Experience Centre County's Agricultural Bounty: Driving Tours Highlight Heritage Farms, Local Foods, and Preserved Lands
Stroll through open meadows with sweeping views of mountain ridges. Savor roasted pork from heritage breeds raised at Rimmey Road Farm. Discover a harmonious blend of farming, art, and nature amid the sculptures, gardens, and diverse tree species at Rhoneymeade Arboretum & Sculpture Garden.
Rhoneymeade serves as an ideal starting point and must-visit stop on the Happy Valley Agventures’ Ag Heritage Driving Tour (PDF) and the Centre County Farmland Trust’s Round Barn Farm Route—one of three multi-stop Farm Routes. Explore more at Farm Routes.
Utilize all four information-rich maps (available in print and digital formats) to uncover the region’s agricultural heritage, preserved farmlands, tastings of local wine, beer, and cider, and chef-crafted dishes featuring fresh, locally grown ingredients.
Enjoy picturesque country drives between destinations. Collectively, these maps feature 58 detailed stops.
Explore Rhoneymeade’s grounds and two-mile trail through meadows and woodlands year-round. Through November, enjoy fresh roasted pork on Saturday afternoons, art displays in the studio space on Saturdays and Sundays, and guided house tours.
Learn how the Rhone family constructed this home amid tragedy and preserved the land as a working farm against development pressures. Leonard Rhone, a Grange leader, organized a farmers’ “pic-nik” in 1874 that evolved into the First Centre County Grangers’ Pic-nic. The annual Grange Fair in Centre Hall every August remains the nation’s only tenting fair.
More than two decades earlier, at age 15, Rhone and his seven siblings lost their father. In 1853, he had planned the house and ordered materials before succumbing to tuberculosis. His wife, Sarah Kerstetter Rhone, became the family’s heroine, as explained by James Lesher, Rhoneymeade’s executive director. (House tours: Saturdays and Sundays, 12-4 p.m.)
Sarah oversaw the home’s on-schedule completion, managed the estate, kept the family united, and prioritized their education.
The house exemplifies what an upper-middle-class farm family could afford in 1850, per Lesher. This handsome yet modest residence includes a kitchen ell with a large brick cooking fireplace, dining room, and parlor.
The property has been farmed continuously for over 200 years. In 1984, Dr. Richard Morgan, a retired Penn State professor and art collector, acquired it with a vision to share with the public. His art collection graces the grounds, house, and studio. Morgan donated a conservation easement on 130 of the 150 acres to safeguard against development.
From Rhoneymeade, tailor your adventure.
History enthusiasts will love the Ag Heritage Driving Tour’s focus, including the Boal Mansion—former home of Boalsburg founder David Boal—and the Centre Furnace Mansion, residence of ironmaster Moses Thompson. In 1855, local leaders signed the charter for “the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania” there—today’s Pennsylvania State University.
Foodies and nature lovers will gravitate to the Farm Routes, emphasizing preserved public lands like the Barrens to Bald Eagle Wildlife Corridor in Port Matilda, plus spots for local foods, wines from regional grapes, and ciders from area apples.
Nearby, taste award-winning wines with mountain views at Mount Nittany Vineyard and Winery, browse 50+ jams, chutneys, and artisan crafts at Tait Farm & Harvest Shop, or visit the producers-only Boalsburg Farmers Market on Tuesday afternoons.
Experience farm-to-table dining at RE Farm Café, Pine Grove Hall, and Elk Creek Café + Aleworks. Many pubs and restaurants also feature locally sourced ingredients. The three Farm Routes maps spotlight numerous dining options with regional produce and beverages.
Above all: Explore and savor Centre County’s incredible bounty!
