Farm Home Becomes Tourist Hotel

Farm Home Becomes Tourist Hotel FARM HOME Miscellaneous 10-3-29 Farm wife Mildred Musselman, of Gettysburg, Pa., is meeting new people and making "egg money" at the same time by using a vacant house on the farmstead as a farm "hotel" for vacationers who want to escape the city. Musselman became interested in using the house as a hotel, in lieu of renting to tenants, after reading a brochure on "farm vacations." The brochure is published by the Farm Vacation Home Association which is assisted by the Penn. Dept. of Agriculture. Frank Topper, advisor to the group, explains that the two groups set guidelines for the homes, which includes that they be on working farms, pass a clean water test and fulfill cleanliness standards. Participants pay yearly dues to belong to the association. Published once a year, the brochure lists the participating farms and includes details on each set-up. It's distributed to tourist stops, restaurants and mailed to interested parties. Topper notes that Pennsylvania is the only state with such a program. Association members are free to set their own prices and meal arrangements. Set-ups range from guests staying in the family farm home and eating meals with the family, to staying in a separate house and cooking their own meals. The Musselman's have been receiving guests since last summer. They've had ten different families stay, some coming from as far away as California and Iceland. Mildred points out that she and her husband enjoy the chance to meet varied and interesting people through their farm hotel. For a free brochure. send a stamped, self-returned envelope to: FARM SHOW Followup, Penn. Farm Vacation Association, Dept. of Ag., 2301 N. Cameron, Harrisburg, Penn. 17110-9408.

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