This summer, join Savor Gettysburg and step into the countryside for an exciting new all-day culinary journey—the Field-to-Fork Agritourism Experience. The event is perfect for experienced foodies or those who would like to expand their interest in farm-grown food and cooking. Tours will take place July 22, August 19 and September 9.
“This is an exciting next step for Savor Gettysburg Food Tours,” said owner and tour guide Lori Korczyk. “Our goal is to introduce and connect guests directly to the farmer, to create that opportunity to hear the farmer’s story and develop a relationship so guests can revisit when they return to Adams County.”
Guests will travel Adams County’s historic country roads, stopping at various local farms for hands-on tours to learn about the rich and varied agriculture long nestled within the rolling orchards and farmland surrounding historic Gettysburg.
“I’m very thankful for Lori and her food tours,” said participating chef Jennifer Boger. “She brings us all together—from chefs like me to home cooks and farmers. We can all learn from each other and create our passion, which is food.”
Hands-on opportunities will include harvesting seasonal produce and discovering the area’s finest agricultural offerings, including apples, artisanal goat products, wine and cider, honey, mushrooms, vegetables and more.
Each tour will end at Beech Springs Farm, where guests will help harvest fresh herbs and vegetables from the farm’s gardens and will be invited to relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Guests will be served wine and cheese during an interactive chef demonstration to turn the day’s harvests into a fresh, delicious meal. Meals will be prepared by Chef Jeremy Schaffner (July 22), Chef Jennifer Boger (August 19) and Chef Chris Spear (September 9).
“I really enjoy going with the flow,” said chef Chris Spear. “My style tends to be contemporary, mid-Atlantic and Southern with global influences, so I’m looking forward to working with the harvest the guests bring with them to pull together a delicious seasonal meal. They can relax, observe and ask questions.”
Guests will finish their day by reaping the benefits of the Field-to-Fork Experience under a beautiful maple shade tree at Beech Springs Farm. Savor Gettysburg and its tour collaborators can’t wait to show you all that the Gettysburg area farmlands have to offer! Read on for a snapshot of tour locations.
Caprine Delight
Caprine Delight is located less than four miles west of Gettysburg. This stop will include a farm tour and a chance to purchase artisan goats’ milk and cheese—including First Shot Feta, Generals Caraway and Dill Picnic—for use later in the day in the kitchen. With Alpine dairy goats roaming on rotated pasture, Caprine Delight is thrilled to introduce its fresh, natural and delicious goat milk and cheese to the tour guests.
Owner Candy Walker shared that the farm “appreciates this opportunity to showcase our natural aged raw milk cheeses and goat milk, from our own Alpine goats, raised without GMOs, soy and antibiotics.” She continued on to say, “Buying direct from the farmer is the best way to ensure that farming remains viable in our culture.”
Boyer Nurseries & Orchards
The tour will travel another six miles into the heart of Adams County to Boyer Nurseries, nestled among rolling orchards. Family-owned and -operated since 1900, Boyer offers flowers, shrubs, trees, pick-your-own seasonal fruit and a stocked fruit market. Guests will learn more about this family business, have a chance to harvest seasonal fruit and visit the nurseries’ new wine/cider tasting room featuring cider made with Boyer’s own apples (tour attendees for August 19 will enjoy the Adams County Winery tasting room).
Beech Springs Farm
Located a few miles from Boyer’s Nursery is Beech Springs Farm. Jayne Shord, the farm’s owner, will greet the tour group, show them her garden and talk about the farm-to-table philosophy of the farm and the heirloom produce grown for local restaurants and on-farm events. Guests will have the opportunity to hand-pick vegetables and herbs from the garden and learn about the farm’s honey bees.
Up the road a short distance is Jayne’s neighbor and fellow farmer, Peter, who inoculates logs to produce shiitake mushrooms. After a short introduction to mushroom growing, everyone will have a chance to harvest mushrooms directly from the logs and gather eggs from the farm’s henhouse.
Back at Jayne’s farm, a local/regional chef will conduct an interactive cooking demonstration
and prepare a meal that will include all of the fresh ingredients gathered throughout the day. Guests will be able to relax and watch the chef while sipping and nibbling on wine and cheese. If the weather holds out, guests will enjoy their feast under the big Maple shade tree along with fellow tour guests and the chef.
“I feel honored to be in this movement of clean eating,“ added Chef Boger, “sharing with people what food can really taste like and how good it is for your body and soul. It’s great to be able to take people to the source where we can all learn how to really appreciate our food.”
The cost for the full-day (9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) Field-to-Fork Agritourism Experience is $125 per person. To ensure that everyone has a full and personal experience, the tour is designed for a limited group of 14 guests.
To purchase tickets and learn more about how you can participate in this exciting, educational and delicious tour, visit the Savor Gettysburg Food Tours website.
- Photos, top to bottom: Beech Springs Farm, Caprine Delight, Caprine Delight, Boyer Nurseries, Beech Springs Farm
