Berry Fields Farm - 2014

Berry Fields Farm

Bradford County: Agri-tourism, Value-Added

Until about thirteen years ago, Barbara and Charlie's beautiful mountaintop farm was but a wooded hunting property. Originally living and working in York, the two eventually decided to try their hands at sustainable living and turn their property up north into a farm where they could grow their own food. Bouts of excess produce, and an eye for future projects, led to an expansion from household sustenance into 'Berry Fields Farm.'

The farm has grown, year by year, to incorporate more operations in an attempt to become more self-sustaining. Twenty of the property's 51 acres are now home to cows, pigs, goats, turkeys, geese, chickens, ducks, guinea hens, and rabbits. Two acres are covered in blueberry bushes, and two more acres are cultivated for other produce, including an apple orchard.

The farm boasts a commercial kitchen and dining room, which Barbara and Charlie now operate as a restaurant during the weekend. There is also a farm store where pies, jams and other homemade goodies are sold. In addition, the farm has a couple of guesthouses, which are used for one of the farm's most successful and pioneering ventures: the Farm Vacation. Guests from across the country and around the world come to stay and work on the farm for a few days at a time. According to Barbara, this is one of the best ways to learn about other people's connection to food, as well as a wonderful way to share the farming lifestyle and teach people about how their food is grown. In addition to the Farm Vacation, Berry Fields Farm also hosts a couple of yearly festivals, bringing together the local community and celebrating good food.