I have served on the Board of Directors of the Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum for the past five years and have had the privilege of serving as Board President for the last two years. As you might imagine, I really enjoy this Lancaster County hidden gem, so as we prepare for Lancaster’s Extraordinary Give I thought it might be nice to share a few fun facts you might not know (even if you live down the street):
Landis Valley’s forty acre site is home to dozens of animals, including geese, draft horses, and heritage cattle. Oh, and sheep. Who have, on rare occasion, followed me around like a modern day little bo peep (or maybe little Brandon peep)?- We have a Belsnickel. Not sure if that counts as one of the dozens of animals…
- Landis Valley is a working farm and operates a robust Heirloom Seed Project that grows plants with historical significance for Pennsylvania Germans. Who buys these heirloom seeds? Well… Landis Valley’s seeds are sold throughout the United States, including to Colonial Williamsburg.
- Landis Valley is visited by more than 14,000 school kids each year. I have no idea how many yellow buses that is in our parking lot, but let’s just say it’s a lot. They are among the 85,000 visitors to Landis Valley each year.
- Not merely a place to observe historical trades, Landis Valley also offers classes in blacksmithing, open hearth cooking, woodworking, paper marbling, traditional bookbinding, chocolate making, and more! Why watch when you can do?
If you’ve driven by but have never taken the time to stop in, or maybe you haven’t visited since you were a child, take some time to check it out in the coming year. You may be surprised at what you find.