Lancaster County, PA

Lancaster County, about an hour’s drive west of Philadelphia, was established in 1729, on the unceded lands of Shawnee, Susquehannock, Gawanese, Lenape (or Delaware), and Nanticoke peoples. It is the breadbasket of Pennsylvania, with diverse crops such as corn, soy, cigar tobacco, and sunflowers, and animal husbandry of dairy, poultry, eggs, beef and pork. Known as “Pennsylvania Dutch Country” (from Deutsch, meaning German), the agricultural community includes the largest Amish community in the US, as well as members of several other Plain Anabaptist orders, such as Mennonite and Brethren, who are distinguished by their traditional dress and use of horses, mules and bicycles for transportation and farm work. Many other farms, including those I visited, are fully modernized.

In late July of 2022, I was generously hosted by Charles Miller for a day at the dairy farm that has been in his family for many generations, and given a tour of the nearby communities, crossing over the Conestoga River multiple times. (The famous wagon hails from here, as do “stogie” cigars.) Many of the images below are from the Miller homestead, cousins’ and other nearby farms.

More images will be added over time – please return to enjoy them.

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