As expected, it was a busy Friday at the Lancaster Central Market, one of the best places to…read moresupport small businesses. Since it's been some time since I last shopped here, it was a treat browsing all the vendor stands and seeing what foods are available. As a garden/flower enthusiast, you know I had to check out the flower stands like Perfect Pots and Inspirational Blossoms, both with fresh blooms. For lunch, after a taste test, I opted for Soulcialze, which provided generous portions of mac n cheese, collards, beef brisket, and cornbread. Tables are provided for lunch or snacks, but we had to wait a few minutes because none were available. At Lancaster Central, you can expect a friendly atmosphere in this beautiful historic building, where the local community shops and supports. I usually secure parking via parking apps at the Hager lot or one of the two nearby parking garages.

"For it's always just a short walk To the oldest established…read morepermanent floating Crap game in New York" (Guys and Dolls) Well, we didn't exactly have a short walk to the oldest established permanent Farmer's Market in the United States. That's because on our visit, three of the parking garages bordering the market were full, and by the time we found street parking (you'd better polish up your parallel parking skills) it was close to a 30-minute stroll to this historic landmark. The market goes way back--all the way to 1730--when local farmers rolled into town with whatever they'd harvested and sold it in what was then just an open field in the center of the growing community. Today, it is home to over 65 vendors selling fruits & vegetables, meats, poultry, fish & cheeses, fresh baked bread, pretzels, pierogis, handmade dishes, smoothies, flowers, hot coffee, sweet treats, and even pickles. We had a blast wandering through the crowded aisles and picking up a few odds and ends. If you love jerky and meat sticks (as I do), you will walk out with a ton of goodies (as I did).

Yesterday we went raspberry picking at the Shenk's Berry Farm in Lititz, PA. I love this small…read morefarm, and have been coming here for my berries for almost 10 years. It is the very good quality and taste of berries I enjoyed as well as personal touch by the owner of the farm. They still have some strawberry left, it is sweet and very fragrant, it is almost like in a famouse Swedish movie " Strawberry Patch", also in the movie is a wild strawberry. We enjoyed our red and black raspberries which are abundant and delicious this year. If you are a bluberry fan, you should come next week for the delicious treat! Bluberry is almost ready; sweat and sour, big and appetizing. The rain did not spoil our experience and a beautiful rainbow was like a prize we received from God. Come to Lititz to enjoy the farm and plenty of wonderful berries. I also collected some berry leaves to make my teas.

Brought two little kids here and it was so fun! Sand box is available that was perfect for the kids…read moreto take breaks from the sun and strawberry picking. Definitely would come back here

The cutest little market! Great produce and other goodies. Their chicken barbecue lunches in the…read moresummer are a great value and completely delicious. Worth a visit if you're in the area!

In one of my several Lancaster PA food blogs, I asked other foodies where they went for their Amish…read morebarbecue (normally held on Fridays and Saturdays, starting in May and going till Sept.). For those who don't live in Lancaster, PA; it's a "thing" and a good "thing" at that. There was an overwhelming response for Kissel Hill and so, that's where I vowed to be, on a Saturday, arriving at around 11:15. The barbecue masses, showed up at 10am. I figured this must have been the case, because when I arrived, there were no more leg/thigh combos, grilled sliced potatoes - sold out, except for one, which we snagged (the last potato) and grilled carrots - gone. If you plan on going to an Amish barbecue stand, get there EARLY. The consensus (among myself & hubby), potato - under cooked, chicken lacked essential flavors derived from smoke and brining, meat wasn't as tender as was expected, completely out of napkins and forks?? Oh crap! Come on Kissel, I know this isn't your first rodeo. Some Amish bbq stands include whoopie pies, this was not one of them. Sadly, even the roll was not up to par; it was stale. Oh man. No worries, Lancaster County has lots of contenders out there and I aim to try all of them. There is small adjoining market with a ton of apples, onions, potatoes, pie filling, pickles, noodles, baked goods, flowers, dairy items and more.

Delicious jams, jellies, relishes, raw honey and baked goods at extremely low prices. The selection…read moreof flavors is huge. I had these jams in the past before and they are delicious without having all those extra sweeteners added. Great and friendly folks working here. Lol, they sell something called "Chow chow" I thought to myself, "The dog chow chow?" I found out later Chow chow is a tangy pickled vegetable relish :) I Love learning new words and phrases when I'm in Pennsylvania Dutch country.

Very wide selection of produce, priced well too. Service is friendly, and it is very reasonably…read morepriced.

This place is so cute. They have such a great selection of pumpkins for the fall to decorate with…read more All different colors, shapes and sizes. They also have adorable farm animals in the back, which is a bonus!!

When the first cool autumn breeze hits Brooklyn, we head to central PA in search for pumpkins of…read moreall shapes, sizes and colors. My mother-in-law introduced us to this gem of a pumpkin patch. With butternut squash for $1 and acorn squash for $.75 each, I knew I was in my seasonal glory. The owners wife takes prize in her heirloom varieties and has a wall of each pumpkin variety with their unique name and suggested uses. Ranging from $6 for a large cinderella pumpkin to $3 turban, I filled my cart and headed back to Brooklyn to roast, can and preserve these beauties. I would say this is worth the country drive!

We had a great time on the tour. Karla was our tour guide and she did a great job. A nice mix of…read morehistory and general knowledge about the dairy. It was worth the price

Interesting tour of a modern dairy farm. The tour guide (Lisa) and bus driver (Carla) were both…read morevery pleasant and knowledgable. Fun day.

Root's Country Market & Auction, a Lancaster County shopping staple since 1926…read more A beautiful spring Tuesday to shop for just about anything at Root's. I came specifically to shop in the Main building, area 3, for Tropical Forest Shea Butter Soaps as a birthday gift. I learned about Tropical Forest at the 2025 PA Christmas + Gift Show at the Harrisburg Farm Show Complex. Tropical Forest also has a stand at Green Dragon Farmer's Market. I am thankful this farmer's market has a website with a directory of most of the vendors and an office with people to answer questions. And free maps of the entire farmer's market. There is plenty of parking, a plethora of food places to take off or eat while there, a large number of restrooms, and great signage inside and outside of all the buildings. Worth noting, not all stands/vendors take cards; some only accept cash.

An amazing variety of vendors. It's huge so you can go several times and not see it all. Amish…read morefarmers, butchers, bakers as well as pickles and jared products. If you are hungry there are many food stands. I love this place and its friendly atmosphere.

Such a great shop! My fiance & I visit frequently, we love the fact they rotate a lot of their…read morecheeses. There's always something new to buy or sample! Any of the cheeses are readily available to sample upon request. The staff is always kind & knowledgeable about their products! In addition, a nice selection of frozen game meat is also available, I would highly recommend the boar sausages if you see them. Chips, hot sauce, seasoning, honey, and more can also be found at the shop for those looking to add a little extra to their charcuterie. Overall, great selection of items. I recommend this shop all the time to those visiting Lititz! It certainly never disappoints!

The staff is what makes this place so special. Will literally help you with any questions you have…read moreof provide suggestions if you're stuck and can't make a decision all while providing free samples of cheeses they have in stock. Wide selection of frozen meats, cheeses, chips and accoutrements. Prices are a little high, but well worth the experience and the friendly atmosphere. Definitely recommend a visit.

Came across a sign advertising 50% off all plants on State Rd a few weeks back. As a plant momma…read moreI'm always on the lookout for different varieties to add to my collection. Leabrook Farms is a place I could see from 283 but never really knew how to get there to access it. It's a few miles off State Rd., on Leabrook Rd, and you can't miss it. A storm was brewing that day when I arrived so I didn't spend as much time as I would have liked. Every plant was 50% off, even ones already on sale were not excluded from the sale. They had annuals, perennials, succulents, houseplants, and arrangements. I was in awe. Tables and tables of plants in good condition, small and large + a few greenhouses. I filled a wagon and had I had a larger vehicle would have gotten more. Some of my favorite scores were the succulents, a decent size, all $1 and some change after the discount. I also scored a massive mostera plant for less than $10 that at Lowes for that size sells for $64. In hindsight I wish I would have bought them all for resale and made a few bucks. While many of the plants were labeled, there were many more that were not. Since I'm looking more for low light houseplants, a label identifying the plant and care instructions would have been helpful for many of the items I bought. The plain (Mennonite) employee there said they came from an auction and she didn't have any information. Also some of the prearranged plants in ceramic containers had chips, and or appeared to be used, like they picked them up at a thrift store. Not that I'm opposed to that, but some weren't in the best of shape. I made it out right before the storm, barely, with a car full of plants in tow. I would visit them again even at full price, but most definitely at their 50% sale. Since they are plain owned and operated no Sunday hours.

The kitty there is to die for, the absolute sweetest and good prices I will be returning:)read more