Plan your winery and brewery tours in Gettysburg! It’s worth it to go beyond the Gettysburg battlefields: exploring Adams County!
Farm to Table Movement in Adams County PA
The Farm to Table Movement in Adams County, PA is alive, thriving and delicious! From goat farms to apple orchards and all the way to brewery and winery tours, the agricultural scene surrounding Gettysburg is worth a trip!
This past Fall, I had the pleasure of being invited to experience Gettysburg, PA by the Gettysburg Visitor’s Bureau. I’ve lived about an hour from Gettysburg my whole life and have been there numerous times.
We took field trips there in elementary school, we’ve taken our kids there where they love to scare me climbing the rocks at Devil’s Den, and I’ve gone with groups of adults to the Gettysburg Brew Fest.
In other words, I’m not new to Gettysburg and the battle field tours.
But this trip was different. This trip was about Adams County and getting us beyond the battle grounds and monuments.
Farm to Table Movement
During our trip, we were able to experience one of the Field to Fork Tours that is offered in Gettysburg. We were taken to a few working farms where we got to interact with the families that run them and meet the animals.
This was A LOT more fun than I expected. Let’s just get this out of the way right now… I’m a main street kinda girl.
I was born and raised on a main street. I live on a different main street now. I may live in the middle of Amish country, but farms and farm animals are generally not my thing.
But these goats. These goats were such little personalities! They had a playground to play on, they posed for selfies (aka tried to eat our hair) and were just little loveballs. At the end of the tour, we got to taste some of the cheeses made from goat milk.
Ever since this tour, my daughter and I have been washing our faces with goat milk soap instead of harsh face washes, and it has made such a difference! I just loved my little goat tour!
Next we boarded our little shuttle (one of the perks of booking the Food Tour), applied some hand sanitizer and headed to the next farm.
There we saw more goats, met some chickens and even some pigs. The mom had her daughter come out to feed the pigs while we were there. She even gave us a heads up to stand at a certain part and watch the pigs come running for their food.
I was assuming she was using the word “running” quite loosely, because these were some large pigs. Guys, they ran. I mean ran ran. I have never in my life seen pigs move so fast and the whole time they were oinking and squealing like they were having the times of their lives. It was such a highlight for me!
Farmers Markets in Adams County
We also had the privilege of visiting the Round Barn Farmers Market. In fact, we actually had lunch in the Round Barn. It’s an absolutely charming space that’s used for weddings and other events.
The lower level is the public farmers market. The shelves of the farmers market are the old pig troughs that they would feed from. I love seeing old spaces repurposed like this.
We also were able to head across the street to the apple orchard and pick some of our own apples. I’ve been apple picking before, so this wasn’t something new to me, but what was new was the views!
The views of the valleys and hills of Adams County were spectacular from this orchard. I’d pick an apple, stop and stare, pick an apple, turn around and stare in the other direction. It’s hard to capture in a picture just how gorgeous it was!
We also were able to visit Hollabaugh Brothers Orchard and Farmer’s Market where we took a wagon ride through the pumpkin fields and apple orchards. They have lots of pick-your-own days for the public, so be sure to check their calendar. And you can’t leave without stopping in their store and getting some apple bread or apple dumplings to take home with you. My only regret was that I didn’t buy more apple bread!
The Field to Fork Tour ends at a gorgeous, privately-owned farm that is often used for wedding receptions and private parties.
We were able to walk out in the gardens and pick our own herbs to be used in the dinner that a private chef was making for us.
Winery and Brewery Tours Around Gettysburg
Across from the Round Barn Farmer’s Market, we were fortunate to get a first tasting of The Thirsty Farmers new craft brew that wasn’t even available to the public at the time. It’s now open and I encourage you to stop in after you leave the farmers market. The owner was so friendly and I loved his story about the wood that was used on the bar and some of the tables. I’m not much of a craft beer drinker, but everyone else in our group seemed to love the samples.
From there we headed right up the street to the Hauser Estate Winery and Cidery. Talk about breathtaking views! And these views went on in every direction! They have a gorgeous patio, blankets for chilly nights and even a toy box for kids!
Plus the ciders were so crisp and delicious!
I love a good hard cider, but I normally stay with the original flavor or get a little wild with cranberry or pear. Hauser Estate had so many different flavors, though, including some that were spicy if you like a little kick to your drink!
We also had a chance to visit Ploughman Cidery in Adams County. If you get the chance to stop by, make sure you leave extra time to talk to the owner! He has such a fascinating story and I could have listened to him talk for much longer!
And again, guys, with these views! Did you have any idea that Gettysburg and Adams County in general were so pretty!
We ended our day with dinner at the Adams County Winery. They have a gorgeous terrace with a brick oven for pizza making!
And I loved looking at the names of their wines! So perfect for the history buff who is visiting the Gettysburg Battlefields!
Accommodations in Gettysburg PA
We ended each night at the Baladerry Bed & Breakfast in Gettysburg. If you want to fully immerse yourself in the history of Gettysburg, complete with ghost stories, I highly recommend staying in a bed and breakfast as opposed to a chain hotel.
The owners of the Baladerry were full of stories for us of sightings around the inn. They even had specific stories for some of the rooms we were staying in! And the breakfasts were exceptional! I’m not much of a breakfast person, but these were amazing and I’m considering buying their cookbook!
The trip was a great reminder that there is so much more to Gettysburg than the battlefields! Adams County has a rich history and vibrant agritourism community that is worth a weekend visit! You can check out Destination Gettysburg for even more information as you plan your visit!
