LCM | August 2021 | Lancaster Gets Growing by Lancaster County Magazine

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Lancaster Gets Growing MATT BARCARO NEWS FLASH: HE LOVES TO GARDEN

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PUBLISHER Jocelyn Engle EDITOR Suzanne Starling-Long Sue@lancastercountymag.com ART DIRECTOR Ashley Kendrick Kennedy Ashley@lancastercountymag.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Kaylee Rex Kaylee@lancastercountymag.com REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS Dr. Richard L. Bitner Jill Brown Rochelle A. Shenk Michael C. Upton Kathleen Wagner

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PHOTOGRAPHERS Jordan Bush Seth Dochter Nick Gould Kirk Zutell

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CONTENTS

18.

FEATURES

12.

AUGUST 2021 | VOLUME 35 | NUMBER 4

Lancaster Gets Growing

Lancaster County’s reputation as being “the Garden Spot of America” has taken on an all-new meaning thanks to gardeners who are growing their own vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers in their backyards or are taking advantage of rental opportunities in community gardens.

• 14. A Break From the Headlines: Matt Barcaro’s Suburban Garden

The WGAL anchor/reporter is an avid gardener, foodie, cook and a new dad.

• 18. Community Gardens Don’t have enough space at home to grow vegetables? Visit two community gardens – Lancaster County Central Park Garden Plots and Wheatland Community Garden – where plots can be rented on a seasonal basis.

14.

DEPARTMENTS

Uptown & Down

Michael Upton tries to keep up with Cylo, the very energetic mascot of the Lancaster Barnstormers, in the hours leading up to game time.

30.

Foodographer

34.

Table for Two

BE SCENE! Live music, theatre,

arts and craft shows, outdoor activities and fundraising events are beginning to once again dot the calendar. Visit our website, lancastercountymag.com, to make plans and order tickets for upcoming events.

It’s August. Do you know how you are going to use all the produce your garden has provided? Jordan Bush encourages you to experiment with juicing, which provides a way to quickly absorb healthy ingredients. Or, you could purchase “wellness in a bottle” at Juisibox in Lancaster.

In Lancaster County, ice cream is considered a vital part of the Food Pyramid’s Dairy Group. We’ve compiled a list of go-to places to visit for anything relating to ice cream.

40. It’s a Beautiful Day

Wilson Pipkin, the director of tennis at the Hempfield recCenter, describes his perfect Lancaster County day.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

25. ON THE COVER: Jordan Bush photographed Matt Barcaro in his suburban backyard, where he maintains raised-bed and container gardens that supply him with vegetables and herbs, which he uses in his favorite recipes.

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

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As Michael Upton discovered, keeping up with Cylo on game day is a feat in itself – the mascot is always on the moo-ve.

UPTOWN & DOWN And All Around

Pregaming with Cylo Prior to the start of a home game on a sweltering June afternoon, I was scheduled to meet up with Cylo, the Lancaster Barnstormers’ mascot, outside of the main entrance to Clipper Magazine Stadium. I waited to get his attention as he shimmied and shook, twirled and twisted, over and over again to get the perfect take for a TikTok video. BY MICHAEL C. UPTON PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK GOULD assignment was to shadow the bovine-inspired mascot for the afternoon and learn what goes into being the living symbol “en caricature” of an Atlantic League baseball team. Cylo, who claims to be a “distant relative” of the Phillie Phanatic, was accompanied by the Barnstormers’ marketing coordinator, Carlynn Adams. At first sight, there is a lot of dancing. And, as I soon learned, Cylo is a bit of a perfectionist. After getting one video exactly right we headed out into the full sun atop the home team dugout for several takes and retakes of other dance routines. Once satisfied, Cylo gave a silent thumbs up of approval to Carlynn who, by now, had amassed a series of videos that

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

will eventually appear on the team’s social media pages. With two-and-a-half hours to go until the first pitch is thrown, Cylo heads to his private break area, while I make my way to the press box. We will meet up later for the pregame staff meeting. Until then, Cylo just needs to cool down.

5:00 With a 6:30 p.m. game time, the production crew and members of the Storm Squad – the fun-loving group whose members run all the between-inning promotions – gather in the press box to go over the evening’s activities. Cylo appears several minutes early and decides to harass – or, I mean, help – the game announcers who had just been handed the game-day lineup for this matchup between the Barnstormers and the Gastonia Honey Hunters (whose mascot, a honey badger, is back home in North Carolina). Microphones are adjusted – Cylo’s big yellow hands had rearranged them before he moved on to posing for pictures. The meeting covers the evening’s fan interactions, first pitches, games and prizes, as well as comprehensive camera angles and desired shots. Videographers try desperately to pay attention as Cylo listens not so intently. The role of Cylo’s handler is performed by a different member of the Storm Squad each game; tonight the honor goes to Jimmy Childs, whose job could best be

described as part fuzzy-cattle wrangler and part bouncer.

5:20 As soon as the meeting ends, Cylo

heads to the front gate where waiting fans receive high fives and photo ops. The kids get plenty of hugs. Slipping through an opening in the gate and into the stadium concourse, Cylo spots a table set up for Bark in the Park night and helps himself to a few dog treats from the evening’s sponsor, Pet Supplies Plus. It was at this moment that Cylo realizes he does not care for dog treats. A few minutes later, the gates open and fans stream into the park. Cylo jams out to AC/DC as music roars through the stadium’s sound system.

5:31 We run into Carlynn who has

brought her dog, Foster, to Bark in the Park. Cylo decides he would like to take Foster for a walk and commandeers the leash from Carlynn. Foster is not keen on a 7-foot-2, 356-pound, fuzzy cow-thing being on the other end of his lead. So, Cylo returns the docile pooch to Carlynn and turns his attention to the concession stands. He takes a pass at running the register, which I assume does not go well. The food-service workers smile and politely urge him along and Cylo is quickly met by an autograph-seeking fan, followed by more hugs for families, and even more high fives. Passing back by the main entrance Cylo spots a claw machine and tries to win a mini-sized, stuffed version of himself. At

Clockwise from top left: Cylo checks in with the game announcer. Autographing a ball for a young visitor. Always the perfect host, Cylo greets guests as they arrive at Clipper Magazine Stadium. Greeting a fourlegged visitor who arrived for Bark in the Park night. Cylo heads to the field to assist the groundskeepers. Discussing the night’s activities with a member of the Storm Squad.

Top to bottom: Leading the parade of youth sports teams being honored before the start of the game. Cylo being interviewed by Michael Upton. Posing for photos with a young visitor. Leading the cheering section from atop the Barnstormers’ dugout.

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LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

the third base concession stand he treats the workers to cartwheels, which they practically ignore. Cylo will have none of this and waves his hands above his head to get their attention, pops the international sign for “just wait” by holding up one thick, yellow finger, and then does another cartwheel. This time, the employees cheer his skill. Now satisfied, Cylo heads back towards the main entrance.

5:40 At the main gate there is time for a little calypso with Jump in the Line (Shake, Señora) and a few more fan photos until it’s time for Cylo to make his way down to the field. The grounds crew needs a hand. At least that is what Cylo thinks, but the water hose will not work. I’m kind of glad because I’m pretty sure I would have ended up soaked. After failing to convince the crew to turn on the water, Cylo heads into the seats for a quick dance session before returning to his private break area, a cool, small Cylo-cave located just off the concourse.

MLB’s Best Mascots According to ranker.com 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Phillie Phanatic (Philadelphia) Orbit (Houston) Mr. Met (New York) The Oriole Bird (Baltimore) Mariner Moose (Seattle) Paws (Detroit) Wally the Green Monster and Tessie (Boston) 8. Dinger (Colorado) 9. Fredbird (St. Louis) 10. Running Presidents (Washington)

Barnstormers at Home Schedule

July 30-August 1: Southern Maryland Blue Crabs August 3-5: York Revolution August 6-8: Southern Maryland Blue Crabs August 17-19: Long Island Ducks August 24-26: Lexington Legends August 27-29: West Virginia Power September 7-9: York Revolution September 10-12: Long Island Ducks September 24-26: Southern Maryland Blue Crabs October 5-7: Long Island Ducks October 8-10: High Point Rockies For ticket information, visit lancasterbarnstormers.com

6:01 With his 15-minute respite over,

it’s time for Cylo to return to the field and meet up with representatives of the county’s youth sports teams in attendance for special recognition. He leads the group on a march around the bases and afterwards poses for team photos. Thirteen minutes later, Cylo is officially introduced to the crowd and he waves from a spot beside the Barnstormers’ dugout. He gets a few minutes to relax with the team in the dugout before the national anthem strikes its first note; after the patriotic display he heads back up to the concourse. There is just enough time for a hug and a hello to some special fans before the first pitch smacks into the catcher’s mitt. It’s time for another break. I could use one as well. It’s exhausting to try and keep up with the fleet-footed (or is it hooved?) fan favorite during his pregame routine. Cylo gets back to work – there are plenty of places around the stadium that need to be graced by his presence before the evening is through. In the end, a tired Barnstormers team – the prior evening’s game led to a combined 30 runs and lasted till midnight – fell to the Honey Hunters. No worries. A loss never dampens Cylo’s enthusiasm. He will be ready for the next game, and the game after that, and the game after that … Check out Cylo’s dance moves at tiktok.com/@lancasterbarnstormers.

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LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

Lancaster

Gets

Growing BY KAYLEE REX | PHOTO BY NICK GOULD & THE DRONE GEEK

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

Garden plots at Lancaster County Central Park create a colorful patchwork from above.

As a statewide leader in agriculture, Lancaster County boasts some of the richest, most productive, nonirrigated agricultural soil in the world, according to Lancaster Farmland Trust. During August, which is Pennsylvania Produce Month, most of the county’s vegetable crops are at the peak of their season. From backyard gardens to community garden plots, late summer provides gardeners across the county with an abundant harvest of sweet corn, tomatoes, cantaloupes, peppers, zucchini, squash, basil, arugula and a host of other items. Plus, fair season kicks off in August. It’s no wonder that Lancaster County has been known as the Garden Spot of America since the 18th century! For information about Pennsylvania Produce Month, visit paveggies.org. LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

A Break from the Headlines As a news reporter and anchor for WGAL, Matt Barcaro’s job can be intense at times. From being on deadline to covering breaking stories, television news is a fast-paced, high-pressure industry. Matt’s backyard garden provides a respite from work. It’s a place where he can recharge and enjoy some peace and quiet … and delicious, home-grown food, of course. “That’s a bonus,” he laughs. BY KAYLEE REX | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JORDAN BUSH

ven though it can be a “pressurecooker,” Matt loves his job. “I could never do a desk job. [As a reporter,] every day is different,” he reflects. “You leave each day doing something you never expected to do.” Matt currently works the morning shift, meaning his workday starts at 3:30 a.m. He then reports live during WGAL’s 2.5-hour-long morning show, running from 4:30 to 7 a.m. On weekends, he anchors the morning newscasts. “Getting to see the sunrise is a big benefit,” he remarks. When he’s off the clock, tending to his garden is one of his favorite ways to unwind. Matt has enjoyed gardening for as long as he can remember. Growing up in Montgomery County, his mother always had a garden each year. “There was always something to pick and eat,” he recalls. Even after he went out on his own, Matt would grow basil or other herbs on the windowsills of his apartments. When he moved to suburban Lancaster

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

County with his wife, Jess, he started his own organic garden in the backyard. He installed his first raised bed two years ago and a second last winter. He also utilizes pots to grow herbs and container-variety vegetables on their deck. Vegetable gardening is Matt’s domain while Jess enjoys beautifying the yard with flowers. “She has a good eye for color, size and shape,” he says of the lovely planters and flower beds in their backyard.

Trial and Error Each year, Matt likes to try something new in his garden. “It’s a science experiment every year,” he says. He is conducting a few experiments this growing season. It’s the first time he’s started all his plants from seed – some of which were planted unintentionally. During the winter, Matt threw some cherry tomatoes into his compost. As spring arrived, the seeds began to germinate, so he transplanted them into a container to see how they would fare.

Last season, he noticed the number of pollinators in his yard was lacking and his plants took longer to produce fruit. Matt planted a patch of wildflowers this year to attract bees and butterflies to the garden. Garlic and a container-variety zucchini are also new this growing season. In November 2020, he separated a head of garlic and planted each clove in his raised bed. He was shocked to see green popping up out of the snow a few months later. Matt is hoping to harvest the garlic in late summer but is worried that his latest “nemesis” might get to them first. As all seasoned gardeners know, each growing season comes with its own challenges. For Matt, this year the challenge is voles. He noticed tunnels forming in the garden, so he reached out to Penn State Extension to find the best way to prevent the critters from ravaging his garden. The organization recommended trapping them; Matt has caught one so far.

MATT EMPHASIZES the amount of patience that gardening requires. He explains that gardeners must have the “willingness to get things wrong.” Each gardening season is different and there are a lot of factors at play that determine the success of your garden. It can rain too much or too little. Critters and insects can wreak havoc on your prized plants. Maybe you planted too early, or you didn’t weed enough. Whatever the case may be, Matt believes if you are able to learn from your mistakes and the circumstances outside of your control, you can be a successful gardener.

A Dedicated Following Following his own advice, Matt often googles his various gardening queries to learn how to make his harvest more successful. He also receives helpful tips from his faithful Facebook followers. Matt enjoys sharing pictures of his garden, the meals he cooks and most of all, the sunrises he often sees during his morning shift with his over 16,000 Facebook followers. “I try to make my page a positive space where we can share our hobbies and passions – and sunrises/sunsets, of course,” he wrote in a Facebook post this year. When Matt has a question about gardening, he often asks his followers for advice. In May 2020, when he discovered rabbits snacking on his pea sprouts, Matt installed a chicken-wire fence. Unfortunately, the rabbits were still finding their way into his garden. So, Matt took to Facebook to find a solution. His dedicated followers chimed in with tips and tricks to keep the critters out. They recommended planting marigolds and installing a fence with smaller holes. So far, it’s worked! After stocking up at Rohrer Seeds for this growing season, Matt couldn’t wait to start planting. He planted his peas just after St. Patrick’s Day. “I had to cover the beds with blankets twice when it got close to frost,” Matt recalls of the frequent-frost advisories this past spring. After starting his other seedlings indoors, he was eager to plant them in the raised beds. “Getting the timing right is tricky,” Matt says. In late April, he posted to his Facebook, asking his followers if it was too early to transplant the seedlings to the raised beds. His followers told him to wait. “Waiting is the hardest part,” he laments. He listened to their advice and planted the rest of his seedlings in mid-May.

Tending to his garden is one of Matt’s favorite ways to unwind and recharge. Below: This year, Matt grew all his plants from seed for the first time.

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

As a lifelong foodie – “Other kids watched Saturday morning cartoons; I watched cooking shows on PBS,” he recalls – Matt often posts pictures of the dishes he cooks, and his followers love to learn his recipes. At the start of the pandemic, Matt was looking for a way to develop personal connections while being socially isolated. He decided to try his hand at his own cooking show and started Quarantine Cooking with Matt. Each week, he would go live on Facebook and welcome his followers into his kitchen. “God bless my wife for agreeing to hold a phone and record me for an hour each week,” Matt laughs. His followers loved the videos and even though he stopped making them last summer, they still ask when the series will return.

Matt’s gardening goal is to grow enough ingredients to make a full salad. This year, he is growing lettuce, spinach, kale, cherry tomatoes and several herbs.

Foodie Paradise

Matt loves to snack on peas while he gardens.

Last year, rabbits wreaked havoc on Matt’s garden. Thanks to his Facebook followers’ tips and tricks, he’s been able to keep the rabbits at bay.

“There’s nothing better than sitting out on the deck surrounded by your garden, eating what you’ve grown,” Matt emphasizes. His mother’s gardening goal each year was to grow enough ingredients to make a full salad. Matt also adopted this goal in his own garden and plants lettuce, spinach, kale and cherry tomatoes each year. Herbs, including basil and oregano, are grown in containers on their back porch. With the basil he grows, Matt likes to make pesto or basil butter, which he freezes in ice cube trays so he can easily enjoy the flavor of fresh basil throughout the winter. He also planted extra tomatoes this year in the hopes of making sauce. Whatever produce he doesn’t grow himself, Matt buys from local farmers through farm stands or his weekly visit to Lancaster Central Market. “For a foodie, [Lancaster] is the best place to be,” Matt emphasizes. Work brought Matt to Lancaster County in 2008 when he started at WGAL. This year, he celebrates his 15th year with Hearst Television, the broadcasting company that owns WGAL. Prior to his arrival at News 8, he worked at a sister station in northwest Arkansas for two years. The food culture isn’t the only thing Matt loves about the Susquehanna Valley. As an outdoor enthusiast, Matt is amazed at the variety of experiences available in our area’s natural world. This spring, he started an Explore Outdoors segment at WGAL in which he highlights local trails and outdoor activities. He was amazed to discover the diverse ways people can enjoy the outdoors in Central PA, from disc golf and geocaching to creek snorkeling and beekeeping.

Growing a Family

Matt’s suburban garden consists of two raised beds and a number of containers.

Like many couples who married in 2020, Matt and Jess had a very different vision for their wedding. Instead of the traditional wedding they originally planned, the couple decided to host an intimate ceremony at Lancaster County Central Park in July 2020. They were wed in the same spot where Matt proposed. In May 2021, the Barcaro family became a party of three when Matt and Jess welcomed their first son, Grant Matthew Barcaro. Matt emphasizes how great fatherhood has been. “I didn’t realize until he was born how quickly and completely you can fall in love,” he wrote in a Facebook post announcing Grant’s arrival. “I do wish I could get more sleep though,” he laughs. Between his work schedule and caring for a newborn, creating a consistent sleeping schedule is no doubt a challenge. Matt can’t wait to have Grant out in the garden by his side. “I’m excited to share these experiences with him when he gets a little older,” Matt smiles. Follow Matt’s gardening journey on Facebook @MattBarcaroWGAL.

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

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Community Gardens BY KAYLEE REX PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK GOULD

Gardeners at Lancaster County Central Park grow a diverse variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers.

According to Feeding America, the food insecurity rate for Lancaster County was 9% in 2019. This year, it’s estimated that the rate will increase to 10.2% as we continue to recover from the pandemic. Equipping people with the knowledge, experiences and space for gardening can work wonders to reduce food insecurity. Community gardens help to provide green space for city residents to grow their own food, reduce food insecurity and strengthen community bonds by bringing people of all ages, backgrounds, socioeconomic classes and skill levels together. According to the CDC, community gardens also beautify vacant lots, reduce carbon emissions and fuel consumption related to the transportation of food and reduce pollutants by absorbing carbon dioxide. Municipalities across the county see the benefits of community gardens and are opening their own.

Lancaster County Central Park Garden Plots

park mostly sees gardeners from the city, says Parks and Recreation Administrator Paul Weiss. Three plot options are available for a seasonal fee, including 20-by-20-foot plots for $25, 40-by-20foot plots for $31 and year-round organic 40-by-20-foot plots for $47.

ancaster County Central Park, located on the southern edge of Lancaster City, receives the most visitors of any county park due to its convenient location and plentiful facilities and recreational features, including a community garden with 200 plots. Available from April through October, the garden plots are open to anyone in the county; however, due to its location, the

A Rural Respite

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

The garden plots, located within an expansive field in the middle of the park, have always been an integral piece of Central Park’s history. Paul couldn’t find any documents about the history of the plots, but he knows they have been there at least since the mid-80s. “It may go back even before that,” he says. The land, which Paul believes used to belong to a

neighboring farm, became park property around the late 1960s. The garden plot land is just one piece of the interesting mosaic that comprises the 540-acre park, which includes a former landfill, the Kiwanis Area, Historic Rock Ford, a Native American burial site and other pieces of farmland. Paul has been with the parks department for 21 years and oversees all nine county parks in Lancaster County. He stresses that renting a plot at the park is a big undertaking and responsibility. “It’s not something you can just stop by every other week. It requires upkeep almost daily or every other day. It’s definitely a challenge and a time commitment,” he says of the dedication gardeners show to their plots.

Clockwise from top left: Paul Weiss, the county’s parks and recreation administrator, oversees all nine parks, as well as the garden-plot program at Lancaster County Central Park. Due to abundant wildlife in the park, gardeners are responsible for installing their own fences to protect their plots. Many of the gardens are distinguished by creative and colorful entryways. The woman who maintains this plot added a colorful front door and furnished it with a playset and sandbox for her grandchildren who often accompany her to the park. Lancaster County Central Park is home to 200 garden plots, available to anyone in the county.

Each year, the goal is to fill the garden plots as much as possible. Paul emphasizes that when there is “checkerboarding” plots, weeds start overruling the space and spreading into neighboring plots. Filling the plots has not been a problem the last two growing seasons, as the park saw an increase in interest due to the pandemic. When Covid first caused shutdowns, the majority of Central Park’s facilities and programs closed; however, the garden plots remained open. In fact, gardening was encouraged by PA Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding to help curb food insecurity in the face of food supply chain challenges. No doubt, people were also itching to get out of their homes and into nature. “The park has a way of making you feel like you are far away from the city, but really [the city is] just behind those trees,” Paul says as he gestures toward the northwest.

Plot Practices Gardeners at Central Park grow a diverse mix of fruits, vegetables and flowers. To avoid lugging their equipment and tools around, gardeners are permitted to drive through the grass, directly to their plots. A water spigot is available for gardeners off of Farm View Drive. No hoses are allowed, so gardeners often bring big barrels to fill and then let gravity

feed the water into their gardens. Wildlife abounds in the park, which is great for leisurely walkers on the park’s many trails, but less ideal for gardeners. Deer, rabbits and voles are regular visitors at the garden, so gardeners are responsible for installing their own fences, which must be transparent so rangers can easily see inside. In addition to fences, gardeners are permitted to customize their spaces with simple trellis structures or garden furniture, including small tables, lawn chairs and collapsible umbrellas. One gardener keeps a sandbox in her plot for her grandchildren to play in while she gardens. Many gardeners at Central Park donate some of their produce to food banks. Paul sometimes even gets fresh vegetables delivered to his office by gardeners with excess produce. Some organizations dedicated to food justice, including Discerning Eye Community Agriculture (DECA) City Farms, tend to plots at Central Park. The organization, led by Hawa Lassanah, offers CSA deliveries and is dedicated to equipping Lancaster residents with the knowledge and experience to grow their own food. In the past, the parks department held naturalist programs at the garden, including canning presentations and visits from Master Gardeners, but they don’t have any planned this year.

At the end of the growing season, gardeners must remove all nonorganic material (fences, containers and other structures) so that the maintenance team can come through and plow the fields. As long as gardeners take good care of their plots and follow the rules, they are given right to first refusal for their plots the following year. THIS FALL, the parks and recreation department will be teaming up with the Chesapeake Bay Alliance (CBA) to create a pollinator garden located near the organic plots. The meadow will not only attract pollinators, but it will also help to reduce runoff pollution into the Susquehanna River, which empties into the Chesapeake Bay. As for the other eight county parks creating their own community gardens, Paul doesn’t see it happening. “They just don’t have the right land for gardening,” he explains. “Central Park is just right.” Lancaster County Central Park’s garden plots are located at 580 East Farm View Drive, Lancaster. For more information, visit co.lancaster.pa.us/345/gardenplot-rentals. LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

While her family enjoys vegetable gardening, Rebecca Geiser loves to grow flowers and make bouquets.

Wheatland Community Garden

ocated on the edge of the West End, Wheatland Community Garden (WCG) offers Lancaster City residents with another option for growing their own food. The garden is situated on land owned by the School District of Lancaster (SDoL) and sits across from Wheatland Middle School and adjacent to the new Smith-Wade-El Elementary School. The garden offers over 50 10-by-20-foot plots for $20 a season. The community garden was established in 2012 when local entrepreneur, Charlie Crystle, who was a member of the SDoL school board at that time, negotiated a lease agreement with the district for a community garden. After Crystle was no longer involved with the school board or garden, Katherine Hopkins and several others renegotiated the same agreement and continued the community garden. They kept some of the same provisions

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

that were instituted by Crystle, including donating 10% of produce to a food bank and providing free plots for educational purposes.

A Family Affair For the Geiser family, gardening is a family affair. The Geisers live in the city just a couple blocks away from WCG and have rented plots for the past six years. This year, Rebecca and Philip rented four plots to share among the family. Their children, Stewart and Hannah, who are both in their teens, started out by each taking care of their own plant and gradually kept expanding until they each needed their own plots. Rebecca works for the city as deputy director in the Department of Community Planning and Economic Development. Philip is a high school math teacher at Lancaster Catholic and also coaches

soccer at McCaskey High School, where Stewart plays on the freshman team as goalkeeper. Typically, they are at their plots once or twice a week to weed and check in on their plants. “This is our happy place,” Rebecca smiles. Philip is the gardening authority in the family, whereas Rebecca enjoys working with flowers. Her plot is a tall meadow of blooming flowers, including coneflowers, Eastern daisies and coreopsis. She loves to cut and make bouquets for people. Hannah, who will be a sophomore at McCaskey, gave us a tour of their plots and the extensive variety of produce they grow, including peas, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, onions, watermelon, cauliflower, purple bush beans, potatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach and several rows of corn. Stewart, who will be in eighth grade at Wheatland Middle School, says his favorite food to eat from the garden is cucumbers.

Top to bottom: Philip and Hannah Geiser tend to one of their four garden plots. Cucumbers thrive in the Geisers’ garden. Stewart Geiser harvests some lettuce. Rebecca has noticed that since they began growing their own food, Hannah and Stewart find eating vegetables more enjoyable.

“It’s satisfying when the plants start producing and you get to see your work pay off,” Stewart emphasizes. “I also like that they go through phases,” he says of the changing growing seasons.

Changing Tastes One of the best parts of gardening is getting to taste what you’ve worked so hard to grow. Philip is usually the one who crafts their family’s fresh-grown produce into meals. Rebecca loves to make sauce with their fresh-grown tomatoes if they grow enough. Salads are big in the family. Rebecca attributes growing their own lettuce and greens to why the kids started to enjoy salads. Rebecca has noticed the same sentiment with other foods they grow, as well. “For example, Hannah has started to really enjoy radishes after she began growing them,” Rebecca says. “It’s been really fun to watch,” she says of their changing and expanding tastes.

Common Good Although most of the garden’s operations are overseen by Katherine Hopkins, all volunteers and plotholders work to maintain the garden. Each season, every gardener must complete at least two hours of community service within the garden, whether it’s mowing in between aisles or weeding common areas to keep the garden tidy. Water and tools are available and shared among gardeners. One of the cornerstones of the garden is giving back to the Lancaster community. All plotholders donate 10% of their produce to Lancaster Food Hub. Each week, a cooler is set by the front gate for gardeners to drop off their donations. Before taking it to the food bank, the cooler is weighed each week so they can get an idea of how much they donated at the end of the season. On the west side of the garden, another fenced-in area is currently blooming with sunflowers. Stewart had a

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

Top: Hannah and Stewart started gardening by each taking care of a plant and gradually expanded until they each needed their own plot. Bottom: Stewart’s favorite part of gardening is seeing his hard work pay off when the plants start producing. Opposite, clockwise from top: The Geiser family has rented garden plots at Wheatland Community Garden for six years. It’s their “happy place.” Philip cuts a bouquet of mint. Hannah checks on the progress of the corn. Each week during the growing season, gardeners donate a cooler of produce to Lancaster Food Hub.

hand in the project, which was executed by Wheatland Middle School’s National Junior Honor Society. The organization spent hours in the garden planting seeds to help beautify the community.

The Gardening Craze Prior to Covid, there would usually be several empty plots where volunteers would have to plant cover crops and manage weeds. Over the past year, the garden has seen an uptick in participation. In both 2020 and 2021, the garden has been fully rented and even had to implement a wait list. “The gardens looked so great last summer because everyone was here so often,” Rebecca laughs, noting, “There wasn’t a weed in sight.” Rebecca explains that they see gardeners of all skill levels and she was happy to see that a lot of the new gardeners from last year came back again in 2021. “Everyone is really friendly,” Rebecca emphasizes. “Especially last year – we had a really great community develop.” Wheatland Community Garden is located at 950 Hamilton Park Drive, Lancaster. For more information, visit wheatlandgarden.org.

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

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Kids & Gardening

tewart and Hannah represent a growing number of young people showing interest in gardening. The National Gardening Association found that a record number tried their hands at gardening during the pandemic. Involving children in the garden helps to encourage healthier diets, reduce screen time, burn off extra energy, develop fine motor skills and learn responsibility and delayed gratification. Local school districts are taking notice of these benefits; gardening and outdoor programs are popping up at schools across the county. At the School District of Lancaster’s Wharton Elementary, students can get their hands dirty and learn about gardening through a burgeoning outdoor classroom. Teachers use the area for classroom instruction, as well as summer and afterschool programs where students can get hands-on experience in the garden. Students work together to prepare the soil, plant, water, harvest and eat what they grow. They also learn about the different varieties of plants they grow, many of which are different from those typically found in a grocery store. “Students are encouraged to eat right from the garden since we don’t use any chemicals, pesticides or herbicides,” says Carmalena Stoltzfus, who heads the Parent Garden Committee. “We often hear things like, ‘I didn’t know kale is good!’ and ‘I never liked tomatoes before!’” While school was held virtually during the pandemic, participation in the garden pivoted to an Adopt-A-Week program. Carmalena and other garden volunteers coordinated with the school’s Student and Family Resource Coordinator to give excess produce to families that were experiencing hardship. During summer break, the Adopt-A-Week initiative is continued to keep the garden thriving. Families choose a week to care for the garden, and they get to enjoy fresh produce during their volunteer time. “I think that connecting kids (and their caregivers when we can) to the whole process of what it takes to grow food can inspire them to make healthier choices in the future,” Carmalena says. “I also think that there is so much satisfaction that can be had when working with our own hands to grow what we then can eat.” The school is looking to expand the garden program in the future. Members of the PTO and Wharton staff developed a plan to take more learning outdoors and provide teachers with resources to teach outside in a non-traditional environment. The expansion project, currently called the Wharton Wonder Garden, plans to increase their tree canopy, establish a native plant and pollinator garden, add a second edible garden, build an outdoor classroom and create a mindfulness circuit.

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exhibiting their work at the show. There will also be a delicious variety of food, as well as live entertainment by the jazz group, Over Easy. Heart of Lancaster Arts and Craft Show has been recognized in Sunshine Artist’s “200 Best” art shows for 10 years in a row. Parking and admission are both free. The show is rain or shine and will run from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day. Visit hlcshow.com for more information. Treat yourself with a visit to MR. BILL’S FRESH SEAFOOD, the premier spot in Lancaster County for fresh and frozen seafood year-round. Mr. Bill’s takes pride in the freshness and preparation of every seafood product they sell. Perfect for summer gatherings and cookouts, Mr. Bill’s can provide you with an array of seafood options, including fish, crab, oysters, shrimp, lobsters and more. Party trays of delicious

shrimp are great for any occasion. They are second to none. This summer, serve Mr. Bill’s Crab Feast To Go. Treat your family and friends to an overstuffed half bushel of crabs, one pound of slaw and six ears of corn trimmed in their husks and seasoned with spices. The feast feeds about six people. For more information on specials, visit mrbillsseafood.com. Looking to upgrade your kitchen or bathroom? NOAH F. BOYLE CABINETS, located in Elizabethtown, has been manufacturing and installing their custom cabinets since 1993. Noah F. Boyle has the ability to create quality kitchen and bathroom cabinets that complement any budget and style. From design to installation, Noah F. Boyle provides excellent customer service and attention to detail through every step of the project. “The cabinets are a work of art,” says one satisfied customer. Call

717-944-1007 to find out how Noah F. Boyle Cabinets can help create your dream kitchen or bathroom. As summer is upon us, trust A. LANE LIVING to refresh your outdoor-living spaces with quality polywood furniture, handmade in Pennsylvania. All products are available in a variety of colors and are made from polywood, which is a lowmaintenance wood alternative made from recycled plastic milk and detergent bottles. Owner Betsy Grady grew up spending a lot of time in her family’s furniture store and learned the importance of strong work ethic and attention to customer satisfaction. Betsy parlayed those skills into opening A. Lane Living last year. Their new storefront, located on South Market Street in Mount Joy, will open in midAugust and offer polywood furniture,

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FOODOGR APHER Fresh Juicing

Wellness in a Bottle TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY JORDAN BUSH

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

Yellow Lily is my favorite juice from Juisibox and entails such ingredients as “plump pineapple balanced with pear, sweet mango, hearty yellow pepper, squash and hints of lemon, lime, orange and ginger.”

How to make the best use of the bounty of produce that is available in August and early fall is a dilemma many of us deal with each season. One solution is juicing, a process that removes juice from fruits and vegetables, thus providing a refreshing and delicious way to quickly absorb vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants and enzymes.

got into juicing several years ago – along with some friends and coworkers – after watching the 2010 documentary, Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead. It tells the story of Joe Cross, an Aussie who set out on a journey to better health through juicing fruits and vegetables for 60 days. Thanks to taking such a journey, Cross was able to eliminate many of the autoimmune medications he was taking and lose 100 pounds, which he’s kept off. Having seen Cross’ health rewards, a few of us purchased Omega auger juicers – also known as masticating juicers – and started our own journeys to better health. The key to a juicer’s value is that it slowly crushes fruits and vegetables at a speed of approximately 80 revolutions per minute, so as not to cook or oxidize the juice. It yields a high volume of juice since the strainer removes seeds, pulp and skin. Some soluble fiber does get through, which separates if left to sit or it can be stirred in, if desired. Another attribute is that most juicers are quiet, enabling you to prepare juice any time – early or late – without waking up the whole house. The downside of a masticating juicer is that it can take longer to yield juice as compared to other types such as a centrifugal juicer. Regardless, the final product yielded by any type of juicer outshines those produced by a blender or food processor.

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

Tropical Almond, a thicker, creamier smoothie, is made with almonds (for added protein), berries and bananas. It’s great as a meal replacement on the go.

If you’re intrigued, it might be worth your while to get started by purchasing prepared juices. Then, if you find yourself a juicing convert, take the next step and invest in a juicer (a word of warning: they can be pricey). ONCE YOU’VE PURCHASED your juicer, a world of possibilities awaits! The wealth of farm stands and markets in Lancaster County, plus the popularity of home gardens, makes juicing accessible and economical. For example, produce that is bruised or irregularly shaped and is often sold as “seconds” is perfect for juicing. After all, the fiber is going to be pressed into a pulp; what matters is the quality and nutritional value of the liquid. Cucumbers and apples are full of juice and can be bought in large quantities. Depending on your preferences and what you want to add to your diet, the options are endless and could include celery, carrots, lemons, grapefruit, ginger, kale, beets, peppers, radishes, spinach and even herbs.

Tips for Healthy Juicing BUY LOCAL: Get acquainted with local fruit/ vegetable growers and markets. Nothing tastes better than local, seasonally available produce. Better yet, visit an orchard that allows you to pick your own. While local, seasonal produce is preferable, grocery stores are doing an admirable job in keeping their produce departments stocked with the colors of the rainbow throughout the year. Sometimes that comes at the cost of an artificial process that allows for items to be shipped long distances. Apples and cucumbers, for example, are often coated in a wax preservative that’s food grade and functions as a fungicide while adding an appealing shine protected during shipping. However, the waxy shine can be offputting. To remove the wax before juicing simply remove the peel – the wax can be difficult to wash off – and you’re ready to go.

Juisibox’s centrifugal juicer slices produce with blades; the liquid is separated through spinning. Seeds and fiber are removed without adding heat.

Safari is “loaded with green pepper, hearty squash, clean celery, fully-grown apple, juicy pear, rich orange, tangy lime and subtle wheatgrass.”

EXPLORE LOCAL NATURAL FOOD STORES: Wheatgrass, which is dense in minerals and vitamins, is often referred to as a superfood. A little goes a long way. Flats of wheatgrass can be ordered from Miller’s Natural Foods in Bird-inHand, typically with two days’ notice. Another option is to grow your own: Rohrer Seeds offers packets filled with 500 seeds. Wheatgrass stays green only for a few days so don’t delay in using it. GET INTO A ROUTINE: Preparing juice on demand is the best bet, but refrigerating fresh juice in glass jars for a day or two can also work. Juicing at home does involve prep work, so if you’re in a hurry, preparing fresh, homemade juice in the morning might not fit into your routine. It might be more prudent to prepare something the night before. However, juices shouldn’t be prepared too far in advance, as they’re not pasteurized, which could lead to a growth in bacteria. Fresh-pressed juices have a short shelf life and can oxidize quickly.

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

Juisibox owner, Nyisha Hammond, displays some of her current fruit and vegetable juices.

EXPERIMENT: To find flavor combinations you like best, try juicing individual fruits and vegetables and place them in separate containers. Then develop blends that suit your taste. Keep in mind that sweeter fruits, while high in vitamins, are typically high in sugar and calories, which can be offset by juicing a higher proportion of vegetables or by choosing more fruits lower in sugar. Joe Cross recommends juicing by the 80/20 rule (80% vegetables and 20% fruit). He also recommends that 50% of your veggies should be of the green variety in order to have better control over sugar content. To learn more, visit rebootwithjoe.com. Juice alone is also protein-deficient, which can lead to muscle loss if approached as a long-term substitute. Add a serving of nuts on the side or mix whey protein powder into juices with water or Greek yogurt to improve the consistency. MEAL REPLACEMENT: Personally, I find the addition of fruits and vegetables to my diet through juicing to be energizing. Substituting the occasional meal or starting the day out with juice usually replaces something less healthy, like coffee and a donut.

Juisibox Juices If you’re looking for convenience, a local option also exists. I first met Nyisha Hammond, owner of Juisibox Juices, at the now-closed Lancaster Marketplace. A large, slow-press juicer caught my attention, crushing produce

at reduced speeds to cause less oxidization or heat for a crisp flavor. “My menu changes every season,” says Nyisha, who uses small batches of unpreserved, never-frozen produce, often sourced locally. The blends of juices Nyisha prepares are complex and refreshing. As it turns out, she started the venture by turning lemons into a lemonade of sorts. Nyisha’s journey to juicing started in 2010, when her grandmother bought her a juicer. The real significance of the juicer, however, came to fruition six years later, when Nyisha survived a car accident on Route 222. Swerving to avoid hitting an unsecured wheelbarrow that had fallen from the vehicle ahead of her, she ended up in a head-on collision with a semi-truck. The resulting collision put her in rehab for speech, occupational, physical and cognitive therapies. Prior to the accident, she was working as a counselor; afterwards, she became a graduate student at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., focusing on rehabilitation counseling. ONLY A YEAR LATER, fate struck again, when a second automobile accident put Nyisha in an ICU for 30 days, followed by another 30 days of rehab. Suffering a double compound fracture in her tibia and fibula, Nyisha initially thought she would lose her leg. After enduring multiple surgeries she had to learn to walk all over again. She also devised a holistic treatment plan. “I began juicing to heal myself and to decrease the pain from fibromyalgia and the fractures and surgeries on my leg,” she explains. “I had

to take a holistic approach.” The medications she was prescribed only worsened many of her symptoms. “We live in this world where doctors treat you with a pill. Food is my medicine. I was always the woman who had a smoothie in her hand,” says Nyisha. “I was healthy before my accident and I think that’s why, at 32 [years young], I could recover. You have to have your body ready before something catastrophic happens. After the second accident, I juiced every day, five times a day. It was a pickup-and-go drink that has nutrients in it. It’s wellness in a bottle.” Having previous experience in the food and restaurant industry, Nyisha felt she was prepared to start selling her juices in March 2019. Participating in a health fair convinced her she was on the right career path; she sold out of all of her juices in the first hour. She found further direction through working with Bright Side Opportunities Center in Lancaster. Her next step saw her launch Juisibox at Lancaster Marketplace. Despite the pandemic, her business continued to grow and in March of this year, Juisibox relocated from the Hawthrone Centre to Foxshire Plaza on Fruitville Pike, where juices, smoothies, wellness shots, vegan soups, fresh salads and vegan snacks are available. “Be the best you,” is Nyisha’s mantra. “Constantly educate yourself. Do the impossible.” Juisibox is located at 1919 Fruitville Pike (Foxshire Plaza). Call 717-333-4194 or visit juisibox.com.

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

TA B L E

for T W O

F R O Z E N T R E AT S

P H OTO B

RIA

D O NN EL

Lancaster is for

Ice Cream Lovers! If the heat and humidity are getting you down, cool off with summer’s favorite treat – ice cream! In Lancaster County, ice cream is regarded as a vital component of the Food Pyramid’s Dairy Group. From old-fashioned soda fountains to farms and allAmerican drive-ins, ice cream tops their menus!

he roots of ice cream extend back to ancient times, when crushed ice or frozen milk was made more flavorful with fruit juices. According to food writer Tori Avey, nearly every culture through the ages has developed its own take on an icy dessert, resulting in what we now know as gelato (Italy), sorbet (France) and sherbet (Middle Eastern countries). Immigrants brought the icy treats to America, where, what we now know as ice cream evolved. Avey shares that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson loved ice cream. Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary, made it a practice to host parties during strawberry season that always included homemade strawberry ice cream. Sundaes became a taste sensation in the 1880s, while the waffle cone made its debut during the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

The good news is that ice cream is staying on trend with today’s lifestyles and includes gluten-free, low-carb, sugar-free and vegan varieties. Oh, and there’s a new taste sensation that apparently is simply intoxicating – alcoholinfused ice cream. Specialty companies such as Bootleg Creamery (Denver, Colorado) and Arctic Buzz (based in Maryland) are livening up America’s favorite flavors with vodka, gin and other spirits. This summer, Coors introduced Orange Cream Pop ice cream that is infused with hard seltzer. You have to be 21 to buy what is being marketed as adult ice cream because apparently it does leave you with a buzz. It’s not available in Pennsylvania, but if you happen to visit a liquor store in D.C. or Maryland, look for it. It’s proven to be a hit at several MLB ballparks, as well. WHAT FOLLOWS are some of Lancaster County’s go-to places for ice cream. We’d suggest you check operating hours before taking a drive – because of Covid and manpower issues, hours remain in flux. Also, hours typically change once fall arrives. BOEHRINGER’S DRIVE-IN 3160 N. Reading Rd. (Route 272), Adamstown Information: 717-484-4227 or Facebook Menu: Homemade ice cream, milkshakes, sundaes and other desserts comprise the menu, along with hamburgers, hot dogs,

barbecue, cheesesteaks, subs and French fries. Flavors are not run-of-the-mill and could include chocolate almond amaretto, banana, black raspberry and pineapple. Try to snag a creekside picnic table and be entertained by the ducks. New this year: credit cards and Apple Pay are now accepted! COFFEE & CREAM 101 N. Front St., Columbia Information: 717-449-5488 or Facebook Menu: Hand-dipped ice cream, as well as shakes, frappes, fruit smoothies, frozen cocoa and Italian cream sodas. Food menus include breakfast fare, sandwiches, paninis and more. Handcrafted coffee is available, as is latte, cappuccino, chai, tea, London Fog and Parisian Mist. The café makes its home in a former railway station and is just a short walk to Columbia Crossings and the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail. DOTTIE’S SNACK BAR 425 W. Fourth St., Quarryville Information: 717-786-7274 or Facebook Menu: Soft-serve ice cream and desserts, plus cheesesteaks, subs, burgers and French fries. Open since 1968, its namesake (and legendary) owner, Dorothy Tomlinson, passed away in March at age 88. Apparently Dottie considered ice cream to be her fountain of youth – she continued working until the age of 80!

DOWN ON THE FARM CREAMERY 226 Gap Rd., Strasburg Information: 717-687-7829 or Facebook Menu: Brothers Jonathan and Daniel Lapp make more than two dozen flavors of ice cream (plus seasonal flavors) at the family farm on May Post Office Road, where they also operate a farm store. The Gap Road location is a new venture for them. The menu offers hand-dipped ice cream, shakes, Italian ice, sundaes, yogurt slurpees and soft pretzels. FOX MEADOWS CREAMERY & COUNTRY MARKET 2475 W. Main St., Ephrata Information: 717-721-6455, foxmeadowscreamery.com or Facebook Menu: Handcrafted ice cream made from farm-fresh milk, custom milkshakes and floats, affogato and café drinks. In the market, you’ll find pints and half gallons to go, as well as a large selection of locally made food products. There’s also an extensive lunch menu. The inventive ice cream menu includes such flavors as banana cream pudding, brown butter almond brickle, grasshopper, honeyed lavender, meadow tea sorbet, monkey bread and strawberry rhubarb crumble. One of their signature desserts is the Baked Fox: a hot-pressed outer shell made from brownies, cookies or shortcake and filled with your choice of ice cream.

cakes, cupcakes, ice cream sandwiches and ice cream tacos are available. In addition to regular ice cream flavors, summer offerings have included dill pickle, watermelon, meadow tea, bubblegum and mermaid. GRECO’S ITALIAN ICES & HOMEMADE ICE CREAM 9 E. Kleine Lane, Lititz Information: 717-625-1166 or Facebook Menu: Owner Mike Greger makes his own ice cream and Italian ice (inspired by the water ice he enjoyed while growing up near Philadelphia). Choose from hand-dipped ice cream, several soft-serve options, sundaes, Italian ice, flurryblended desserts, floats, milkshakes, Italian-ice shakes, ice cream coffee drinks and ice cream sandwiches. Summer flavors have included Irish cream, mudslide, cappuccino chip, chocolatecovered cherry and caramel delight. HAYLOFT ICE CREAM TREATS & SOFT PRETZELS

Information: 717-354-7988 Menu: Handcrafted, small-batch ice cream is made using milk from the family farm. Waffle cones are made fresh. Milkshakes, frozen-coffee beverages, sundaes and more are also on the menu. Kids love seeing the cows and calves. LICKITY SPLIT 209 E. Main St., New Holland Information: 717-354-4986, lickitysplit.info or Facebook Menu: Hand-dipped ice cream (from Leiby’s Dairy), Italian ice, sundaes, splits, sodas and floats are on the dessert menu, while soups, sandwiches, salads, wraps and appetizers comprise the lunch/dinner menu. Highlights include a Flight of Ice Cream, the Plowed Field Sundae (complete with gummy worms) and the Dissinger Family Favorite: seven scoops of ice cream, seven toppings, chocolate chips, bananas, whipped topping and cherries on the top.

95 S. Groffdale Rd., Leola

LITTLE DIPPERS ICE CREAM

Information: 717-556-8236, haylofticecream.com or Facebook

432 W. Main St., Mount Joy Menu: It’s not unusual to see a line of cars winding through the parking lot of this small ice cream stand. The reason? Little Dippers has Penn State Berkey Creamery ice cream on the menu, as well as selections from Turkey Hill.

2250 New Holland Pk., Lancaster

Menu: Soft-serve and hand-dipped ice cream, sundaes, banana splits, cold-brew shakes, Barn Blasters, Italian ice, gelatis and more, plus soft pretzels and dips. Food menu also includes pretzel logs, sandwiches and soup. For the kids, there’s a duck-filled pond and and a playground. All profits benefit Allegany Boys Camp, a year-round residential wilderness camp in Maryland, for boys ages 9-15 who are struggling with home situations or school.

Information: 717-656-4491 or Facebook

ISABELLA’S ICE CREAM PARLOR

FREEZE & FRIZZ

Menu: Choose from soft-serve or hand-dipped (from Hershey’s) ice cream and other desserts. Hamburgers, hot dogs, soups, sandwiches, barbecue and French fries are also on the menu. GIGI’S ICE CREAM BAR 2 S. Second St., Bainbridge Information: 717-278-8484 Menu: Hand-dipped ice cream, sundaes, floats, shakes and a concoction called the Falmouth Banana Fudge Boat will tempt your sweet tooth. Hamburgers, hot dogs, wings, fried mushrooms, nachos and crab cakes are also on the menu at this nostalgia-filled destination that’s just two blocks from the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail. GOOD LIFE ICE CREAM & TREATS 2088 Fruitville Pk., Lancaster Information: 717-735-1999, goodlifelancaster.com or Facebook Menu: Handmade ice cream, combos, sundaes, splits, shakes and floats and treats such as

110 E. Main St., Lititz Information: 717-627-1668, isabellasic.com or Facebook Menu: Hand-dipped ice cream (from Hershey’s), shakes, sundaes and floats. Summer flavors have included strawberry fields, mint Oreo grasshopper, salted caramel truffle and oatmeal cookie. KC’s Italian Ice 617 W. Orange St., Lancaster Information: 717-617-2912, kcsitalianice.com or Facebook Menu: KC’s offers numerous flavors of their specialty frozen treat, including black cherry, mango, orange cream, peach, root beer float and many more. Quarts are also available. LAPP VALLEY FARM 244 Mentzer Rd., New Holland Lapp’s also operates a stand at Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse

Information: 717-653-6664 or Facebook

MAPLEHOFE DAIRY FARM STORE 799 Robert Fulton Hwy., Quarryville Information: 717-786-3924, maplehofedairy.com or Facebook Menu: Whether you are coming from hiking the Enola Low Grade Rail Trail or shopping at the many greenhouses/garden centers in the Southern End, a stop at this farm store will restore your energy. It’s ice cream central! The selection includes 40 flavors of hand-dipped ice cream (from Leiby’s Dairy), waffle cones made fresh to order, banana splits, sundaes, milkshakes and more. You can also pick up 56 oz. containers of Leiby’s to take home. MIESSE CANDIES & ICE CREAM PARLOR 118 N. Water St., Lancaster Information: 717-392-6011, miessecandies.com or Facebook Menu: The draw here – besides Miesse’s legendary candy selection – is Penn State Berkey Creamery’s ice cream, as well as sodas (10 syrups to choose from), shakes and egg creams. This is a bona fide ice cream parlor – the 12-foot soda fountain originally made its home in a York drug store and was completely refurbished to do duty at Miesse’s. LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

OREGON DAIRY’S MILKHOUSE ICE CREAM SHOPPE 2900 Oregon Pk., Lititz Information: 717-656-2856 or oregondairy.com/ice-cream-shoppe Menu: Hand-dipped ice cream (homemade) and desserts with farm views are on the agenda at this family-friendly shop where you can indulge in an Ice Cream Flight or a Lancaster County Mud Pie Sundae (brownie, vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, mini-Wilbur Buds, whipped cream and a cherry on the top), as well as flavors such as cashew & raspberry, coconut almond fudge and magical unicorn. PINE VIEW DAIRY 2225 New Danville Pk., Lancaster Information: 717-872-5486, pineviewdairy.com or Facebook Menu: Hand-dipped ice cream (made on the farm), frozen yogurt, sherbet and desserts. Oreo lovers will want to sample the dairy’s espresso Oreo caramel, Oreo mint and Oreo cookie flavors. ROLLED COLD CREAMERY 24 E. Orange St., Lancaster Information: 717-208-3805, rolledcoldcreamery.com or Facebook Menu: Fresh cream and lactose-free milk from local distributors comprise the creamery’s ice cream base, which is made fresh in-house and is 100% free of corn syrup. Several of the flavors are gluten-free and vegan friendly. Here, the ice cream isn’t dipped but is sliced and rolled. The creamery also serves New Holland Coffee Company products, as well as smoothies, shakes, mocktails, frozen hot chocolate and waffles & ice cream. Signature ice cream flavors include s’mores, blueberry Earl Grey, cupcake, maple bacon and red rose, among others. SCOOPS ICE CREAM & GRILLE 312 Primrose Ln., Mountville Information: 717-285-2055, scoopsgrille.com or Facebook Menu: Hand-dipped ice cream and desserts, plus soups, sandwiches, burgers, wraps and cheesesteaks. Dare to try the Mountville Meltdown: 12 scoops of ice cream, four toppings and loads of whipped cream. Chocolate lovers will go gaga for the Death by Chocolate Shake: deep, dark chocolate ice cream swirled with chocolate chips and syrup and topped with whipped cream and Oreo cookie crumbs. Afterwards, you can play miniature golf.

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

SON’S 319 W. Main St., Quarryville 1991 Miller Rd., East Petersburg 2 Miller St., Strasburg Information: Quarryville at 717-786-5665. East Petersburg at 717-569-0009. Strasburg at 717-687-5665. Sonsice.com or Facebook Menu: An amazing selection of homemade ice cream (soft-serve and hand-dipped), Italian ice, sundaes, shakes, avalanches and other frozen desserts. The catchphrase at Son’s – Ice Cream is Cheaper Than Therapy – is put to the test with their 96 oz. Banana Pig Split. If you can eat it in an hour, your money is refunded or you can opt to receive a gift card. Bring your pup along! Doggie Delight – vanilla ice cream topped with dog biscuits – is on the menu. Note: Hand-dipped ice cream is not available in Strasburg. SPLITS & GIGGLES 500 W. Lemon St., Lancaster Information: 717-399-3332, splitsandgiggles.com or Facebook Menu: Hand-dipped ice cream (from Hershey’s), Italian ice, sorbet, sherbet, sundaes, shakes and banana splits, plus beverages such as latte, espresso, hot chocolate and cappuccino. Ice cream flavors include vegan chocolate chunk, no-sugar-added butter pecan, graham central station and cotton candy. Enjoy your treats on the flowerfilled patio. Strasburg Creamery, Country Store & Cafe 1 W. Main St., Strasburg Information: 717-687-0766, Strasburg.com or Facebook Menu: Homemade ice cream – 140 flavors rotate on the menu throughout the year – sundaes, shakes and other frozen desserts. Waffle cones are made fresh. The adjoining café offers breakfast and lunch items. Please bring back your candy corn ice cream this fall!!! THE LANCASTER SWEET SHOPPE 141 N. Duke St., Lancaster Information: 717-869-5955, lancastersweetshoppe.com or Facebook Menu: Hand-dipped ice cream (from Pine View Dairy), waffle and pretzel cones, sundaes, banana splits, milkshakes, floats and fruit smoothies, as well as the specialty of the house, the Stroopie Ice Cream Sandwich (a stroopie takes its inspiration from a Dutch Stroopwafel, a cookie that originated in Holland). Coffee and

tea drinks abound. If you still haven’t satisfied your sweet tooth, chocolates from Groff’s Candies are available. THE SALTED SPOON 2301 Harrisburg Pk., Suite 100, Lancaster Information: 717-693-0039, thesaltedspoonlancaster.com or Facebook Menu: Hand-dipped ice cream (from Pine View Dairy), sundaes, shakes and floats, as well as coffee and tea drinks. Owners Rebecca Mylin and her father, Mike, designed the modern/ minimalist space to be a place where guests can “eat, meet and socialize.” Indeed a section of the space mimics a modern living/sitting room. THE SHACK RESTAURANT & MINI GOLF 662 S. Oak St., Manheim Information: 717-664-2250, theshackmanheim.com or Facebook Menu: Hand-dipped ice cream (from Kreider Farms), sundaes, milkshakes and floats, as well as broasted chicken, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, platters, kids’ menu, sides, salads and other “great stuff.” Some ice cream flavors include Baron Von Nut, Irish crunch, snickershack and s’more please. The park-like setting makes a round of miniature golf all the more relaxing. THE UDDER CHOICE 1812 W. Main St., Ephrata Information: 717-733-4300, theudderchoice.co or Facebook Menu: Hand-dipped ice cream (homemade), sundaes with names such as Holstein, Guernsey, Jersey and more, banana splits and The Jigger, which honors the ice cream treat once served at Cox’s Drugstore in Ephrata. The Udder Choice also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. TWIN KISS 309 S. Main St., Manheim Information: 717-665-2897, manheimtwinkiss.com or Facebook Menu: Soft-serve ice cream, sundaes, shakes, floats, root beer and banana splits, plus burgers, barbecue, chicken, cheesesteaks, sides, dinners, salads and soups. TWIN KISS 901 N. Hanover St., Elizabethtown Information: 717-367-1694 or Facebook Menu: Soft-serve ice cream, sundaes, splits, shakes and floats, as well as burgers, sandwiches, subs, sides, dinners and more.

The D I N I N G G U I D E

HONG KONG GARDEN CHINESE RESTAURANT

1807 Columbia Avenue, Wheatland Shopping Center, Lancaster. 717-394-4336. Our chefs have been serving Lancaster Countians their favorite entrées for 41 years. To add variety, they are always creating new and exciting specials. Vegetable entrées and children’s menu available. We offer lavish lunch and dinner menus, made with quality, fresh ingredients, for dine-in or take-out. Hours: Sun., 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m; closed Mon.; Tues.Thurs., 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri., 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sat., 12-10 p.m.

THE STOCKYARD INN 1147 Lititz Pike, Lancaster. 717-394-7975. Stockyardinn.com. The Stockyard Inn is a Lancaster County tradition of dining excellence. Built in 1750, the original Inn was once owned by President James Buchanan. Specializing in prime rib, steak (cut in-house) and fresh seafood. Business meetings and private party facilities available.

A Century of EXCELLENCE TRADITION HISTORY and ...

STEAK Take-Out and Indoor Dining Available

1147 Lititz Pike, Lancaster, PA

THE ESSENTIAL G U ID E TO L ANC A S TER COUNT Y ’ S B E ST E ATER IES .

www.stockyardinn.com (717) 394-7975

Complimentary Online & in Print D ining I n L anc a ster Count y.com

@DiningInLanc

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

The B U S I N E S S A D V A N T A G E

Lancaster’s Flooring Experts. www.certifiedcarpet.com

Fashions NEXT TO NEW FINE CLOTHING 1920 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster. 717-299-2924. Consistently voted one of the BEST consignment shops in Lancaster County year after year, Next to New Fine Clothing Consignment has something for everyone’s style, taste and budget. This one-stop shop offers women’s apparel, shoes, accessories, jewelry and more. Sizes 0-3x. Closed Sundays. Follow Next to New on Facebook @NextToNew1920.

Flooring CERTIFIED CARPET 1855 Columbia Avenue, Wheatland Shopping Center, Lancaster. 717-393-3001. Certified Carpet is the complete carpet and flooring center for home and office. We feature a full line of name brand carpet, hardwood, ceramic tile and luxury vinyl tile with friendly, personalized service from a highly experienced and knowledgeable staff. “When it’s Certified, you’re satisfied!” (#PA024067)

Flooring • Cleaning • Mats

“When It’s Certified,™ You’re Satisfied!”

Carpet Cleaner

LancCoMagAd_Nov2020.indd 1

11/17/2020 9:15:29 AM

CERTIFIED CARPET 1855 Columbia Avenue, Wheatland Shopping Center, Lancaster. 717-394-3731 or 1-800-479-9258. Certified Carpet can make your soiled, dirty carpets and furniture look like NEW again! Year after year, Certified Carpet is voted No. 1 BEST carpet-cleaning company by the readers of Lancaster County Magazine. Locally owned and operated since 1949. “When it’s Certified, you’re satisfied!” (#PA024067)

Electrical STEPHEN M. DANIELS ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS, INC. 717-299-3135. Stephendanielselectric.com. REWIRING FOR OLDER HOMES IS OUR SPECIALTY. Specializing in updating your older home for today’s needs! We can install a single receptacle or rewire the whole building. Our goal is to install wiring without cutting holes that need to be patched and painted. Indoor and outdoor lighting, dedicated computer circuits, telephone lines, ceiling fans, heavy-duty appliances lines. (#PA008272)

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

GALEBACH’S FLOOR FINISHING, INC. 202 Main Street, Landisville. 717-898-9680. Galebachsfloorfinishing.com. Galebach’s Floor Finishing, founded in 1924, is the oldest floor finishing company in Lancaster County. We specialize in residential wood floor refinishing and have extensive experience with historic restorations. Our dust containment system keeps your home as clean as possible while our workers are on-site sanding and finishing. (#PA019030)

Hair & Nail Care ATTITUDES HAIR & NAIL SALON 798A New Holland Avenue, Lancaster. 717-295-0836. For over 20 years, our mission is helping you LOVE your hair and nails! We specialize in trendy and traditional hair design, refreshing color, brightening highlights and perms for added style. Rejuvenate your hands and feet with relaxing manicures and pedicures. THANK YOU for trusting us to help you look and feel your best and voting us ‘Among the Best’ salons in 2020. Call us to schedule your appointment.

Plumbing & HVAC HALDEMAN MECHANICAL INC. Founded in 1939, Haldeman Mechanical Inc. has been providing plumbing, heating, cooling and water conditioning services to residential and light commercial customers for three generations. We are a certified Rheem ProPartner offering sales and 24-hour service as well as service agreements to keep your equipment running at peak efficiency. Free estimates are available by calling 717-665-6910 or visiting our website at haldemanmechanical.com. (PA#007777)

Real Estate LUSK & ASSOCIATES SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY Anne Lusk represents the area’s finest properties and gives unmatched customer service for all your real estate needs from start to finish, ensuring a smooth transaction every time. Call Anne and her team at 717-291-9101, or stop by her office at 100 Foxshire Drive, Lancaster, PA 17601. Annelusk.com.

MOUNTAIN REALTY, LLC 2938 Columbia Avenue, Suite 602, Lancaster. 717-390-8701. Mountainrealtyllc.com. Offering superior real estate service to anyone relocating to or moving within the garden spot of Lancaster County. The people of Mountain Realty, LLC are extremely knowledgeable about the county and would love to share their expertise. You will find them pleasant and friendly, but totally professional.

Retirement THE GROVES 103 West Main Street, Ephrata. 717-733-2040. Thegroveshome.net. The Groves is a personalized retirement home offering community independence and peace of mind. Housed in an elegantly restored Victorian home, The Groves accommodates a limited number of residents who prefer to not reside in a large retirement facility. Full personal care at independent living prices with no entrance fee!

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

It’s a Beautiful Day

The Pipkins – Chase, Wilson, Hannah, Jennifer and Madison – at the U.S. Open in New York.

WITH WILSON PIPKIN

Imagine Covid doesn’t exist and you have a day off from work. You are free to spend the day doing exactly as you please. Inspired by U2’s It’s a Beautiful Day – “It’s a beautiful day, don’t let it get away” – we asked Wilson Pipkin to describe his perfect Lancaster County day.

About Wilson

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Wilson started playing tennis at the age of 5. “One day I grabbed a racket and just started hitting a ball against a wall,” he recalls. He ultimately developed a ritual whereby he didn’t allow himself to stop until he hit 100 balls in a row. Lessons followed and Wilson progressed to tournament play and became a member of his high school’s team. He was recruited to play at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, and then at Arkansas State University. After spending two successful summers overseeing a tennis program at a country club in Peoria, Illinois, Washington Tennis Services then recruited Wilson for another assignment – the director of tennis at Four Seasons, which is now the Hempfield recCenter. The move to Pennsylvania in 1985 proved to be life changing in another way. It was a “love” match for Wilson and Jennifer Shiner, who was a lifeguard at Four Seasons. Married in 1989, they are the parents of Madison, who like her mother is a teacher in Lancaster County; Hannah, who is a studio director for the Philly Art Center, as well as a fine artist; and Chase, who is a producer at Freethink Media in Washington, D.C. All three grew up playing tennis and continue to play through the United States Tennis Association (USTA). “Jennifer was the last holdout,” Wilson says of his wife becoming a tennis player. Wilson shares that one of his greatest accomplishments in life came in 2019, when the Pipkins were named USTA’s National Family of the Year.

Koser Jewelers Tennis Challenge

In 2008, Wilson was approached by the USTA about the possibility of Hempfield hosting a warm-up tournament for women ahead of the U.S. Open – the last of the four Grand Slam events – that is held in New York in late summer. (Hempfield is one of 20 facilities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware that is deemed a USTA Premier Provider Facility.) With six indoor and 10 outdoor courts, as well as stadium seating for 1,200, Hempfield was more than qualified to host such a tournament. The first several tournaments were held in May. The purse was $10,000. It was up to Wilson

LANCASTER COUNTY | AUGUST 2021

and his staff to line up sponsors. “I’ll never forget the first time I met with Randy and Betsy Wolgemuth,” Wilson says of the owners of Koser Jewelers. “I was a nervous wreck about asking them to be a sponsor. I think the amount we needed from them was something like $1,000.” To his surprise, they immediately said yes. “It’s been a great collaboration,” he continues. “You need something and Randy jumps right in. He personally selects the awards – pieces of jewelry – the winners receive. Jewelry eliminates having to haul a trophy around,” says Wilson, alluding to life on the road for players. “The girls love it.” Several years ago, the prime date on the tournament calendar – mid-August – opened up. “The date was offered to us,” Wilson explains. “The purse increased to $60,000.” This year, USTA is upping the ante. The tournament, which will be held August 9-15, will have a $100,000 purse, which will undoubtedly attract higher-ranking players. “This is a primo tournament,” Wilson says. “Admission is free. We welcome people to come and watch some great tennis.”

The Tennis Life

Wilson loves being involved in a sport he views as a lifetime endeavor. “I’m living it,” he says of continuing to play tennis. While Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert “rank” as his all-time favorite players, Wilson gained a new-found admiration for Rafael Nadal when he had the opportunity to work in the player registration area at the U.S. Open three years ago. “Nadal ended up registering at my desk,” Wilson recalls. “He was the only player to go around the room, shake everyone’s hand and tell us how much he enjoys coming to New York. I was impressed.” He’s also become a fan and friend of Ons Jabeur, a player from Tunisia, who, as a teen, had to train on hotel tennis courts because of the scarcity of facilities in her homeland. She played in the Koser tournament three years ago and is now ranked 24th in the world. She is the first Arab woman to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament (Australia in 2020) and was named Arab Woman of the Year in Sports in 2019. “We talk about once a week,” he says. Speaking of Grand Slam tournaments, Wilson put together a trip to Wimbledon a few years ago for 22 Hempfield members. “That was so much fun. I’d love to do it again,” he

says. He also arranges annual bus trips to the U.S. Open for the qualifying rounds, as well as the main draw.

In His Own Words

WILSON’S PERFECT LANCASTER COUNTY DAY

I know I’m supposed to take the day off from work, but I love my job – It’s in my DNA – so I’d need to come to the office just to check in with everyone. If it’s Saturday, I’d then head for Central Market and grab some breakfast or lunch – Jenn helps out at the Central Market Juice Company on Saturdays. If it’s Wednesday, we’ll be joining some of our neighbors that evening for our weekly Wine Wednesday gettogether that we’ve been doing for years. No matter the day, I’d like to pick up on something fun that Jenn and I did during Covid – we went on an ice cream tour of Lancaster County and hit eight or nine places. Everyone told us we had to go to Fox Meadows, which we did. It certainly lived up to the hype – in fact, I wouldn’t mind going back there. I know there’s more to discover, so I’m “game” to sample more ice cream. On my perfect day, the kids would be home. When they were all home during Covid, we really got into playing board games – we got some massive Rook games going! For dinner, we’d head for one of our favorite restaurants – Rice & Noodles or The Belvedere. I’d end the day by watching television – undoubtedly, something on the Tennis Channel. Needless to say, tennis is on TV a lot at our house! For more information, visit hempfieldrec.com.

A WALK THROUGH

WILL FIND AN

ARRAY OF PREPARED FOODS REPRESENTING THE PROUD CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF THE COUNTY AND LOCALLY SOURCED PRODUCE, MEAT, POULTRY, CHEESES, AND MORE

TUESDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY 6 AM 3 PM

- Loren N. Genetti, D.M.D., M.S.

- John A. Weierbach II, D.M.D.

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160 North Pointe Boulevard

Suite 203 / Lancaster, PA 17601

717.560.9190

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