Welcome to Hospitality Spring Farm!
We, the Nelson Phero family, moved from Lancaster County, PA to this farm in the summer of 2014. We have been working since then to develop a diversified, eco-friendly farm that produces food for our family and the community, as well as being a place of beauty and providing habitat for many creatures, such as insects, amphibians, and birds. This is a work in progress as we continue to expand our plantings, wait for plants to mature, and try out new ideas. We invite you to tour our farm, but please be safe!
1. Farm Store – We refitted this building as a farm store in the winter of 2019/2020 and built shelves from the old barn boards remaining from our barn renovation in 2017. In here, we have farm produce and meats, local and USA-made goods, books, seeds, and more. Behind the store is Duck House #1 for our flock of egg-laying Khaki Campbell ducks.
2. Kitchen Garden – Directly across from the store is our lower garden. It was redone in 2018 with “lasagna” beds, a method of sheet composting, in an effort to overcome the poor drainage and invasive Canadian thistle that challenge this garden. The edge beds feature herbs, flowers and native plants while the center beds hold annual vegetables and flowers. We have hardy kiwi vines by the center trellis.
3. 1862 Farmhouse and Children’s Garden – The children’s garden was laid out in 2019 and the beds were edged with stones from a local quarry. Our children have their own garden sections here. The house was built from bricks made and fired on-site. We found the remnants of the brickyard near the driveway. The house was renovated in 2014, but is not open for self-guided tours.
4. Woodland Garden – We started developing this area into a garden of ferns, woodland flowers, and herbs in 2018. The path leads towards our old duck house and a trail runs between the pasture fence and the old pond which is shallow with sediment but home to frogs, turtles, and other creatures.
5. Milkhouse – This renovated building is now a food processing center where we wash and pack produce for market. There are two additions: one, the woodshed where we store firewood for the house; and two, the garden shed for storing tools and garden supplies.
6. 1862 Barn – This 1800s Pennsylvania bank barn was renovated in 2017. The wooden louvers at the ends are custom-made replicas of the original louvers. The lower barn includes a rabbitry, stalls for seasonal use, and primary housing for our herd of Saanen dairy goats. Saanens, an old Swiss breed, are among the largest, calmest, and most productive of the dairy goat breeds. In the rabbitry, we have Champagne de Argents, one of the oldest breeds of domestic rabbits. In the upper barn, we store hay and tools. See the original barn structure and at the west end the antique hay hook is still hanging in its place.
7. Chicken Coops – Chicken House #1 is in front of the barn and our Chicken House #2 is behind the barn. We also have a mobile chicken wagon. In each, we house flocks of laying hens. We raise Wyandotte chickens, an old American breed which lay brown eggs and come in several color patterns. We have the Silver-Laced, Colombian, and White varieties.
8. Pastures – Our pastures are divided into eight sections for easy rotation of animals, plus the big hay field is fenced for occasional grazing use. We raise Jersey steer, purchased from a local dairy farmer, for beef on pasture. We also have a flock of gray Toulouse and white Emden geese that live in the pastures year-round. The geese are very hardy and quite self-sufficient. They are seasonal layers of huge white eggs, a special treat from February to June.
9. Conservation Hedgerows – In the spring of 2018, we planted over 500 native trees and shrubs, including maple, oak, sassafras, dogwood, and persimmon, back along the west, north, and east sides of property. These were selected for their benefits to wildlife and their future potential as food or fuel.
10. Nut Grove – This is a long-term project with chestnut, walnut, hazelnut and other nut trees planted. We left most of the existing Russian olive bushes to act as “nurse” plants to the tiny trees. We also use this area for poultry range.
11. Pole Barn – This is the largest of the new buildings we added to the farm. It was built in the winter of 2014/2015 on the site of a derelict machine shed, and the interior was finished in 2018. The lower level houses our first business and the upper level is outfitted for guests. It also features a “waterless closet” with a composting toilet available for use by employees and guests. Instructions are posted on the wall by the toilet.
12. Orchard – Most of the trees in the orchard were planted in 2015. In 2018, we began the process of converting this area to a permaculture orchard by planting the understory with plants especially chosen for their multiple benefits. The second duck house is at the west end of the orchard and houses our flock of Muscovy ducks, which can often be seen ranging through the orchard looking for bugs. During the summer, we move pens of young meat rabbits through the aisles to eat grass.
13. Upper Garden – This is our largest and newest garden. We have the garden divided into 12 plots devoted to vegetable and flower production. Border beds are planted with raspberries, grapes, blackberries, strawberries, flowers, and herbs.
14. Garden Pond and Wildflower Meadow. – This rain catchment pond was dug in the fall of 2017 and first filled in the spring of 2018. In 2018, we planted young trees and shrubs around the pond area. The sloping area in front of the pond was planted with native wildflower and grass seeds. Beyond this area are three additional farm fields stretching out to Messiah Church Road and used for pig pasture, corn, and hay. We raise Duroc pigs, a dark reddish brown American breed from the 1800s.
15. Middle Garden and Greenhouse – This vegetable garden has flower borders at the top and east sides. There are compost bins on the west and a berry patch planted with raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries on the other side. We use the unheated, passive solar greenhouse to grow hardy salad greens throughout the winter and to give warm-weather crops such as celery a head start in the spring.
16. Rose and Rainbow Gardens – Stop and smell the roses! The highlight of this garden is the hardy Rugosa roses which combine delightfully fragrant flowers with abundant harvests of fruity, vitamin-rich rose hips. The rainbow garden in front of the house features color-themed flower beds. From the house to the road, the double beds are planned to showcase flowers in the colors of white, blue-purple, pink, red, and yellow-orange.
We are so thankful for the opportunity to steward this little piece of the beautiful, wonderful world that God has made. “O Lord, how manifold are Your works! in wisdom You have made them all: the earth is full of your riches” (Psalm 104:24).
Thank you for visiting Hospitality Spring Farm!