We are fortunate to live in an area that has long been regarded as the "Garden Spot of America." Generational farming is a part of the Lancaster County culture. In fact, we lead the nation in young farmers. According to the most recent Economic Impact study by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, 14% of farms in Pennsylvania had a young producer (defined as someone age 35 or younger) operating as the primary farmer. At last count, Lancaster County had 2,400 young producers, twice as much as the second-ranked county in the nation, LaGrange County, Ind. In addition, Lancaster County leads the nation in farmland preservation, with more than 113,000 acres preserved. As promising as that sounds for the future, we're still losing more than 1,200 acres of Lancaster County farmland each year to development, according to the Lancaster Farmland Trust (LFT), a nonprofit organization with the mission of preserving agriculture and stewarding the land in Lancaster County. For more information on LFT, visit https://lancasterfarmlandtrust.org.

Farming can be a back-breaking, often undervalued vocation that doesn't stop at 5 p.m. on Friday. Like we often do with first responders and the military, thank a farmer for his or her service to our community. Look at labels and buy locally. See where your milk, produce, and meat are coming from. When you shop at local supermarkets, if you don't see local produce in season, ask why the store isn't providing locally sourced foods. Encourage the store to offer local produce so shoppers can easily support local farmers.

The Lancaster County landscape is dotted with roadside produce stands when crops are in season. Most of these stands and farmers markets won't open until later in the spring or summer. Below is a list of some of the many locations where you can get fresh local produce, meats, and cheeses.

Beiler's Fruit Farm

383 Springville Road

New Holland, PA 17557

Bird-in-Hand Farmers Market

2710 Old Philadelphia Pike (Route 340)

Bird-in-Hand, PA 17505

Brook Lawn Farm Market

2325 Lititz Pike

Lancaster, PA 17601

Busy Bee's Farm Market

3378 Old Philadelphia Pike

Ronks, PA 17572

Cherry Hill Orchards

400 Long Lane

Lancaster, PA 17603

Columbia Market House

15 S.Third St.

Columbia, PA 17512

The Corn Wagon

2169 Millersville Road

Lancaster, PA 17603

Country Barn Farm Market

211 S. Donerville Road

Lancaster, PA 17603

Countryside Road-Stand

2966 Stumptown Road

Ronks, PA 17572

Dogwood Farm Market

1124 Dogwood Drive

Reinholds, PA 17569

Edgewood Farms Orchard & Farm Market

240 W 28th Division Highway

Lititz, PA 17543

Everfresh Produce

3145 Division Highway

New Holland, PA 17557

Fisher's Bakery & Roadside Stand

328 N. Belmont Road

Gordonville, PA 17529

Fisher's Roadside Market

859 Strasburg Road

Paradise, PA 17562

Funk's Riverview Greenhouses

2277 River Road

Washington Boro, PA 17582

Green Dragon Farmers Market & Auction

955 North State St.

Ephrata, PA 17522

Harvest Lane Farm Market

851 E. Oregon Road

Lititz, PA 17543

Hilltop Acres Farm Market

347 Rife Run Road

Manheim, PA 17545

Hoover's Farm Market and Greenhouses

30 Erbs Bridge Road

Lititz, PA 17543

Horst Farm Market

640 Reading Road

East Earl, PA 17519

Kauffman Orchards

3097 Old Philadelphia Pike

Bird-in-Hand, PA 17505

Kissel Hill Fruit Farm

2101 Kissel Hill Road

Lititz, PA 17543

Lancaster Central Market

23 N. Market St.

Lancaster, PA 17603

Leid's Orchard

665 Maple Grove Road

New Holland, PA 17557

Lititz Farmers Market

Lititz Springs Park, 24 N. Broad St.

Lititz, PA 17543

Mary Ann's Kitchen

3157 Old Philadelphia Pike

Bird-in-Hand, PA 17505

Masonic Village Farm Market

1 Masonic Drive

Elizabethtown, PA 17022

Meck's Produce Roadside Market

1955 Beaver Valley Pike

Strasburg, PA 17579

New Holland Farmers Market

Main Streeet and South Roberts Avenue

New Holland, PA 17557

Reiff's Farm Market

2902 Rothsville Road

Ephrata, PA 17522

Root's Country Market & Auction Inc.

705 Graystone Road

Manheim, PA 17545

Route 10 Roadside Market

941 Compass Road

Honey Brook, PA 19344

Shenk's Berry Farm

911 Disston View Drive

Lititz, PA 17543

SPOOKYNOOK Produce, Greenhouse, & More

821 Landisville Road

Manheim, PA 17545

Spring House Peach Farm

377 S. Churchtown Road

Narvon, PA 17555

Strasburg Market Place

214 Hartman Bridge Road

Ronks, PA 17579

The Tomato Barn

65 Penn St.

Washington Boro, PA 17582

The Village Farm Market

1520 Division Highway

Ephrata, PA. 17522

Zook's Roadside Stand

3916 Old Philadelphia Pike

Gordonville, PA 17529