A hand-lettered sign, a shed, and an often unwatched money box: it’s farm stand season in Lancaster. These roadside stands don’t have websites and marketing budgets, so we’re spreading the word about a few favorites. This isn’t an exhaustive list, so let us know your favorite stand, and we’ll add it.
The Corn Wagon
2169 Millersville Road, Lancaster (New Danville)
4.8 stars, 215 reviews
For more than fifty years, the Brenneman family has been selling sweet corn from a wooden wagon on Route 741. The corn is picked fresh each day, and regulars know to come early. In addition to corn, you’ll find peaches, tomatoes, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. The selection changes throughout the season. Recent reviewers mentioned cabbage for $1.50, peppers at three for a dollar, and a five-eighths bushel of tomatoes for $12.
Big Pine Farms Produce
731 Village Road, Lancaster (Strasburg)
4.6 stars, 34 reviews
Two sisters run this farm. They sell what they grow from a covered wagon parked in their driveway. Their standard is known for their melons, both watermelon and sweet melon, and the tomatoes are especially popular with those who make their own sauce. You’ll also find chile peppers, green beans, winter squash, and cut flowers, plus hanging baskets in the spring at surprisingly low prices. The sisters are usually there and happy to chat as long as you like. Each week’s harvest is posted on their Facebook page.
One Google reviewer says: “Best melons I ever had. Also the tomatoes are to die for.”
Smucker’s Farm Market
2110 Rockvale Road, Lancaster (West Lampeter)
4.7 stars, 83 reviews
This small cottage sits on a quiet stretch of Rockvale Road, about a mile south of Route 30, and there’s nothing else quite like it.
In addition to the usual produce (corn, cucumbers, broccoli, and cauliflower), you’ll find jams, spreads, raw honey, creamed honey with lemon or cinnamon, eggs, and cheese. The staff know their produce and are happy to share tips.
Funk’s Riverview
2277 River Road, Washington Boro
4.9 stars, 84 reviews
Washington Boro is known for its tomatoes, thanks to the rich river soil. The Funk family runs this stand, and the low prices bring people from across the region. During May, any purchase comes with a free hand-dipped ice cream cone. The family often does these kinds of favors without being asked; one regular from Maryland shared that they once picked extra ground cherries just for her.
A recent Google reviewer said: “We were treated so sweetly, and my kids were given free ice cream”
Rolling Gardens Farm Market
4527 Marietta Avenue, Columbia
4.8 stars, 175 reviews
Through the summer, you’ll find sweet corn, cantaloupe, green beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Cut flowers are available all season. In the fall, mums arrive. The shelves are stocked with baked and preserved goods, and the view out back is amazing. Some people even drive up from Maryland just for the corn.
Busy Bee’s Farm Market
3378 Old Philadelphia Pike, Ronks
4.8 stars, 177 reviews
The Fisher family sells fresh produce while it’s in season, then switches to preserved goods, crafts, and salty snacks later in the season. Most people stop for the pretzels, which are rolled and baked right in front of you. You can also get homemade soda, honey, potato chips, and the family’s own recipe book.
Behind the stand, you’ll find baby goats you can feed. A review on Google claims that this “small, nondescript stand that has some of the best pretzels in Lancaster County.”
Farm Wagon
1061 Weaverland Road, East Earl
4.9 stars, 55 reviews
A tent stand at the front of the lot with greenhouses at the back. Drive to the rear and walk around.
The garlic has its own following and people plan trips around it. Watch out for the small cherry peppers, which are hotter than they look. The spring flowers and container plants pull people back every year on price alone. This is the highest-rated stand on our list.
Evergreen Acres Produce
745 North Reading Road, Ephrata
4.8 stars, 48 reviews
The Weavers, a Mennonite family, run this small stand, and you can see their fields from the shed.
The first corn of the season arrives around mid-June. After that, you’ll find a mix of the Weavers’ own crops and produce from nearby farms, along with baked goods that are just as good as the vegetables. When Autumn arrives, the stand offers a wide selection of mums along with hay bales, corn stalks, and pumpkins.
Things to Keep in Mind Before You Pull Over
Bring cash. Assume no cards. These stands are often closed on Sunday, though Big Pine now keeps short Sunday hours. Many of these places have no phone and no set hours, and often run on the honor system, so use the cash box and take only what you paid for.