The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

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September 18, 2009

25th Mercer County Country Tour is this weekend

The 25th annual Mercer County Country Tour, featuring six stops, is Sept. 19 and 20. The “drive it yourself” tour features stops representative of the agriculture industry and rural community of Mercer County.

Participants in the free tour can make the stops in any order. Tour hours are 1 to 6:30 p.m. A self-guiding tour map with descriptions and driving directions may be obtained at many area agriculture businesses, libraries and at the Leslie N. Firth Learning Center, U.S. Route 19, north of Mercer in Coolspring Township.

Among the stops this year is the A.G. Gander Family Dairy, 106 Gander Lane, Stoneboro, operated by Cinda and Jon Gander.

This 300-acre farm, adjacent to the northbound lane of Interstate 70, has been in operation for four generations, has 100 head of Holstein cattle.

This is a closed herd, meaning they raise all of their own replacement heifers. The cows are milked twice a day and have a herd average of 27,000 pounds of milk per animal, per year.

In addition to dairy cows, the family also raises corn, small grains, hay, and has some chickens. Stop by A.G. Gander Family Dairy to see how cows are milked, pet some calves, and more.



Other stops on the tour are:

• Fairview Swiss Cheese, 1734 Perry Highway, Fairview Township. Originally founded in 1952 as a small Amish co-op, it was purchased in 1990 by John Koller & Son, Inc. The operation has grown into the largest Swiss cheese producer in Pennsylvania.

• Sundance Arena, 310 Fredonia Road, Fredonia. Dave Martin started a rodeo bull business in 1969 and purchased Sundance Arena in 2005. He buys and sells rodeo bucking bulls and fighting bulls. Sundance Arena hosts a bull riding show the first Saturday of each month, October through May.

• Harthegig Conservation Club, 600 Rodgers Hill Road, Fredonia, was founded in 1948 by a group of sportsmen interested in conservation. The clubhouse was built a couple of years later and land has steadily been added through the years – approximately 33 acres.

• Pilgram Farms, 90 Pilgram Road, Fredonia. The original homestead of Pilgram Farms was settled around 1894 and consisted of fewer than 200 acres. In 1996, Chris Pilgram took over the family farm, focusing on corn, soybean, wheat, and hay production. The farm is 700 acres with another 1,200 acres leased.

• Fredonia Presbyterian Church, 24 Water St. Under the direction of the Rev. Eric Peters, the church has more than 120 active members. During the tour, enjoy refreshments such as hot sandwiches and desserts at this stop. Sunday’s menu includes a ham loaf dinner. Restrooms are also available at this stop. Proceeds benefit the church.



For online information, visit http://mercer.extension.psu.edu

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