CELEBRATING LANCASTER COUNTY'S PEOPLE, SCENERY,

HERITAGE, STYLE & POINT OF VIEW SINCE 1987.

The Focus is on Farm-To-Table | Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar

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Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar opened its Lancaster location at The Shoppes at Belmont in November. “Healthy Indulgence” is Harvest’s motto, and its mission is to create a menu that focuses on sustainable, health-conscious and locally sourced cuisine.

The Manheim Township restaurant joins eight other locations in Harrisburg, Moosic (Scranton area), the Philadelphia area, Moorestown, New Jersey, and Delray Beach, Florida. Each is committed to founder and CEO Dave Magrogan’s farm-fresh “know your farmer, know your food” philosophy.

“We’re excited to be in Lancaster. We have patrons who visit our Harrisburg location who live in Lancaster, and they’re bringing family and friends to dine with us here,” says General Manager Erin McMullen.

As for the farmer connection, Erin says, “A lot of our other restaurants use food sourced from Lancaster County through Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op, so it’s wonderful to be so much closer to them. We are using the community,” she says of local food growers, “as well as serving the community.”

The spacious restaurant has a warm, casual feel. A dual-sided fireplace in the lobby also fronts onto the lounge, which offers seating at the bar and in cozy booths. An adjoining garden room seats up to 70. It’s a four-season room, and all of the doors open onto a 70-seat patio with a firepit.

Harvest’s main dining room seats up to 150 at booths and tables. Stone accents and dark wood distinguish this area. The restaurant’s second patio opens off the main dining area. It seats about 30.

 

A private dining room boasts its own fireplace and seats 50. Windows line one side, while the restaurant’s wine selection is artfully stored on two of its other walls. Erin notes that the private dining space has become a popular spot for rehearsal dinners, bridal showers and other special celebrations. It’s also used for overflow dining on weekends.

The restaurant also features a gleaming open kitchen that is headed by Chef Taylor Davis, who was born in California but grew up in York County.

“Our focus is local farm-to-table, so we’re committed to providing sustainable, health-conscious local cuisine,” Erin says of the menu, which changes seasonally. The green concept extends to materials such as recycled glass countertops and post-consumer fiber menus.

A spring menu was unveiled March 20. Although menu offerings shift with the season and availability of local ingredients, one popular item that’s on nearly every menu is the spicy shrimp noodle bowl. It’s also one of the few items on the menu that’s over 500 calories. Menu staples also include filet and scallops, but Erin points out that the accompaniments change.

Butternut squash soup and butternut squash dip (served warm with rye crostini) have become Harvest’s signature items. “They’re on the fall and winter menu, so it’s not year-round. They’re really popular; we have customers at our other restaurants who begin asking for them in August,” she explains.

There are also a number of vegan and gluten-free offerings on the menu. “We’re strongly committed to offering items for guests with allergies and food intolerances. Our chef, Taylor Davis, does amazing things with food,” Erin says.

In addition to lunch and dinner, brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday. Like the rest of the menu, brunch items change seasonally.

For holidays such as Easter and Mother’s Day, Harvest will offer its regular menu plus some chef’s specials.

Harvest’s bar menu complements its local mission. Beer selections are hyper-local, while spirits such as vodka and gin are as local as possible. The wine list focuses on wineries with sustainable growing practices; 50 wines are available by the glass. “Our servers are well trained on wine pairings. We have a meeting every day before dinner service to discuss specials and wine pairing,” she says.

Guests may also opt for beer flights (a sampling of all six draft beers); wine flights (three 3-ounce samples); or sangria flights (a sample of red, white or blush sangria).
Harvest also offers special wine dinners four times a year. Bourbon dinners are also planned.

Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar, 1573 Fruitville Pike (The Shoppes at Belmont), Lancaster. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Reservations are recommended and can be made via the restaurant’s website. Take-outs available. Call 717-545-4028 or visit harvestseasonalgrill.com and Facebook.

Going to the Chapel! A Tour of Lancaster County’s Most Charming Small Churches

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If your guest list numbers 200 or fewer, one of Lancaster County’s smaller chapels may offer the perfect intimate setting for exchanging wedding vows

“I don’t want to or need to be introduced to anyone at my wedding,” once said a very determined bride. “I want to personally know everyone who is invited.” That dictum often eliminates parents’ work colleagues, classmates you haven’t seen since high school and dozens of distant cousins. The bride and groom then have the option of choosing a scaled-down venue, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of being surrounded by one’s most cherished family and friends for this important life milestone.

 

The Chapel at Willow Valley, Doubletree Resort, Lancaster

The Chapel at Willow Valley, Doubletree Resort, Lancaster

It’s only 22 years old, but the Chapel at Willow Valley looks the part of the picture-perfect country chapel that’s been around for centuries. Originally situated on the Thomas family’s original landmark Willow Valley property, the chapel was moved last year and relocated several hundred yards closer to the Doubletree Resort. It also now overlooks the golf course. Seating capacity is 200 guests, including an upper-level loft area. Dressing rooms are conveniently located inside the chapel, and a few steps away awaits a full-service resort for the deal-is-sealed festivities.

Information: Lancaster.doubletree.com

 

Sell Memorial Chapel, Masonic Village, Elizabethtown. Provided by Heather and Andrew Martz. Photo by Deb Kepiro/Annie Sharp Photography.

Sell Memorial Chapel, Masonic Village, Elizabethtown

Be sure to pause for a keepsake photo at the bright-red doors of this non-denominational chapel located on the stately grounds of the Masonic Village retirement community. Built in 1927, the chapel holds up to 200 worshippers, plus offers a resonating organ and a choir loft that allows the photographer to capture a sweeping view of the ceremony and guests. The surrounding Formal Gardens and fountains on the Masonic Village campus are also available for beautiful photographic moments.

To exchange vows in this Gothic masterpiece, those outside the congregation or employees’ families must have an affiliation with the Masonic organization through a direct relative’s membership in the Masonic Lodge or the bride’s or groom’s membership in a Masonic-related youth group.

Information: Masonicvillages.org/locations/elizabethtown 

 

Boehm’s Chapel, Willow Street. Photo by Tawanda Faye Photography; provided by Bethany and David Georgia.

Boehm’s Chapel, Willow Street

Built in 1791, the rustic Boehm’s Chapel is Pennsylvania’s oldest existing structure built for Methodist worship and the fourth oldest in the nation. While the growing congregation of the Boehm’s United Methodist Church now worships in a much larger facility nearby, the chapel remains as a historic landmark and site of special events for the congregation to recall its simple heritage. The Boehm’s Chapel Society welcomes inquiries from all betrothed couples aligned with Christian pastors.

Modern dressing rooms and other comforts are available in a “tying shed,” intended to resemble the shelter where church-goers would have tied their horses to wait during worship services. The chapel was modernized with heat and air-conditioning in 1991, but it remains an acapella space. Brides have provided their own harpists, string quartets, guitarists and keyboardists to fill the small sanctuary with joyful noise for many a simply elegant wedding.

Information: Boehmschapel.org 

 

Santee Chapel, Lancaster Theological Seminary, Lancaster. Photo by Nick Gould; provided by Ryan and Lara Levengood Horst.

Santee Chapel, Lancaster Theological Seminary, Lancaster

B.Y.O.P. – bring your own pastor, that is – to the recently renovated Santee Chapel on the campus of the Lancaster Theological Seminary. Affiliated with the United Church of Christ, the chapel welcomes any Christian ceremony to its sacred space. A new cork floor, given by the family of the late Arthur B. and Marguerite “Gretel” Dodge, and Ann Barshinger’s gift of up-lighting that flatters the stained glass windows, join flexible seating that converts from joined pew-like chairs to individual seats, comfortably accommodating up to 150 guests. The pipe organ is currently undergoing renovations as well.

Information: Lancasterseminary.edu

 

Mary Dixon Memorial Chapel, Linden Hall School for Girls, Lititz. Photo by Nick Gould; provided by Susan and David Stoudt.

Mary Dixon Memorial Chapel, Linden Hall School for Girls, Lititz

Since 1885, the grand Gothic brownstone has graced Linden Hall’s campus at Church Square on East Main Street. The sanctuary is heated but not air-conditioned; however, cooling fans may be brought in should one choose to get married on an August afternoon. For those guests who cannot negotiate the stone steps at the entrance, a nearby elevator in the adjoining academic building makes the ceremony accessible to all. The charming space maxes out at 150 guests, although 16 additional seats may be placed in the loft that holds the pipe organ.

In the chancel, a Moravian Star is suspended high above the bride and groom as they exchange their vows – a signature symbol of Lititz and the Moravians who founded the picturesque town.

Information: Lindenhall.org

 

Old Leacock Presbyterian Church, Intercourse. Photo by Jessica Lynn Photography; provided by Lauren and Greg Mowrer.

Old Leacock Presbyterian Church, Intercourse

Nearly 280 years ago, Scotch-Irish settlers sought to create a comfortably familiar place to worship in their new home, so they recruited stone masons from their native Northern Ireland to replicate a church from their homeland. It stands today as an active church – the Leacock Presbyterian Church congregation leaves their more modern house of worship for special services in the summer and holidays and returns to this special space to remember their heritage. Christian weddings are welcome, provided they fit into the church’s schedule and guests number 100 or so. Its beauty lies in its simplicity. Dressing rooms and modern conveniences? No. History? Most definitely.

Information: Leacockpres.org 

Sushi

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Clockwise from top left: Pink Lady Roll, Sashimi, Edamame, Nigiri, Shrimp Tempura Roll, Seaweed Salad, Maki.

If you’ve never had a chance to try excellent quality sushi, my heart goes out to you. Misconceptions abound; sushi lovers know this Asian cuisine goes well beyond raw fish. With that said, cast off what you think you know about sushi and join me for a walk on a cool, crisp morning along the beach. The taste of the ocean’s sweet spray is entirely reminiscent of the refreshing quality sushi should represent.

Anytime I mention the word “sushi” to those unfamiliar with good sushi, they will often turn tail and run. If their preconceptions or experiences include sushi with a fishy smell, their stance is arguably justified – being served malodorous fish is among the worst possible food experiences there is. But the course is worth reversing, if you’re game to pursue one of the most satisfying and misunderstood delights in this world. Sushi is more than just a style of cooking, and it’s more than raw fish. It’s comfort food that can also be cooked, and once understood, it easily becomes an addiction.

Sit at the Bar!

The title of this month’s Foodographer could be “Sit at the bar!” because if there’s one helpful message I can impart upon you, that’s it. Whether sushi is as unfamiliar to you as rush-hour traffic on the planet Mars or you eat it three times a week, which is my current record, take a seat at the bar. It’s the best seat in the house for as many reasons as octopi have arms. Watching intently, one observes the craftsmanship and culinary skill of the chef. It’s visual poetry, considering the presentation of vibrant colors, the perfection of flavors, temperatures and textures as they come together on a plate. The quality of your food is critical, but your experience is equally so and reflects upon your meal.

Tsunami Roll made with shrimp tempura, mango, spicy tuna, topped with avocado, crawfish salad, mango sauce, eel sauce, wasabi sauce, fish roe and shredded almond.

If you’re a greenhorn, your proximity to the chef while sitting at the bar is an obvious advantage. Inquiring of various dishes as they come together will help you learn and determine your preferences. You’ll learn throughout your meal (and even before ordering), plus watching chefs work is enthralling. You’ll see firsthand how much care intentionally goes into crafting each bite. It’s a rich social and interactive experience – talking with folks nearby is similar to dining at a lunch counter.

I’d also suggest that you bring a friend along with you who knows the food, or better yet, the menu you are ordering from so it’s not as overwhelming. You’ll feel safer asking questions and trying new dishes, plus you will have a better chance of discovering something you love. It can take time to uncover what makes your heart happy and your belly full. Even if you’re a seasoned culinary seafarer, the reasons for sitting at the bar remain as valid.

As your palate develops, asking what the “best” cuts are that particular day is a fantastic bonus. Sushi menus change even when they’re the same on paper, as not all fish are created equal. For instance, there may be rare or highly sought-after cuts of fish swimming around. Toro, or tuna belly, for instance, has a higher fat content, thus offering a creamier mouthfeel that plays well with citrus. Omakase is a wonder along those lines. Translated from Japanese as “chef’s choice,” it not only takes advantage of their creative desires but also the best ingredients of the day.

Moreover, you’ll build a relationship with the chef over time, and she or he will learn your preferences. And, that’s at the heart of food as a whole: the relationship between the diner and chef is underrated.

Know Thy Chef

While I’m usually up for trying something new, I’m fiercely loyal to one sushi restaurant, Tsunami Express in Lancaster. Or, rather, I’m loyal to its chefs, Kar Lee and his nephew, Frankie Lee. Kar was the inaugural chef at Blue Pacific, and he takes pride in having introduced Lancaster to sushi in 2001. The former owner of Tsunami on Columbia Avenue, he returned to Lancaster after cooking in Australia and opening a poke restaurant in Philly’s Chinatown (with Andrew Hu, whose family owned Blue Pacific).

Poke bowls, or Hawaiian-style sushi bowls. On the left, the Tsunami Bowl (raw) made with tuna, salmon, spicy kani, mango, avocado, cucumber, edamame, scallion, tempura crisp, fish roe, ginger soy dressing and spicy aioli.
On the right, the Teriyaki Bowl (cooked) made with shrimp tempura, broiled salmon, spicy kani, avocado, cucumber, edamame, scallion, tempura crisp, spicy aioli sauce and teriyaki sauce.

When he returned to Lancaster to open Tsunami Express, Kar brought Frankie on as a partner. In their absence, I perhaps had sushi five times in as many years; it was never as good as when Kar prepared it. Hail Poseidon, my current record is at three visits in a week.

Today, I consider Kar and Frankie as friends who happen to be on the other side of the sushi counter. When I walk into Tsunami Express, if I were to only ask for my usual order, I can’t tell you how many of my preferences would be matched without another word. “You got it!” is Kar’s go-to line. Other friends who’ve offered to order food for me at Tsunami Express only need to mention my name without even discussing the menu.

Nigiri made with rice, tuna and salmon, and a side of soy sauce.

The Lees know exactly what to do: either nigiri, tuna or salmon rolls wrapped in pink soy paper rolls in lieu of nori or dry seaweed (it’s a texture thing), an insanely satisfying special seaweed salad and, of course, chopsticks. Their sushi is divine, but that personal connection takes it to an otherwise unachievable level. There are many days I end up grabbing a bite to eat alone, and it’s nice to sit by the counter and chat.

The way in which food connects us can be deeply personal, and that is especially true for sushi. Culinary skill, artistry, personality and care are apparent in every meal. In Tokyo, Japan, where sushi reigns supreme, 93-year-old Jiro Ono is world renowned for his mastery of the craft. While shirking the notion of having arrived, Jiro’s level of care is astounding. He observes diners as they eat, catering each piece of sushi to fit their hands and mouth, served at precisely controlled temperatures that evoke the perfect flavors from his fish.

Pink Lady roll consisting of shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, avocado, eel cucumber, mango wrapped in soy paper.

We must all grow to become better/improved versions of our prior selves. Life is too short for us not to keep it interesting and meaningful. You don’t have to like everything, but it’s worth taking a chance. Selfishly, I hope Kar and Frankie are still making sushi at that age.

There is joy in introducing new things to friends, and food is certainly one of them. Seeing others enjoy something otherwise undiscovered to their world is remarkably satisfying and fulfilling. Food finds yet another way to exist as a vehicle for shared experiences and emotions. Your life finds added fulfillment with each new discovery. Overcoming fear to take a chance at something new will almost certainly yield rich rewards.

Tsunami Express: 255 N Queen St., Lancaster, Menu: yelp.com/menu/tsunami-express-lancaster

Sashimi consisting of yellowtail, salmon and tuna with a side of crab and soy sauce.

 

Follow the Fleet

Tune into NatGeo, and you’ll see for yourself how lucrative fishing for bluefin tuna has become due in part to the popularity of sushi. Two shows – Wicked Tuna (Massachusetts) and Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks – follow the fleet as they battle currents, weather, size limits and quotas to land tuna. The prices paid for the fish are mind-boggling. Even more amazing is the fact that as fast as the fish are unloaded and deals are struck, they are destined for markets and restaurants all over the country and even the world.

Earlier this year, a record $3.1 million USD was paid for a 613-pound bluefin tuna by restaurant chain owner Kiyoshi Kimura.

Diving In

True to Asian dining, you can share and sample sushi in order to try more things than if you were sailing solo. Don’t let the ingredients scare you away. Some sushi is served cooked, fried (tempura), and of course, raw. Ingredients on the “safer” end of the spectrum include tuna, shrimp, crab, flounder, tofu, snapper, mackerel, yellowtail and salmon, and range to the more exotic selections like fish roe, uni, octopus and eel. Unlike saltwater fish, salmon is frozen at designated periods of time and temperatures in order to kill potential parasites and ensure safe eating.

Vinegar Sushi Rice

While fish is the star of sushi, rice is debatably the first and most important ingredient. Also known as sumeshi, vinegar sushi rice is made with salt, sugar and vinegar. Its consistency is sticky and tender, hence it’s commonly referred to as “sticky rice.” Most sushi chefs begin their careers focusing on rice before getting to fish. It can easily be appreciated in chirashi or Poke bowls of rice adorned with colorful cuts of sashimi.

Etiquette

Eat sushi pieces individually one at a time. Dip the fish in soy sauce, never pouring the soy sauce onto the sushi or soaking rice with it, which masks the flavor of the rice.

Ginger is a palate cleanser, so don’t top your sushi with it.

Rubbing chopsticks together is considered rude, implying the chef can’t afford quality chopsticks.

If you’re not comfortable with chopsticks, order nigiri and use your hands. If anything, you’ll look more authentic. Actually, nigiri can and should be eaten with your hands, upside down so the meat touches your tongue first, highlighting the texture, flavor and freshness.

 

A Golf Primer

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With spring in the air, it’s time to take a good walk in the great outdoors. Some folks who do so will be carrying around clubs and chasing little white balls, as many area golf courses will soon open for regular hours.

Lancaster Country Club’s stellar performance as host to the U.S. Women’s Open in 2015 obviously impressed the USGA, which has announced the tourney will return to the club in 2024. Photo by Jordan Bush.

I will not be joining them. While I have enjoyed what little golf I played over the years, the sport is just something I never picked up as a full-blown hobby. So, as I prepared to write this month’s column, I contacted a couple of acquaintances who I knew would have great opinions on the region’s golf scene.

“The very unique thing about Central Pennsylvania is that we have very, very good public golf courses,” says Tom Larkin, who was most recently the golf coach at Conestoga Valley High School, where he instructed the team for eight years. “Many of these are straight-forward, easy- to-play courses that are reasonably priced.”

Some courses offer more of a challenge, like his favorite – the “relatively new” Royal Manchester in York County.

Royal Manchester is a links-style course, meaning it replicates the style of old, coastal Scottish courses. Links – as I erroneously assumed – does not refer to all golf courses. Links-style courses consist of hard soil, which promotes a “running game” whereby the ball travels much farther over the ground. Resembling the landscape of their Scottish origins, there are usually deep bunkers, stands of tall grasses and few water hazards on links courses.

When Tom called the par-72 Royal Manchester relatively new, he wasn’t kidding – it’s probably some of the newest grass around. Back in 2015, a tainted fungicide destroyed all the greens, and the course was forced to close midseason. Well, it’s back and as fast as ever.

What makes Royal Manchester more demanding than other local courses is its lack of trees, elevation and situation along the Susquehanna River. All of this leads to sometimes unpredictable winds, just like play on the old links of Scotland. The course was created by architect Tim Freeland, who served under golf legend Gary Player at various course designs along the East Coast.

Royal Manchester Golf Links, 5700 Board Road, Mount Wolf | 717-268-0490 or royalmanchestergolflinks.com

Kirk Newcomer is a car salesman by trade, but it seems he is either on a golf course or in a tree stand every free moment he gets. He travels to golf, and golfs when he travels, so I had to ask him about his favorite course close to home. Turns out he is a fan of Broad Run in West Chester, which is approximately 18 miles from the Lancaster/Chester County line.

“It’s hard, but it’s the best around. It’s the closest public course to the pro level,” says Kirk.

One of the elements he likes about the championship-caliber Broad Run is its size. The par-72 course is 372 acres of bent grass, bluegrass and fine fescues with three ponds, a creek and 54 bunkers! The 2014 PA Golf Course of the Year sprawls over rolling countryside, offering majestic views and leisurely cart rides. Broad Run architect Rees Jones, the No. 2 ranked course-maker in the U.S. according to Golf Digest, is well-known for redesigning and remodeling courses, including seven U.S. Open venues, five PGA courses, three Ryder Cup sites and one Walker Cup course.

Broad Run Golfer’s Club, 1520 Tattersall Way, West Chester | 610-738-4410 or broadrungc.com

Most beginners are going to want to start at an easy or moderate course. I asked Tom what the first thing new golfers should do. “You have to buy clubs, and it does not hurt to get a lesson,” was his answer. “It’s always good to get the basics down at the beginning.”

He recommends the pros at Overlook Golf Course: Ken Ord, PGA Head Professional, and Pete Cunningham, PGA Teaching Professional and TPI Certified Instructor. TPI stands for Titleist Performance Institute, which is described as the “world’s leading educational organization dedicated to the study of how the human body functions in relation to the golf swing.” The program was developed in 2003 and has accumulated data on players of all shapes, sizes, ages and fitness levels. This data allows a player to swing a golf club in the most efficient way possible and minimize risk of injury.

Tom also says beginners can check out YouTube, surprisingly, for helpful hints and tips. YouTube is how I fix many of my household appliances, so why not a golf game? There are even course flyover videos of Overlook and many other sites on YouTube.

The par-69, public course has several leagues and events for golfers of all levels and designations. Overlook’s well-groomed fairways and greens are perfect for golfers of every skill level, and it is especially friendly for beginners.

Overlook Golf Course , 2040 Lititz Pike, Lancaster | 717-569-9551 or overlookgolfcourse.com

Lancaster Country Club’s stellar performance as host to the U.S. Women’s Open in 2015 obviously impressed the USGA, which has announced the tourney will return to the club in 2024. Photo by Jordan Bush.

I was lucky enough to get an invite to attend events at the Lancaster Country Club when it hosted the U.S. Women’s Open (USGA) in 2015. The good news is that the premier event will return in 2024.

“The 2015 U.S. Women’s Open was one of the most successful in the championship’s history. The golf course is one of the best in the United States, and the community’s support for golf is record-setting. We can’t wait to return,” said USGA CEO Mike Davis in an interview with Golf News.

“It raised Lancaster’s profile in golf, not only in local attendees but also those watching on TV nationally and internationally,” says Joel Cliff at Discover Lancaster.

Lancaster’s premier private golf club was designed by noted architect William Flynn, whose courses are described as “apparent simplicity, but actual complexity.” Flynn’s body of work is limited but well respected and includes two of Golf Digest’s Top 10 courses, Shinnecock Hills (home of the 2018 U.S. Open) in Southampton, New York, and Merion’s East Course in Ardmore.

“It is a fabulous layout. It is top notch. It is a fantastic golf course,” Tom agrees. “It’s a jewel, and it’s head and shoulders above any golf course around here. There’s not a weak hole on the golf course. You have short par-4s, long par-4s, hard par-5s; the whole thing is the real deal.”
Play on the course is limited to members and their guests. In my case, it’s beautiful just to watch the game being played here.

Lancaster Country Club , 1466 New Holland Pike, Lancaster | 717-393-3886 or lancastercc.com 

“We have a remarkable number of high-quality golf courses that are reasonably priced. If you go to the big metropolitan areas, it is much harder to get onto public golf courses,” Tom observes. To get the pulse of other Lancaster residents, I put out an informal call for recommendations on Facebook. Some of the courses other locals enjoy are Bent Creek Country Club (Lititz), Crossgates Golf Club (Millersville), and Foxchase Golf Club (Stevens).

“We have a nice product … it’s something we’ve put more emphasis on from a tourism standpoint. We’re very blessed here in Lancaster County with a lot of different choices,” says Joel, who recommends Pilgrim’s Oak Golf Course in Peach Bottom.

No one really knows who first uttered the infamous jab: “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” Some say Mark Twain. Some say British Prime Minister William Gladstone. Either way, the specious quote may not have gained such momentum if the players would have visited our area first.

Canine Cuisine

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Most people in Lancaster County are familiar with farm-to-table restaurants. Ken Charles has taken this concept one step further and is reaching out to pet parents with farm-to-bowl dog food that is made in Lancaster County.

Ken Charles is no stranger to the ever-evolving all-natural food market. He is a fourth-generation poultry farmer who experienced much success in developing fresh ideas for chicken lovers everywhere through his company, Charles Poultry.

In the late 70s and early 80s, Ken, who is a graduate of Penn Manor High School and West Chester University, began raising the first antibiotic-free chickens in the Northeast. When the large companies broke into the market, Ken stayed a jump ahead by becoming the East Coast’s leader in organic chicken production.

It wasn’t long before the large companies followed suit, spurring Ken to move in an altogether new direction by developing many new “high-quality, special niche” items that satisfied the needs of high-end specialty restaurants and gourmet chefs all over the country.

Ken & his buddy, Leo.

While Ken’s son now leads Charles Brothers, Ken, who is 71, wasn’t about to retire. Not one to sit around with nothing to do, he turned his attention to another group of consumers – pet parents and their beloved canines. He has become the first in the U.S. dog food industry to develop a high-quality, boneless, organic, farm-to-bowl dog food.

Ken credits a friend, who was looking for something better to feed her dogs, for sparking the idea. He discovered that it was difficult, at best, to find a dog food without a lot of additives or unnecessary ingredients. Oftentimes, pet food contains the cheapest parts of the animals, topped off with binders, fillers, additives and/or chemicals.

Intrigued by this discovery, Ken set out to make what would become a product that is different than anything else being sold in the U.S. today. Charles Pet Food, LLC, which was formed in 2018, offers products totally unique to the dog food industry – Naked Chicken Chow and Naked Chicken Chow with Whole Organic Brown Rice dog foods and Naked Chicken Jerky.

These products are humanely processed and handmade (not mass-produced). They do not contain inferior meat like chicken livers, kidneys or gizzards, etc. In other words, no organ meat is used as fillers. This allows Ken to be able to say his customers are getting the “highest-quality protein on the market.”
Since Ken’s buyers know exactly what is in the dog food, they are able to add supplements (vitamins, minerals, etc.) as recommended by their dog’s veterinarian, thus catering to the individual needs of each animal.

All of Ken’s products are certified-organic by the USDA and contain no gluten, bones, additives, binders, coloring, antibiotics, fillers, guar gum or carrageenan. In addition, they are GMO-free. He adds, “There is no other dog food in the U.S. that has no binders in it.” Apparently, it tastes good, too. A review on the company’s website shared, “When our 2 boys tried Naked Chicken Chow, they went crazy! They licked their dishes clean and then kept going back to make sure they didn’t leave any behind.”

Deboning the chicken by hand ensures a more quality product but does increase the price somewhat because the overall yield is less. Ken says, “With my products, you know exactly what you are feeding your dog.” The ingredients in Naked Chicken Chow consist of boneless organic chicken with juices and water. The Naked Chicken Chow with Whole Organic Brown Rice contains the identical ingredients, plus organic brown rice. Organic chicken breast meat and sea salt are the sole ingredients in Naked Chicken Jerky.

“It’s been a journey to get here” Ken shares. The approval processes were extensive. Special mechanical innovations had to be built for processing – several of which Ken designed himself. The process – from concept to product – took about two years.

Ken is quick to say he doesn’t want to devalue other dog food companies, stating, “Other companies have their own feelings and philosophies, and that’s fine.” His goal was simply to create a product that appeals to a more discriminating, high-end buyer “who desires something better.”

Ken’s goals for the future are ambitious as he aims to continue providing the best-quality dog food on the market and to eventually extend his market to all 50 states. He is presently working on an exciting new product that is, again, unique in the U.S.

Naked Chicken products can be purchased online at nakedchow.com or locally at Woof’N Tails, 809 New Holland Avenue; Basset and Lab, 1352 Harrisburg Pike; and That Pet Place, 237 Centerville Road.

In Search of … Something Different

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Each spring, the staffs at garden centers often hear the same question: “What can I grow that is unusual and no one else has?”

At this time of the year, nurseries are bringing in more stock every day, which means the selections are at their widest. By shopping early and getting plants in the ground on warm spring days, your selections will have a longer growing season to mature and establish strong root systems.
If you’re looking for something different, here are some of my suggestions:

Katsura

Large Landscape Shade Tree | Katsura Cercidiphyllum japonicum

I planted one decades ago and have enjoyed its many attributes. Make no mistake, this hardy Asian native should be given some space. It has a good pyramidal form when young but slowly becomes wide-spreading with age (not unlike many gardeners). I have seen very old specimens over 40-feet tall with equal spread.

Katsura, fall color

It has clean foliage throughout the growing season. Its heart-shaped leaves are much like our familiar native red bud. The leaf color varies throughout the growing season after they emerge reddish-purple in the spring. They then change to a bluish-green and, in fall they change into a uniform soft yellow. Sometimes there is a rosy tint.

But katsura is a jokester. As the leaves turn color and drop in the fall, they give off a subtle sweet smell. I think it smells like cotton candy; others say maple sugar or ripe apples. What makes the aroma more interesting is that it is hard to locate. You can pick up individual leaves and try to smell, but you won’t be able to. Instead, you smell it when you walk near the tree as its subtle aroma drifts through the air. But a few feet further, and it’s gone. It definitely adds delight to leaf clean-up.

Plant a katsura in full sun, and only in the spring, but don’t let it dry out as it gets established. Did I mention that it has very attractive shaggy bark as it ages? The roots are superficial and wide-spreading; don’t plan on growing turf under it.

Katsura has minimal wildlife value; the benefit to the gardener is shade, which can lower energy costs. It has no pests or diseases. And, it is not invasive like the ubiquitous shade tree, the dreadful Norway Maple (Acer platanoides).

Small Tree | Hardy orange Poncirus trifoliata

The common name is deceptive. By fall, Poncirus produces aromatic, eye-catching fruit that is technically edible but is definitely unpalatable – very seedy and acidic. Although it is reported that one can use the zest and pulp to make marmalade, I think it would be a tedious waste of time. Left on the tree, the golf-ball-sized fruit persists into early winter.

Hardy orange blossoms

This small thorny tree typically grows to 10 feet (sometimes higher). As Latin scholars can deduce from the species name, the leaves are three-lobed. They are glossy green throughout the growing season and fade to yellow-green before dropping in the fall.

In spring, fragrant, white, four-to-seven petaled flowers (to 2-inch diameter) cover the spiny stems. Well, actually, the densely branched stems have long vicious thorns. Deer know better than to approach it. Be sure to wear a hat when weeding under it!

However, the glossy rich green color of the stems and thorns provide interest throughout the winter. I’ve seen the branches used for interesting arrangements and in Ikebana.

Be sure to clear away the fruit as it drops unless you’d like seedlings to share or plant elsewhere. It makes a very effective hedgerow plant that is virtually impenetrable or can be trimmed into a low, very effective obstacle if the neighbor’s cat is a problem. There are no pests or diseases.

I’m suggesting its use as an accent and an unusual trouble-free plant (unless you tangle with the formidable thorns). There is a selection usually sold as ‘Flying Dragon’ that has particularly distorted stems.

Shrub Rose

Deciduous Shrub | Shrub Rose Rosa glauca

I do not grow roses. It’s probably because I’ve spent decades dealing with the invasive multiflora rose that is everywhere throughout Lancaster County’s woodland edges. Also, I consider garden roses “chemically dependent” since most require a spray regimen to avoid the common foliar diseases to which they are so susceptible. Not to mention the lack of fragrance.

However, the shrub rose, Rosa glauca, is an exception to these grievances. It is a vase-shaped deciduous shrub that can grow to 6 feet with an equal spread in full sun. It has soft pink, single, slightly fragrant five-pedaled flowers in early summer in full sun.

Flowers are followed by abundant showy orange-red hips that ripen in fall and usually persist well into winter when the birds will harvest them. The reddish-violet canes have very few thorns. The shrub can be pruned as desired in late winter. It can also be grown as a hedge.

Almost more than for the flowers, I think its best ornamental feature is Rosa glauca’s attractive dull pewter-gray-green-purple foliage. (Sorry, the color is impossible to describe.) Grow it, and you’ll understand its magic.

Bluestar

Shrubby Perennial | Bluestar or Arkansas amsonia Amsonia hubrichtii

There are many reasons to plant this native perennial – even better, a mass of them. It is an erect, clump-forming plant 2-3 feet high with equal spread. It is primarily grown in gardens for its luminous blue spring flowers, feathery green summer foliage and especially its golden fall color.

The blue, 1/2-inch star-like flowers appear briefly in terminal clusters in late spring on top of the stems and attract butterflies. The feathery, soft-textured, needle-like leaves are bright green in spring and summer but turn bright gold in autumn. The stems move about gracefully with the wind.

Grow in full sun to part shade. Deer don’t browse. There is almost no maintenance since the foliage dries up and disappears during winter. I repeat: very effective when massed.

Grass | Japanese Forest Grass Hakonechloa macra

Please stop planting Miscanthus. Despite its widespread popularity in garden design since becoming widely available in the past two decades, it has turned out to be invasive in farmland meadows and native woodlands here in Lancaster County.

Instead, try Japanese forest grass, which stays in clumps. Gracefully arching, linear-lanceolate, bright-green leaves (to 10 inches long and 3/8 inches wide) form dense, graceful, spreading, cascading mounds to 12-18 inches tall and to 24 inches wide. True to its common name, Hakonechloa (hah-koe-neh-KLOE-uh) is best grown in humusy, consistently moist, well-drained soils in part shade. However, it tolerates close to full shade. The foliage will burn in full sun locations. Trim foliage to the ground in late winter or early spring before the new shoots emerge. Propagation is easiest by division.

Use this choice spreading ornamental grass as a shady groundcover or accent for woodland gardens. It is very effective along shady paths and walks. Or feature it sprawling over rocks or in containers. The clumps spread underground by rhizomes, but it is not invasive. There are no serious pest or disease problems. It will grow under a black walnut tree and tolerates air pollution.

The cultivar ‘Aureola’ features gracefully arching green leaves variegated with gold longitudinal striping. Just grand.

My Favorite Parks and Trails in Lancaster

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© Jordan Bush 2014

As snow continues to fall here in Lancaster, I increasingly find myself dreaming of everything turning green again and warm sunshine. One of my favorite things to do in the spring and summer is spend time in nature, whether that’s going for a hike or putting up hammocks with some friends at a park. As a college student who is relatively new to the area, it has been so exciting to be able to explore as many of the trails, preserves and parks that Lancaster has to offer in the four short years that I have been here. Here are some of my favorites.

Kaylee Rex

Lancaster County Central Park | 1050 Rockford Road, Lancaster

Although located right outside of downtown Lancaster, this park still gives city dwellers a chance to spend time in nature. Lancaster County Central Park is made up of 544 acres that offer opportunities for a diverse amount of activities. You can run, walk, cross country ski, ride horses or bike the trails that run throughout the park. You can visit the Garden of the Five Senses, Rockford Plantation, the Environmental Center or the pool. There are playgrounds, campgrounds and gardens where people can rent plots. Or you can always just lay down a blanket and sit along the Conestoga River or Mill Creek. My favorite time to go to Lancaster County Central Park is in late spring when the buttercups bloom and the park grounds look like a sea of yellow.

Kaylee Rex

Tucquan Glen Nature Preserve | State Route 3017, Holtwood

Tucquan Glen Nature Preserve is probably my favorite place to hike in Lancaster. The trails meander through the woods under the shade of many trees and follow the curves of Tucquan Creek. In the summer, you can follow the blue trail to a small waterfall and swimming hole deep in the forest. The hike is moderate and may involve crossing the creek via fallen trees, which can be a little nerve-wracking, especially if you are afraid of heights.

Chickies Rock | 802 Route 441, Columbia

Chickies Rock is one of the most popular hiking spots in the area and for a good reason. The hike to the lookout is an easy walk from the parking area. If you are looking for more of a challenge, you can climb the rocks on the side of the cliff to find a more secluded spot away from the crowded lookouts. Regardless of where you hike to, the view from Chickies Rock never ceases to leave me in awe. From the lookout, the Susquehanna River surges below, and you can observe the town of Marietta up the river. I recommend going around sunset because the sun will descend right in front of you. Plus, it is less crowded later in the day.

Kaylee Rex

The Pinnacle Overlook | Off of Pinnacle Road W, Holtwood

I’ve only been to the Pinnacle Overlook once, but the view left an impression on me. The Pinnacle is also very popular in this area and boasts similar views of the Susquehanna River as Chickies Rock. You don’t even necessarily need to hike to see the beautiful view, but the area also contains several trails to hike.

 

Long’s Park | Bluebird Drive, Lancaster

Another park in the area, is Long’s Park. I always feel a strong sense of community when I come here. In the summer, the park hosts a concert series at its Amphitheater and an Arts Festival in early September. Along with picnic pavilions, playgrounds, petting farms and tennis courts, there is a lot to do at Long’s Park. Also located in the park is a small lake with a road that circles it, which is perfect for jogging, walking or cycling.

Kaylee Rex

Turkey Hill Nature Preserve | 2501 River Road, Conestoga

Located along the Enola Low Grade Trail, visitors can choose to walk the rail trail that runs beside the Susquehanna River or hike up to the windmills located at the top of the hill. The hike is a little steep, but the view from the Turkey Hill Outlook is really beautiful and the sheer size of the windmills is pretty amazing too.

© Jordan Bush 2014

White Cliffs of Conoy | 107 Race Street, Bainbridge, PA 17502

The White Cliffs of Conoy are one of the most interesting places I’ve hiked in Lancaster. The cliffs are located along the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail in Bainbridge. I usually park at Koser Park and follow the trail until I get to the cliffs. The trail runs beside train tracks and several abandoned buildings covered in graffiti. When you eventually arrive at the cliffs, it is a pretty interesting sight. The white cliffs are made out of byproducts from operations at the quarry. Over the years, excess sediment accumulated to create the “cliffs” along the river. I could sit on the edge of the cliffs and listen to the river flow for hours.

Fasnachts … Heavenly Deliciousness

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Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Columbia has been making fasnachts for 95 years. One taste, and I think you’ll agree their glazed version is the best you’ve ever had. On a whim, I decided to add a Southern spin to these Pennsylvania Dutch treats that signal the beginning of the Lenten season.

Note: Devoted volunteer Ed Wickenheiser passed away on May 6th, 2019.
Ed Wickenheiser is the first to arrive at Holy Trinity during Lent. It’s his job to unlock the door, so he arrives early – as in 3:30 a.m. On his way, Ed graciously picks up a few volunteers. “I have my route; that’s why I get up extra early,” he says.

I hit the road to meet them. A layer of frost has formed on the roof of my car, and the crisp, winter air has a hint of a chimney fire. Not much is happening on the radio at this hour; the morning talk shows won’t start for another hour or two.

Not being much for early mornings myself, it astounds me to see so many volunteers eager to start baking at such an unholy hour. It makes a bit more sense when the fasnachts start coming out of the fryer and a wave of sweet aromas awakens your senses. It makes even more sense once you get to know the people who volunteer.

There are a number of core groups involved in the production of fasnachts, and they run a tight ship. The mixing crew, also known as the “A-Team,” has prepared the mix the night before. The dough is placed in 57 buckets – referred to as “cans” – each of which typically yields 11 or 12 dozen fasnachts by volume. They are then set in a warming cabinet to rise overnight.

In the morning, the “Holy Rollers” take over. The rollers are supported by a team that hands out small portions of dough for rolling and collects boards filled with cut fasnachts that are ready to proof in yet another warming cabinet before frying. Navy veteran Jim Knapp helms the frying room (“Holy Friars”), which also includes the glazing team (“Holy Dunkers”).

As with everyone I met, Jim is as welcoming and kind as he is dedicated to the craft and community he serves. Hot out of the fryer, two-thirds of the fasnachts are dunked in a sweet glaze before cooling, with the other third left plain.

The packaging team bundles them up by the dozen for the sales team to distribute to fasnacht fans. Lest I forget, there’s the cleanup crew, which sifts the unused flour, sweeps the floor and cleans tables, cutting boards, cans and utensils. Last year, there were 11 baking days in February and March and if you do the math, that yields approximately 7,500 dozen fasnachts that sell out even before the baking starts.

It’s About Community

While the statistics associated with Holy Trinity’s operation are remarkable, they pale in comparison to the sense of community these folks share. Despite being rather preoccupied, everyone is bursting to share their story, and I apologize in advance for running out of page space to include the sampling of folks I was privileged to spend a couple of days with.

Among the first I spoke with, Bernadette Horn recalls she has only “missed once, 13 years ago yesterday, when my granddaughter was born.” Rolling next to Bernadette is Patsy McBride, who remembers paying a nickel for a fasnacht as a student and carrying eggs to school for the bakes. She explains that almost everyone here is related, then points out her cousin, Kathleen Lutz, who has been coming for 42 years. “When I started, this building wasn’t even built,” says Kathleen. Her mother-in- law, Cora Lutz, affectionately known as “Tut,” (rhymes with “put”) turns 91 this year and wears an apron commemorating the founding of Holy Trinity’s bake in 1924, remarkably just four years prior to her birth. Her daughter, Karen Lutz, rolls dough next to Kathleen, while her other daughter Thomasine, and brother-in-law John, also participate in the bake. In trying to keep up with the family tree, and forgive me if I missed anyone, I’m told Cora’s great-granddaughter comes to help on occasion.

“One of the benefits of working here is you’re guaranteed [to gain] 5 pounds,” says Anna Colin. She is working next to Linda Colin (their husbands are cousins). Linda will tell you, “If you’re a Columbia person, everybody helps each other.” Linda jokes that when she worked as a meter maid, she once gave a parking ticket to Kathleen, who happens to be the wife of Columbia’s mayor, Leo Lutz. The story prompted the whole group to roar with laughter as they joyfully reminisced about their community and connections to one another. One cannot help but covet the wonderful sense of community this group has fostered over the years.

If you’re willing to start your mornings at 3:30 to roll fasnacht dough, it’s almost a certainty you’ll be welcomed with open arms. The fasnacht bake serves as an excuse to spend time with friends and fellow parishioners. For some, it’s the only time they see each other from year to year. The experience is passed down from one generation to the next, and what once started as a women’s group fundraiser for the church has grown into a community event filled with pride.

If that’s not reason enough to admire these folks, how they handled a glitch in the online ordering system a couple of years back says it all. Each volunteer has the option to purchase two dozen fasnachts per bake, and having oversold 140 dozen in a process that rivals ticket sales to see Bruce Springsteen in concert, they sacrificed their own bounty to fill customers’ orders.

A Lancaster County Tradition

Fasnachts became a staple of Lancaster, York and Lebanon counties with the arrival of Swiss-German immigrants in the 1700s. It was customary for the Swiss-Germans to use up the fat, sugar, etc. (think carbs) that were left in their pantries by making fasnachts on Shrove (or Fat) Tuesday, thus removing the temptation to indulge in the treats they vowed to “give up” during the Lenten season.

As for the ingredients, fasnachts have been largely unchanged with a few exceptions. Where a donut would be categorized as a cake on the food pyramid, fasnachts, however, are made with yeast, similar to the New Orleans beignet. Many moons ago, leftover water from boiling potatoes was recycled to add starch for the yeast to activate. (In some areas, fasnachts are made from mashed potatoes.)
Back then, students who attended Holy Trinity’s parochial school would each bring an egg, which could be a real challenge for families approaching a dozen children in size, and fasnachts were cooked in lard. In 2018, the FDA ruled nationally that partially hydrogenated oil has no known health benefits, so last year’s batch was made with vegetable oil free of saturated fat. They were just as tasty, and, if you ask me, it appears to provide an excuse to eat more fasnachts.

I didn’t ask for any trade secrets, and Jim revealed he doesn’t know what goes into making the glaze, but I did pick up a few pointers along the way. The dough should never be floured on top, as the added weight will prevent it from rising. If the yeast in the dough cools off, the mix will cease to rise, so keep the room temperature warm. Rolling pins and the cutter are floured before every single use to keep dough from sticking. Eggs, sugar, flour and yeast are among the main ingredients, as is evidenced by the pallets of flour and sugar lining the room.

A Southern Spin

I’ve heard folks accuse the fasnacht of being boring, but something so satisfying and time-honored is not to be messed with. I’ve got to admit, Holy Trinity’s glazed fasnachts are the best I’ve had to date. Still, I couldn’t resist experimenting with them – I decided to add a Southern spin, and what better place to start than with butter, chicken and bacon?

Start by mixing flour, ground pepper, salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper in a bowl or casserole dish. Dip boneless chicken thighs in the mix, then dip them in a separate bowl of buttermilk before breading a second time. Deep fry the chicken for 10-15 minutes in cooking oil at 325 degrees F. Next, cook two slices of Kunzler’s thick-cut bacon (for each sandwich).

I can already hear your New Year’s resolution objections, but now is not the time to refrain. After all, Shrove Tuesday (March 5 this year) is a day to indulge. We’ve come this far, and the end is near (literally and figuratively after all of these calories)!

Slicing a fasnacht in half, butter and warm it in a cast-iron skillet. Place the chicken and bacon atop one of the halves. A drizzling of grade A, medium amber, Vermont maple syrup completes the most sweet-and-savory Lenten sandwich you can imagine. Alternatively, you could use King Golden Syrup, local honey or mascarpone cream cheese with herbs. Either way, you will surely need 40 days of fasting to atone for this ridiculously rich transgression that is sinfully delicious.

While whoopie pies beg to be accompanied by milk, fasnachts pair beautifully with coffee. One to try is the Fasnacht House Blend from Lancaster County Coffee Roasters. This mild and mellow blend is the company’s spin on donut shop-style coffee.

Where to Get Fasnachts on March 5

Holy Trinity in Columbia: Walk-in sales are not offered. All fasnachts must be pre-ordered online. Fear not: Holy Trinity’s fasnachts are available beyond Fasnacht Day; in fact, they are sold throughout the Lenten season. Visit the church’s website at holytrinitycolumbiapa.com to place your order.

Oregon Dairy: The market will be offering drive-thru service under its carport from 6 a.m-9 p.m. Choose from plain, powdered or glazed. 2900 Oregon Pike. Oregondairy.com.

To Market: Fasnacht Day is a big event at Central Market and Root’s Country Market. Bakeries at each location will be offering their versions of this Pennsylvania Dutch treat.

Head for the Grocery Store: Stauffers, Giant, Weis, Yoder’s, Shady Maple, Ferguson & Hassler, Musser’s and other local stores will be able to supply you with fasnachts. It will be interesting to see what the new guys in town do. Will they come up with an organic, gluten-free, keto-friendly fasnacht?

Bakeries: Try Achenbach’s and Byers Butterflake bakeries in Leola; Country Table in Mount Joy; and Bird-in-Hand Bakery in Bird-in-Hand.

An Original Little House

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Over the last several years, a lifestyle known as living small has come into vogue. Not only have smaller homes captured our imaginations, but lifestyle gurus such as organizing consultant Marie Kondo are making us rethink our penchant for accumulating stuff. Then there are the Danes, the happiest people on Earth, who subscribe to the notion, “Less stuff; more life.” What’s it like to live small? Lancaster’s Lisa Bowman shares what she has learned.

Ten years ago, Lisa was emerging from a difficult time in her life. She had served as her mother’s primary caregiver and, when the mother of a good friend who lived on the West Coast began to experience failing health, Lisa served as a liaison between the two.

In the aftermath of the deaths of both women, Lisa deemed it was time to turn to her favorite coping mechanism and tackle a project. She spied what would become her project as she was driving through the city. A tiny house that sat on the edge of the business district caught her eye. The for-sale sign had just been posted. “I thought to myself that it’s strange for me to want to buy a house,” she recalls. On second thought, it made perfect sense. Thanks to her inheritance, she had the money she needed, and because of the recession, the real estate market wasn’t exactly booming.

She made an offer, and the house was hers. “It became my therapy,” she recalls. “I really indulged myself. I love history, and I love aesthetics,” she explains, referencing her history degree from American University (plus a fascination with Lancaster’s past) and 15 years spent as a floral designer, which took her to places such as Great Britain (to study) and Southern California (for a change of scenery).

The house provided the best of both worlds. As for Lisa, she has come full circle and has been working in the realm of heritage tourism for the past 15 years; she is currently on staff at the Lancaster Office of Promotion. Because of Lancaster’s growing reputation as a very livable city, Lisa finds herself fielding her share of questions from potential city dwellers who stop by the Visitor’s Center.

Fortunately, she can speak from experience. “This is the fourth different house I’ve lived in,” she says of Lancaster. In addition to D.C., she’s also lived in Philadelphia and New York. She’s traveled extensively through Europe and laughs that two close friends are Dutch and consider her house to be huge. “They wonder why Americans have such large yards – they never see anybody in them,” she shares.

As with any successful project, teamwork is vital to its outcome. Lisa assembled her team and went to work. “The transformation of the property was a group effort, showcasing some of the best of Lancaster County’s many talented professionals,” she says with pride.

Despite all the time and effort she devoted to the project, Lisa doesn’t regard the house as hers. “A lot of people have lived in this house,” she remarks. “Like them, I’m just passing through. One never ‘owns’ an old house. The investments you make are simply helping to preserve it for the next generation.”

The earliest records for the house date to 1835. “But, it’s probably older than that,” Lisa says, pointing out that its location meshes with the city’s Colonial period. “You go farther out, and the architecture transitions to Victorian,” she explains. Neighborhoods filled with rowhouses reflected Lancaster’s manufacturing prowess. She surmises that other houses on her block also had humble beginnings but expanded upward as their owners’ economic status improved.

History literally surrounds the house. An early Mennonite cemetery was located behind the property (it was taken over by the Elks Club parking lot), and historians once surmised that the remains of the Conestoga Indians who were massacred a few blocks away in 1763 were interred there. The rail line that made its way across the city from the east also passed behind the house. Lisa finds it fascinating to know that Lincoln’s funeral train traveled by her house. She says the historical footnotes serve to provide her with a “sense of being part of something bigger.”

Styling Her New Life

According to the Census Bureau, in 2016 the average American home measured 2,687 square feet (over the past two years, the number has decreased by 200 square feet thanks to the availability of more mid-sized homes). Forty-five years ago, the average American home contained 1,660 square feet.

Then, there’s Lisa’s home, which offers approximately 960 square feet of living space. The first floor contains two multi-purpose rooms as well as a small galley kitchen. Upstairs, she combined two small bedrooms to create a master suite (which includes the house’s only bathroom). Similar-sized houses dot the city. In fact, a friend of Lisa’s, Amber Strazzo, lives in one that measures in at 625 square feet.

However, Lisa considers her rather spacious backyard, which offers nearly 400 square feet of additional space, to be an integral part of her home. The patio provides space for dining during all but the coldest months. The garden “rooms” and a second-floor deck provide space for entertaining.

Creating a garden was the first item on Lisa’s to-do list. “It was pretty much a slag heap back there,” she recalls. “Two truckloads of debris were removed from the yard.” From there, Lisa designed a garden around the trees that remained. “I created depth and space by including lots of things to look at,” she says. Large rocks not only anchor the garden, but also provide seating. Garden art is of the natural variety and includes flagstone that’s been turned upright to mimic modern sculpture, a water feature and tree branches set into oversized containers.

Nearly all of her building elements are of the found variety. For example, piles of discarded bricks provided the foundation for a path that winds through the garden. Shade-loving plants such as ferns, hosta and wild ginger made their way from friends’ gardens to Lisa’s. “The backyard gets very little sun, so the emphasis is on foliage and not flowers,” she explains. Lighting fixtures that were removed from the front of the house now hang in the backyard, where they illuminate the area via candle power. She also adores old tree stumps, explaining that she views them as “the chain of life,” in that they attract bugs, which in turn attract birds. “Lots of natural activity goes on in a tree stump,” she says.

The natural look extends to the front of the house. “I needed something to break up the expanse of concrete – it was too sterile looking,” she explains. Because of the southern exposure, planters would be high-maintenance. “And, I needed something that couldn’t move, so I thought of using the rocks,” she continues. During a trip to Penn Stone, she found exactly what she wanted.

Working with Joel’s Painting, Lisa devised an exterior color scheme that she carried indoors. Soft gray partners with black. Outdoors, the duo is joined with burgundy accents. Upstairs, the aesthetics change, as the walls of Lisa’s bedroom are painted a vivid purple.

Lisa looked to history in decorating the first-floor rooms. “Having rooms serve only one purpose is a modern concept,” she explains. “At one time, rooms served several purposes.” Consider the original log cabin – the open interior space served as a kitchen, dining room, living room and bedroom.

In Lisa’s case, the front room functions as a parlor. It’s furnished with a small period sofa and a variety of occasional chairs that can be moved about. A table in the center of the room does double duty, as it provides a display area for art and flowers or serves as a place for dining. “Everything multi-tasks in this house,” she remarks.

Black plantation shutters echo the color of the front door and exterior trims. They not only provide privacy, but also climate control. (There’s no central air and minimal insulation.)

The second room is more casual. A desk multi-tasks as a bar and a custom-made ottoman often serves as a dining table. In such cases, Lisa places sheepskin rugs on the floor as seating. “First-time guests are sometimes confused but end up loving to sit on the floor to eat and socialize,” she says.

As for the decor, Lisa feels she has assembled an “interesting collection of odds and ends” that reflect her past and her interest in art. She also has a keen eye for finds and subscribes to the notion that one man’s trash is another’s treasure. For example, a client was preparing to trash two crystal chandeliers when Lisa offered to take them. She fished a club chair (circa 1930s) out of a dumpster in Philly and had it recovered. The art that fills the house represents finds, auction buys and family pieces.

Through living in a house that offers less than 1,000 square feet of living space, Lisa has learned to be creative and judicious. She agrees with the thought process that if something isn’t being used, it needs to find a new home. She also agrees with Marie Kondo’s philosophy that if it doesn’t bring you joy, it should go.

In her estimation, living small naturally imparts self control. You find yourself making fewer impulsive purchases. With limited storage space, you learn to make do. For example, Lisa has one set of dinnerware. Ditto for wine glasses. Clutter is kept to a minimum by being space specific – everything has a space. If something comes into the house, Lisa does her best to eliminate something.

“I love my Little House in the city!” Lisa says. “Jane Austen once said, ‘There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort,’ and I couldn’t agree more!”

Lisa's Team
• Joel’s Painting & Contracting • Fenninger & Sons (construction) • George J. Grove & Son, Inc. • Ranck Plumbing and Heating • Certified Carpet • Martin’s Flooring • Stumpf’s Upholstery & Design • Stock Swap Furniture Consignments • Details • Interiors Home • Brubaker Inc. (appliances) • Howells Glass Company • Phillips Paint and • Decorating Center • Douglas Paint and Wallpaper • Penn Stone • Stauffers of Kissell Hill  • Art & Glassworks • Black Angus Antiques • Building Character • Burning Bridge Antiques • Toll House Antiques • Radel & Stauffer • Red Raven Art Gallery • City Folk • Christiane David Gallery • The Great Frame Up • The Lancaster County • Historical Society • The Scarlet Willow • Puffer Morris Realty 

Check out the full Houzz trends list here.

Modern Art

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Just walking by Modern Art, you are likely to find yourself right in the middle of a work of art in progress or, better still, invited to participate in one.

A guest checks his phone into one of the Phonotel’s decorated mini-motel rooms. Photo by Sara Code Kroll.

When I asked founder Libby Modern what Modern Art is all about, she replied, “Officially, Modern Art is an unconventional art and design studio. Through slightly disarming, curious and unconventional surprises, we use creativity and design thinking to provide an entry point into positive change making …” Breaking down the divide between the artist and the viewer, the endeavors at Modern Art inspire, above all, community.

PCA&D artgarden installation, commissioned to mark the inauguration of the school’s new president, features a giant metallic ampersand and garden signs. Intended as “a symbol of forging, building and deepening connections, marking PCA&D’s re-introduction to the Lancaster community,” passersby and students are welcomed to write on the chalk signs. Michelle Johnsen Photography.

The West Chestnut Street studio is half design firm and half communal art studio. The design firm side specializes in the socially responsible/nonprofit community, working with clients like PCA&D, Lancaster Conservancy and the City of Lancaster. The studio side focuses on socially engaged, community-driven art projects and events that strive to amuse, surprise and challenge the way people think.

Making Modern Art

Libby landed in Lancaster in 2006 with her husband and 1-month-old baby after roving “everywhere from South Dakota to Russia to California.” In San Francisco, she had co-founded a socially conscious design studio called Half-full, working with organizations like Greenpeace. She continued that work, out of her home, after moving to Lancaster, all the while dreaming of a community studio space. During one of the couple’s first nights in Lancaster, they went out for a walk around town. Unbeknownst to them, it was First Friday, and the city was bustling with art and community. “A super nice couple saw us on the corner – we must have looked out of place – and said, ‘New in town, huh? C’mon with us. Let’s go meet the mayor.’ They led us right to Mayor Gray’s house where he was standing outside mingling with the crowds … I loved it immediately,” Libby explains. She had dropped anchor in the perfect place to open her studio.

An artist at work in the Modern Art shop window. Michelle Johnsen Photography.

Libby moved into the studio space six years ago and, citing “the help of friends, neighbors and the community,” Modern Art evolved into what it is today, “an interdisciplinary, collaborative art and design studio with the goal of erasing the boundary between studio and the community,” as Libby describes it.

The Work

Projects at Modern Art range from creating a fleet of upcycled, free-to-borrow, bicycles (“ArtBike”) to a neighborhood messaging system, broadcasting submitted ideas and thoughts on the shop window (“Word to Your Neighbor”). “The PHONOTEL,” an installation made from an old card-catalog in the studio (in collaboration with Joanna Davis Seedorf), invites you to “Check in Your Phone, Check Out the World,” providing the chance to take a break from the digital and reframe your experience of the world. The project includes phone-free survival guides and even wooden dummy phones to ease your transition.

In collaboration with The Mix at Arbor Place and the City of Lancaster Public Art Department, Modern Art led a group of kids from The Mix through the city on a quest to listen, observe and record their experience. Then they challenged the student artists to create a piece that embodied the sounds of the city. The work was gathered into an exhibit, called “Sound Mixin’: What does our city sound like?” shown at the Lancaster Train Station.

Libby Modern works with students from the School District of Lancaster creating collaborative, conceptual ArtBikes based on issues they’d like the district to address. Photo by Sara Code Kroll.

An ongoing project titled “Museum of the Living Worker” transforms the studio’s window display into a living artwork where artists create, in public view, a piece that includes some audience participation. One installment (in collaboration with Erik Anderson) called “Lancaster Office of Public Narrative” took over the whole studio, transforming it into a DMV-esque office where passersby were asked to share their best/worst/weirdest Lancaster stories; the artist translated them into entries in a print chapbook. The museum project will continue with the “Division of Public Enthrallment,” an installment aimed at involving the community in local government by asking locals to attend City Council meetings and respond with a piece of work inspired by it, culminating in an interactive exhibit.

An upcoming project, “The GREEN SPACE ship” (in collaboration with Jenny Schulder Brant and Mary Schroeder), aims to disrupt the city dweller’s concept and connection with nature and health and includes turning the studio space into a greenhouse oasis and health salon/chai shop. Visitors will be offered an opportunity to participate in events over the course of the two-week installation that challenge their daily habits and thinking while surrounded by greenery.

Art & Community

Whether it’s the sharing of stories and experiences in a creative way or challenging our preconceived notions and turning our perceptions on their heads, the work at Modern Art is aimed at doing what art does best: connect and inspire people.

For more upcoming events, projects and information, check out Itsmodernart.com or Facebook.

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