Geislers attend NAFDMA tour in Pennsylvania
Darrell Geisler, co-owner of Growing Family Fun, participated in the North American Farmers’ Direct Marketing Association’s 2010 Bus Tour in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Feb. 6-8. Malinda Geisler, who attended on behalf of Iowa State University’s Value Added Agriculture Program, accompanied him.
The NAFDMA bus tour drew more than 225 attendees from across the United States, Canada and England and traveled through Lancaster and surrounding counties to learn more about direct farm marketing and agritourism. The tour was shortened by a half day due to 20 inches of snow that fell Feb. 5.
Lancaster County consistently ranks number one among all counties in the United States on the chart of direct sales from farms to consumers by USDA’s Census of Agriculture. The population in Lancaster County is about 500,000. Of that, the Amish population is about 25,000. Lancaster County welcomes nearly 11 million visitors each year. Peak tourist season is August through October. The county hosts 11,000 motor coaches each year.