl with the wolves…and it was! Once people and wolves started howling at the full moon (and it really WAS a full moon!), it was hard not to join in.

Hershey’s Chocolate World

We love Hershey’s Chocolate World all year long (especially because it’s a place we can go for good food, entertainment, and as much candy as you could dream of….with free admission!) but like Hersheypark, Chocolate World has some Halloween-themed fun you don’t want to miss!

Hershey’s Trick-Or-Treat Adventure: The candy collecting begins at Hershey’s Chocolate World and continues inside Hersheypark.
Full Moon Fridays: Dress up and enter Hershey Hallow for spook-tacular music, dancing with the Hershey’s Characters and more ghostly activities.

Flavors of Fall Dessert Festival: Bite into the delicious flavors of fall, such as the Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
Trick-or-Treat Trolley: Limited edition tours featuring Milton Hershey’s life story in a fall themed Trolley with plenty of treats and no tricks.
Tricky Treats & Sweets: Shop Halloween treats in Hershey’s largest candy store and pick up delightful sweets from the bakery.

The Hershey Story Museum

Visitors can learn about the history of chocolate at The Hershey Story, The Museum on Chocolate Avenue, and families can experience Ghosts & Goodies: Kids are encouraged to wear their favorite costume as they create ghostly treats using Hershey’s candy. This is a FREE event and is held October 29 and 30 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Hershey Gardens

Hershey Gardens lights up the night with more than 150 uniquely carved illuminated pumpkins and a variety of whimsical scarecrows that come to life along the path, during its annual Pumpkin Glow. Kids ages 12 and younger are invited to bring a flashlight, come in costume, trick-or-treat throughout the Gardens and experience the following activities:

NEW See a unique collection of live spiders and insects in the Educational & Horticultural Wing of the Milton & Catherine Hershey Conservatory.
Listen to a garden-themed story.
Collect candy treats at stops along the Gardens’ paths.
Watch live pumpkin carving demonstrations.

Pumpkin Glow is from 6 to 8:30pm on October 21, 22, 28 and 29. Tickets may be purchased online at www.HersheyGardens.com or at the door. Please note, the Butterfly Atrium will be closed during Pumpkin Glow hours.

The Official Resorts of Hersheypark

Stay overnight at The Official Resorts of Hersheypark for the perfect fall getaway. Don’t forget that Hershey’s Water Works at Hershey Lodge is new this year and open all year round for guests!

There’s a special Hersheypark In The Dark Package available at Hershey Lodge which includes:

Deluxe accommodations.
Breakfast with Hershey’s Characters.
One-day admission to Hersheypark In The Dark.
Admission to Hershey Gardens (including the new year-round Butterfly Atrium).
Admission to The Hershey Story’s Museum Experience.
The package is available Friday and Saturday nights from October 14 -30 with prices starting from $469*.

*Price is per room per night, based on a family of four. Excludes tax and gratuities. Other restrictions may apply.

The Spa At The Hotel Hershey

Through November 30, The Spa At The Hotel Hershey offers guests fall-themed treatments to relax their mind and body such as Pumpkin Latte Manicure & Pedicure, Pumpkin Soufflé Wrap and Pumpkin Spice Scrub. Please visit www.ChocolateSpa.com for treatments offerings, pricing and additional information.

For additional information, hours and pricing for Halloween In Hershey, please visit www.HersheyPA.com. Follow us on Twitter @HersheyPA, Instagram @TheSweetestPlaceOnEarth and enjoy the latest stories from Hershey, PA at Stories.HersheyPA.com.

The Chocolate Lab at The Hershey Story

Lolli — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 21:07:13 +0000

My family visited the Chocolate Lab while we were visiting Hershey, Pennsylvania as part of my Sweetest Moms ambassadorship. Although our overnight accommodations at Hershey Lodge and Hersheypark tickets were compensated, we payed for the Chocolate Lab experience on our own, because it was something we wanted to do. We loved the Chocolate Lab and it ended up being one of our favorite memories on our trip!

What is The Chocolate Lab?

The Chocolate Lab is an interactive experience inside The Hershey Story – The Museum on Chocolate Avenue, located at 63 West Chocolate Avenue in Hershey. You can expect a fun hands-on chocolate activity inside a “real” lab, made more fun by the fact that everyone must wear aprons and hair nets/bonnets! Get ready to roll up your sleeves and lick your fingers!

Not only do lab participants get to make their own chocolate creation (dipping, molding, mixing, and adding mix-in ingredients), but they learn about the chocolate making process and get a little historical background on Milton Hershey and his love for chocolate.

We even got to taste chocolate nibs – even “darker” than dark chocolate!

Each lab lasts about 45 minutes and is led by one of the Herhsey Story’s resident chocolate gurus. Of course, at the end of the lab, everyone can take home their chocolate creation (although ours only lasted a few minutes outside the lab doors!).

Choose From a Variety of Chocolate Lab Experiences:

Workshops vary and all of these may not be available when you visit. When we were there, they offered 7 classes between 9:45 am and 6:00 pm. Check with the front desk at the Hershey Story for a listing of workshops for the day you are visiting, check the website, or call ahead.

S’mores Galore – Have some summer fun as you make your own, sweet variation on S’mores (without the fire, of course). Learn the origins of this campfire confection and some Hershey’s trivia. You’ll also learn about chocolate from tree to graham cracker.

Build a Bar – Follow in Milton Hershey’s footsteps as you design your own candy bar. Discover the business behind the product as you choose ingredients to add based on flavor, appearance and your own preferences.

Chocolate Beach Bars – Celebrate summer by designing your very own sea shore-themed milk chocolate bar using edible decals and plenty of “sand.” Take a walk along our “chocolate beach boardwalk” as you learn about Hershey’s classics. Also find out where and how “cacao” is grown, harvested and processed into your favorite chocolate confections.

Planet Chocolate – Learn some delicious geography by finding out more about the many places around the globe where cocoa beans are grown. You will be guided to recognize differences in cocoa beans’ appearance and taste and make your own unique bar to take home.

We attended the Build a Bar lab and had the opportunity to pour our own Hershey’s milk chocolate into a special Chocolate Lab mold, tap out the air bubbles, and then add toppings as desired. My kids liked their chocolate pure and simple (nothing wrong with that!) but I chose to add white chocolate chips to my bar (PS – we learned what white “chocolate” is during the lab, too!).

I think the favorite part of the lab for just about everyone in the room was when one of the lab assistants gave everyone the green light to finish off all of the extra chocolate from our bowl. There were lots of smiles during that portion of the lab!

Chocolate Lab Tickets:

You can purchase tickets at the front desk at The Hershey Story. It is recommended that you arrive early and get tickets about 60 to 90 minutes before your desired lab is set to start. You can always use your waiting time to walk around the Museum (separate admission). Each lab time has limited seating and they do sell out. They told us to line up about 10 minutes prior to the lab start time. Once the doors opened, one of the chocolate gurus seated all families together.

$12.50 for adults
$9.00 for children 4-12
Note: children under 4 are not permitted
Children under 13 must be accompanied by a paying adult

Note: family members that are not interested in attending a Chocolate Lab can still watch through the glass to see how much fun those inside the lab are having!

7 Tips to Make The Most of Your Day at Hersheypark #HersheyparkHappy

Lolli — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 13:59:52 +0000

The kids and I spent Memorial Weekend Saturday at Hersheypark and had SO. MUCH. FUN! Definitely a #HersheyparkHappy day! We were invited to attend a media dinner and family day as part of my Hersheypark Sweetest Moms ambassadorship. Hersheypark provided us with complimentary park passes as well as a family 4-pack of tickets to give away, but all thoughts are my own.

Psst! Don’t forget to enter to WIN a family 4-pack of tickets to Hersheypark at the end of this post!

Hersheypark is OUR park. We feel so at home there and love every visit. Since the summer season is a great time to plan a trip to Hersheypark, I wanted to share some of my favorite tips for making the most out of your summer day at Hersheypark.

7 Tips For Making The Most of Your Summer Day at Hersheypark

Get a refillable drink cup – It’s so important to stay hydrated when you’re walking around Herhseypark, especially in the summer heat. When my kids don’t drink enough, they drag….and get extra cranky. We don’t have time for that! We always get a few souvenir cups…they are 100% worth the money! Refills are 99 cents for the rest of the season, and the cups are easy to strap onto a backpack strap or stroller handle (just take my advice and don’t put a full cup inside a kid’s backpack because it will leave all over when that certain kid forgets about the drink and sets the backpack on the ground…). Here’s a healthy AND money-saving tip that I love: Ask for ice and water in your cup. It’s free!

Indoor activities and rides – Whether you schedule a ride on Laff Trakk, Reese’s Extreme Cup Challenge or the Monorail or take a break to watch a show, a little bit of time out of the sun (and often off your feet) seems to give everyone a needed boost. We love to spend some time during each Hersheypark visit at Chocolate World (free), which is just a short walk from the Hersheypark entrance.

Cool off – Spend some time at The Boardwalk (the 5-acre waterpark inside Hersheypark) – When the sun is out, the Boardwalk at Hersheypark is one of our favorite places to hang out! We always bring a change of clothes so that we can fully enjoy the water attractions. There are plenty of lockers for rent in the park so that you don’t have to carry your wet items around all day. Note: the 2016 season for the Boardwalk at Hersheypark is May 28 through September 5. You can always check dates and times at hersheypark.com/hours.

Take a mid-day break – We love taking a break in the middle of the day when the temperature is at its hottest and the kids are starting to wear down. Whether we head to our home base (the hotel or a friend’s house, for example), spend a little time at Chocolate World, leave the park for a restful lunch at a local restaurant, etc. the break is often worth the time away from the park. We head back to the park at night when the sun has gone down and the lines are not so long. Everybody comes back with renewed energy and excitement.

Dress smart – Good shoes are a must, since you’ll probably do quite a bit of walking during your visit to Hersheypark (unless you’re a lucky stroller-rider, in which case you’re probably not reading this…). Go for comfort in everything you choose to wear, and don’t forget to consider the weather. Sometimes it’s chilly in the morning or at night…be prepared with layers if needed. I find that wearing loose, light-colored tops and lighter-weight fabrics on the bottom make a huge different in my comfort level. Don’t forget a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen, too!

Get the app – Before you head to the park, download the Hersheypark app (for iPhone and Android) to maximize your time. You can check ride times before you walk over to your favorites rides and even get alerts when they’re not busy. The app also includes an interactive, GPS-enabled app, which means you can get to where you want to go more quickly. The app also lets you know about show times, places to eat, and ways to save. It will even tell you exactly where you parked your car.

And no one wants to have to worry about remembering where the car is parked at the end of a long, exciting day at the park!

What are your best tips for enjoying a day at Hersheypark?

WIN a family 4-pack of tickets to Hersheypark!

I am so excited to share the Hersheypark love! One winner will receive a family 4-pack of tickets to the park. Tickets can be used at any time during the 2016 summer season and are good through September 25, 2016. Giveaway ends June 20, 2016 (the 1st day of summer!).

Note: you must be able to get to Hershey, PA. No travel or accommodations are included in this prize. A winner will be notified via email and I’ll be mailing the tickets personally. Good luck!

Entry -Form

ZooAmerica at Hersheypark

Lolli — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 04:55:47 +0000

For years, my sister and her family lived right across the street from ZooAmerica (we could see – and smell some of the animals from her front door). And yet, before this month, I had never spent much time ZooAmerica. What a missed opportunity with my kids! Now that I’ve been introduced to the zoo, I can’t wait to take my kids back. Although I think I got a little spoiled with our behind-the-scenes access – the kids might expect the same. I visited ZooAmerica while on a press trip to learn all that Hershey, PA has to offer. Accommodations and activities during the press trip were provided, but all opinions are my own. Note: photos that do NOT have my watermark on them were provided courtesy of Hershey.

About ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park

ZooAmerica is an 11-acre, walkthrough zoo that cares for more than 200 animals representing more than 60 species from five regions of North America. The thing that I loved the most about ZooAmerica was that every animal at the zoo was native to North America. These are animals that live near us – animals that you can see in the wild throughout the United States.

The exhibits are broken up into 5 bio-climactic regions of North America:

Southern Swamps
The Great Southwest
Eastern Woodlands
Big Sky Country
Northlands

The other thing I loved about ZooAmerica was that the 11-acre size is manageable to be able to see all of the exhibits in a day without totally wearing the kids (and mom or dad) out. I’ve been to too many zoos that were so huge that there was no way to see everything in one day.

ZooAmerica prides itself on its focus on education and conservation. The zoo offers a variety of educational programs for people of all ages – kids and adults alike. You can check out the zoo’s website for details on upcoming programs and events.

History of ZooAmerica:

ZooAmerica opened as Hershey Zoo in 1910, when Milton S. Hershey received a dozen prairie dogs. That zoo closed in 1971, but it reopened in its present format – a facility that highlights North American animals – on May 7, 1978. ZooAmerica currently operates as a department of Hersheypark.

The Zoo is open daily year round (except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day). Same-day admission is free with Hersheypark tickets. Hours vary by season.

Our Experience at ZooAmerica

The first animal that we met was Mumford the grey faced screech owl. He weighed less than half a pound but was FULL of attitude. He was a hoot! (that was a bad joke…lol) We each got a chance to hold Mumford, and I’m happy to report that none of our shoes were ruined in the process. It was close, though…

We also had the chance to see baby alligators, born in Florida in August, and on loan at the zoo. They still live inside at this point.

I was impressed, as we walked through the zoo and saw various animals, that our guide, zoo curator Dale Snyder, was able to point out where each of the animals came from and what their names were. The animals at ZooAmerica are often rescue animals – animals that have been injured in the wild and would have died if they had not found a new home.

We met Chief and Butch, the black bears, and even had the opportunity to feed them berries. Dale taught us a command that Butch (the larger bear) knows well. If you hold your fist out towards his face, he will lick your fist and then expect a berry for his “trick.” Butch had to lick my hand quite a few times in order to catch it on camera.

Do your kids (or you??) love to visit the zoo? You will love ZooAmerica!

Photostory Friday – Give Me Your Best Shot Link Up

Link up your photo posts from this past week on the linky below.

Please note: there will be no link up next week due to the holidays. I will be celebrating with family off line. I hope you have a fabulous Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate!

An InLinkz Link-up

Christmas in Hershey: The Sweetest Place on Earth

Lolli — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 21:18:15 +0000

I was honored to be invited to Hershey, Pennsylvania, this past weekend to experience Christmas Candylane – the incredible holiday celebration at Hersheypark – and all of the holiday festivities happening in town. My accommodations and activities in Hershey were covered but all thoughts and opinions (and excitement) are my own. Information and photos that are not watermarked have been provided by Hershey Entertainment & Resorts.

Hersheypark has been a favorite of my family for years, but in all of the years that we’ve been going to Hershey, we’ve never taken advantage of everything that there is to enjoy during the holidays. I feel like we just scratched the surface of all of the FUN we could have as a family during the holidays during the 3 days that we were there.

I can’t wait to bring my family back to experience Christmas in Hershey!

Here is just a peek at the holiday fun that you can have in Hershey, PA during the holidays:

Hersheypark Christmas Candylane

Hersheypark has been transformed into a winter wonderland with four million lights decorating the park. Some of the traditional Candylane activities include: Santa and his live reindeer, Rudolph’s Skating Pond, and NOEL, the breathtaking musical light show. Christmas Candylane has nearly doubled in size this year and includes select roller coasters – Wildcat, SooperDooperLooper, Cocoa Cruiser and Laff Trakk (a brand new, totally fun roller coaster) will be open during Candylane (weather permitting).

Christmas Candylane began on Friday, November 13 and is open on select dates through Thursday, December 31st. Regular admission is $18.85 + tax and includes admission to ZooAmerica. For operational hours and dates visit www.Hersheypark.com.

Hershey Sweet Lights

I was mesmerized by Hershey Sweet Lights – a two mile drive in the comfort of your own car – and I can’t wait to take my family! Enjoy illuminated holiday lights through the fields and wooded trails while listening to holiday music. Sweet Lights begins Friday, November 13th and is open on select dates through Friday, January 1st. For operational hours and dates visit www.Hersheypark.com.

The Hotel Hershey & Hershey Lodge

After spending a few days at Hershey Lodge, I am convinced that the Lodge was made for Christmas time. It could not have been more beautiful! I was amazed at how many activities there were at the Lodge for families during the holidays, including the Christmas In Hershey Package (available when Christmas Candylane is in operation), Breakfast with Santa Package, Lunch with Santa Package, and more. Visit Hersheylodge.com/packages for details on packages.

We had the chance to experience the legendary Chocolate Pedicure at the Hotel Hershey, which was also decorated beautifully for the holidays. I have never had such a luxurious, relaxing, and delicious-smelling pedicure in my life, and I am already scheming how I can head back for another Spa Day. The Spa at the Hotel Hershey has several holiday specials. Check ChocolateSpa.com/treatments/seasonal/fall-holiday for seasonal specials.

Dining In Hershey, PA

The food everywhere was incredible. You can’t got wrong with food (especially the desserts!) in Hershey! There are several excellent holiday food+entertainment opportunities. We had the chance to see a matinee show of a Chocolate Avenue Christmas at Hershey Lodge. The performers even sang Christmas carols to our group as a farewell. What a way to get in the Christmas Spirit!

A Chocolate Avenue Christmas at Hershey Lodge

Discover why Christmas is the most magical time of year during A Chocolate Avenue Christmas! This dinner theatre production is for guests of all ages. Enjoy a three-course Christmas dinner, followed by a Broadway-style celebration that is produced by an EMMY Award-winning team. Pricing is $55.95* for adults and $29.95* for children (ages 3-12.) Dates, times & more information can all be found on www.HersheyLodge.com/dining. *Pricing includes tax and gratuity.

Gingerbread Children’s Tea at Hershey Lodge

Gingerbread Children’s Tea is a tea party social for children ages 2-10. “Santa’s Helpers” will offer warm tea and hot chocolate to each table, then enjoy our “merry” sweet & savory finger foods on the buffet. Children will receive a Hershey Lodge apron to take home and they will build their very own edible Gingerbread house with graham crackers and decorate it with Hershey’s candies. The event closes with holiday story time. Saturday, November 28 & Saturday, December 19th (1pm and 5pm seating times).

More to do in Hershey for the Holidays

I could go on and on about everything that you can do in Hershey during the holidays! Here are just a few more of the activities and events available:

Hershey Theatre: Family friendly shows including Hershey Symphony, Straight No Chaser, Rudolph the Musical. Visit www.HersheyEntertainment.com for tickets and more information.
Hershey Gardens: Santa’s Secret Garden – On December 4, 5, 11 and 12 from 4:30 – 6:30 PM travel through a path of twinkling lights to discover Santa and his secret garden.
The Hershey Story Museum: Little Elves Workshop, Snowball Saturdays, Holiday-Themed Chocolate Lab Classes
Hershey’s Chocolate World Attraction
- Start your day the merry way with Breakfast with Santa & Mrs. Claus, Saturdays & Sundays from November 14 through December 20.
- See the unique and magical 7th annual Hershey’s Holiday Chocolate House! Every inch is covered in Hershey’s confectionery products and a sweet donation is made to Children’s Miracle Network.
- Take a cozy trip on the Christmas Trolley Adventure which is guaranteed to get you in the Christmas spirit with caroling, stories, and even a special visit from a certain jolly, old elf.

Flinchbaugh’s Orchard & Farm Market Farm to Plate Tour

Lolli — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 15:50:26 +0000

How often do you get to see what real farming looks like? For a girl from the suburbs like me, that’s not too often. I love when blogging affords me the opportunity to have meaningful, teachable moments with my kids…and our visit to Flinchbaugh’s Orchard and Farm was a wonderful opportunity for all of us.

When I was at Blogalicious in September, I met a few local farmers who were there to chat with conference attendees about sustainable farming practices and their association with Monsanto. In October, one of the farmers that I met invited my family out to their farm in Pennsylvania for a real hands-on, back-end look at how their farm and orchard work and how farming has changed in the last 70 or so years since their family has been farming this land. I got to sit down and have lunch with Julie, the youngest of the Flinchbaugh family, and her husband. In fact, the kids and I got to spend all day talking with them, following them around the farm and orchard, where we finally got to pick some Pink Lady apples from the last of the fruit-bearing trees. Although some travel expenses were covered, all thoughts and photos are my own. I’ll apologize upfront for the sheer number of photos. It was such a gorgeous day, I just couldn’t help it!

Julie’s story (and the story of her family’s farm) fascinated me. She is the youngest child of Sonia and Ritchie Flinchbaugh (she’s got 2 older brothers, Andrew and Michael). Ritchie grew up on the farm (his parents started farming the land in 1951), and his mom, Louise, still lives on the farm and we saw her working in the farm market while we were looking around. We were even able to meet one of the younger generation – my son got to help one of Andrew’s sons shovel corn feed (he LOVED it!).

This post has taken me a long time to write simply because we learned so much (and so much NEW-to-me info). I told my kids that it felt like we were on a day-long family field trip…and it was true. We were IN the fields. At first I was worried that the older girls would be bored, but the information that Julie, plus her husband and brothers, told us was so fascinating all of us were sad to have to leave at the end of the day.

About Flinchbaugh’s Orchard and Farms

Flinchbaugh’s Orchard and Farms encompasses nearly 420 acres of land, where they farm produce crops and orchard fruits, and is maintained by three generations of Flinchbaughs.
An additional 1300 acres of leased ground is cropped with corn, soybeans, wheat and hay.
The Farm Market, finished in 2006, has 8,000 square feet of sales area, additional operating facilities and a picnic pavilion which allows the Flinchbaughs to connect provide opportunities for educational activities to connect the public with their food sources.
Ritchie & Sonia’s three children – Mike, Andrew & Julie – each graduated from Penn State and then decided to return to work in the family business after graduation.

Sustainable Practices at Flinchbaugh’s Orchard and Farms

We learned how important conservation is to the Flinchbaugh family at all levels – water, land, energy and environmental resources. They conserve water through a drip irrigation system (the kids loved seeing how that worked in the orchards) and they practice Integrated Pest Management techniques to cut back on the amounts of pesticides needed.

We loved seeing how the no till method works and WHY no till farming is the way to go now. Mike said that the no till method is probably the biggest change in farming in the last generation. Mike said that there’s no such thing as “too much of a good thing” when it comes to soil, and they found that organic matter increased a lot using this method. There’s a big cost at first, and some adapters don’t see a difference for several years, but it’s still worth it in the long run.

We got to not only see but participate in laying cover crops in the corn fields. Cover crops (planting a different crop from the main crop directly over the previous crop) help to keep the nutrients from the previous crop in the fields, and makes it easier to plant the new crop in the spring. While we were there, they were planting wheat over the corn fields. Clover, radishes are great for the soil, but they are also more expensive, so they have to find a good balance.

In addition to planting cover crops, the Flinchbaughs also rotate crops – both of which practices help to avoid a monoculture, which is not good for the soil long term.

I was interested to learn that modern farmers like the Flinchbaughs use GPS technology to farm. The tractor that Mike was driving had a computer screen that helped him to know where to drive so there was no overlapping of seeds. In fact, this technology can help farmers auto-steer. This helps save time and money as well as conserve resources like seeds and fertilizers.

Another things that we talked about was risk management, since there are so many natural factors that farmers cannot control. They may not be able to control things like weather, but no till and cover crops actually help. They also mentioned that diversifying the crops creates a safety net as well.

Sustainable Growing Practices

Providing safe, high quality fresh foods is a priority for the Flinchbaugh family. Some of the growing methods that are used at Flinchbaugh’s Orchard and Farm include:

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program
Set Action Thresholds
Monitor & Identify Pests
Prevention
Control
Drip Irrigation
No-tillage
Farm Ground Rental

You can find out more about Flichbaugh’s sustainable growing practices here.

After hours of walking and learning, we got to break loose and just have fun…and we did! We enjoyed the corn maze and all of the other fun fall family activities. I can’t wait to go back to visit the Flinchbaugh farm. They made us feel like we were part of the family!

Day Trip to Gettysburg #PSF Give Me Your Best Shot

Lolli — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 01:16:28 +0000

This past Saturday, the kids and I got together with some old friends (two families that we share lots and lots of memories with) and spent a very cold March day in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. We spent a lot of our time looking through the amazing new museum and even more time in our car, so I didn’t get many pictures outside, but we still had a blast hanging out with our old friends. I consider myself very lucky to be so close to historical places like this!

These first two pictures are shots of an enormous cyclorama painted by Paul Dominique Phillippoteaux in the late 1800s. I was in awe.

Me and my old friends – I miss having them in the neighborhood!

If you’re planning a trip to Gettysburg, I would highly recommend the museum and “attached” movie and cyclorama. The cyclorama was probably my favorite part of the whole experience. I would also recommend the driving tour of the battlefields. Because of time and weather, we didn’t do the whole driving tour this time, but there’s so much to learn and so much beauty to see when you take the time to drive through the area. Plus, unlike the museum and movie, the driving tour is free. Bonus!

Now it’s time for YOU to show me your best shots from this past week. Link up below and have a fantastic weekend!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

To play Give Me Your Best Shot – Photo Story Friday, check this. Copy this code into your post and sign the link list:
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Flight 93 National Memorial, Stoystown Pennsylvania #WW

Lolli — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 03:07:27 +0000

The very first stop of our 3000+ mile family road trip was the Flight 93 National Memorial in Southwest Pennsylvania.

Things to know before you visit: There is a limited restroom facility (basically, a permanent outhouse) but no water or food. Bring your own water if you’ll need it during your visit. The Memorial is completely outdoors with limited shade, so be prepared for heat/sun/rain/cold conditions.

The Flight 93 Memorial is a beautiful location to visit, but not very interactive for kids. The Memorial consists of things to read and places to walk and reflect.

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Duck Pond with the Cousins #PSF Give Me Your Best Shot

Lolli — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 22:07:05 +0000

After iRetreat ended on Tuesday, my sister and I had fun with all the kids in Hershey. We visited a nearby duck pond and stream and let the kids loose to explore. We had a hard time convincing everyone that it was time to leave…but we DID have to feed them dinner eventually.

Every time we spend the day (or the week) with my sister’s family, I wish that we could spend even more time with them, and more often!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

To play Give Me Your Best Shot Photo Story Friday, check this. Copy this code into your post and sign the link list:
<center><a href=”https://foodfunfamily.com/tag/give-me-your-best-shot” target=”_blank”></a><a href=”https://mychaosmybliss.com” target=”_blank”></a> Hosted by <a href=”https://mychaosmybliss.com/” target=”_blank”>Cecily</a> and <a href=”https://foodfunfamily.com” target=”_blank”>Lolli</a></center>

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Butterfly Garden #WW

Lolli — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 04:27:38 +0000

After 2 fun days at iRetreat 2014 at Hershey (where I-can’t-believe-I-call-myself-a-photographer forgot to take a single picture!!) my Hershey-local sister and all of the kids ran up to Hershey Gardens for a quick run through the butterfly gardens. I had my Samsung NX300 with me (side note: I am becoming more and more hooked on the compactness and lightness of my NX300 and my sister was so jealous…so I told her to come back at the end of the month when I’m giving one away…).

Anyway…back to those butterflies…

I could only manage to grab a few pictures from my camera tonight (I’m exhausted!) so I’ll show a few more at the end of the week!

What have you been doing this week?

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