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Hershberger Truck Patch welcomes young learners

By JANE HOUIN
Ohio Correspondent

MILLERSBURG, Ohio — Nestled among the brightly colored rolling hills of Holmes County’s Amish country, youngsters giggle as they are amazed by the simplicity and beauty of agriculture.

Hershberger Truck Patch and Bakery, located in the countryside between Millersburg and Berlin, is a destination for family fun that appeals to all ages. Open year-round, it draws hundreds of visitors, especially in the fall, to learn more about the simplicity of Amish agriculture and to experience life on a farm for themselves.
The farm welcomes schools and other group tours, as well as individuals and families just out for a day of fall fun. Nashville Elementary kindergarteners from Holmes County have been visiting the farm for their annual field trip for several years, and the students and teachers all enjoy the trip.

A typical school tour such as the Nashville group has the opportunity to participate in three hands-on activities: a visit to the Amish bakery, a romp through the petting zoo and a horse-drawn wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch.

While touring the bakery, groups see firsthand how an Amish bakery is run without the use of electricity – from air fans run by diesel, to gas lights. Groups also get to see cookies and breads, as well as watch delicious treats like cinnamon rolls get their final touches of icing.

After sampling some fresh-from the oven cookies, students get some basic instruction on the various types of squash, pumpkins and gourds and what each of the different types are used for, from cooking to decorating.

From there, it’s on to the petting zoo, where kids get to see, touch and interact with animals as small as a baby potbelly pig or baby pygmy goats, to animals as large as full-grown Belgian draft horses.

In fact, Hershberger’s bills itself as the home of the largest draft horses in Holmes County.

The petting zoo provides an opportunity for students to learn more about a variety of farm animals. They learn the differences between horses, donkeys and mules and even get to see a zorse – an unusual cross between a zebra and a horse. Children are provided with cones containing animal feed that they can dole out to their favorite animals, from pigs, goats and calves to ducks, geese and horses. A few lucky students may also get the chance to bottle-feed a piglet.

And, children will not soon forget an instruction session on how to milk a goat by hand, especially when they get a chance to put their lesson into action and do the milking themselves.

The third and final stop for school groups is a memorable horse-drawn wagon ride to the pumpkin patch. On the way, they learn the names and ages of the horses pulling their wagons, and more about the 80-acre farm and the animals they roll past. They even get a little basic instruction on tree identification and learn about some common Ohio nuts, such as hickory.

Once in the patch, children disembark and wander the field to select their very own pumpkin to take home. There is a special patch designed for school groups, with small pumpkins that children can carry.

While school groups make up a good number of visitors to Hershberger Truck Patch, it’s also a popular destination with individuals and families who want to escape to the country in the fall, pick up some fresh bakery goods or pick their own pumpkins directly from the field.

In addition to the three stops school groups make, other visitors may want to sit back and enjoy watching as kettle corn is made outdoors, take a pony or wagon ride around the farm or enjoy some homemade ice cream, soup or sandwiches. This fall, Hershberger’s hosted two Family Fun nights from 4 p.m. until dark, where the kettle corn and pony rides were free, making this an even more affordable family destination.

Hershberger’s is located on State Route 557 between Millersburg and Berlin. Admission is free, but there is a fee for pony rides, wagon rides and feed for the animals in the petting zoo. Pumpkins from the patch are sold on a per-pound basis, with a minimum price of $2 and a maximum of $10.

For more information, call 330-674-2129.

11/12/2008