Map Out A Weekend Drive To Experience This Traditional Autumn Destination In Rural Ohio

A bakery in Ohio’s Amish Country still uses recipes that started in one woman’s home kitchen back in 1986. Those recipes now turn out more than a dozen flavors of fry pies, plus breads, donuts, and cinnamon rolls made from scratch.

Beyond the pastry cases, the cast changes to goats, alpacas, llamas, and enormous draft horses. Hundreds of farm animals live here, indoors and out, and they take feed cones very seriously.

Then fall shows up and the whole farm turns orange. Horse-drawn wagons roll out to a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, and kettle corn cooks over an open fire nearby.

I actually prefer autumn trips like this, where the season is something you can taste, carry, and feed carrots to. So why settle for watching leaves through a windshield when a place like this is only a weekend drive away?

Your First Stop Smells Like Cinnamon Rolls For A Reason

Emma Hershberger started baking in her own home kitchen, and her recipes are still in use today. That is a pretty great legacy for a stack of handwritten instructions.

The bakery at Hershberger’s Farm and Bakery sits just outside Millersburg, in the heart of Ohio’s Amish Country. It turns out breads, donuts, cinnamon rolls, cookies, and pies made from scratch.

Everything is made with natural ingredients and no preservatives. That means your cinnamon roll tastes like a cinnamon roll, not a science project.

Fry pies are the star of the show here. These half-moon pastries come in more than a dozen fruit-filled flavors, so deciding might take a minute.

The baking starts early, often long before sunrise. Fresh batches keep coming out of the ovens throughout the day, which helps if you arrive after lunch.

My advice is simple: buy one treat to eat now and a box for later. The drive home is long enough to regret leaving with only one fry pie.

Grab a coffee if you need one, then pace yourself. The farm still has plenty waiting beyond the bakery doors.

Bring Carrots, Because The Goats Will Absolutely Ask

Hundreds of farm animals call this place home. That makes the petting area one of the largest in Holmes County, and the goats seem aware of their fame.

The space includes both indoor and outdoor areas. So a chilly or drizzly fall day won’t ruin your plans to meet a llama.

The lineup is impressively varied. You’ll find miniature ponies, alpacas, sheep, goats, llamas, pigs, and massive draft horses that make everyone else look tiny.

A small admission fee covers both areas. Inside, feed cones and sliced carrots are available for purchase, and they are basically your ticket to popularity.

Hand a goat a carrot and you instantly gain a new best friend. Hand it nothing and you get a very judgmental stare.

Kids love the hands-on part, but grown-ups tend to linger too. There’s something calming about a sheep happily munching while the rest of the world rushes around.

Wear shoes you don’t mind getting a little dusty. Also keep hand sanitizer handy, because alpaca kisses are sweet but not exactly tidy.

Grab A Wagon Seat And Go Pick Your Own Pumpkin

Horses do the driving here, which is a nice break for whoever handled the highway. During fall, horse-drawn wagon rides head out to a seasonal pick-your-own pumpkin patch.

Once you hop off, the hunt begins. Somewhere in that field is the perfect future jack-o’-lantern, and it’s probably heavier than it looks.

Wagons aren’t the only way to roll around Hershberger’s Farm and Bakery. A traditional buggy ride lets you try the slower pace of Amish travel around the farm.

Younger visitors get their own option too. Pony carousel rides give little ones a safe, steady spin that feels like a huge adventure.

Each ride adds a fresh angle on the farm. Fall colors surrounding the fields make every trip feel like a postcard come to life.

Plan your pumpkin picking before you shop heavily. Juggling a giant gourd and three bags of baked goods is a skill few people have.

Bring a wagon or strong arms for the trek back. Your pumpkin won’t carry itself, no matter how politely you ask it.

Save Trunk Space For Amish Noodles And Handmade Treasures

Shopping lists tend to vanish once you reach the Farm Store, Gift, and Leathershop. Many of the products are crafted right in Holmes County, Ohio.

Handmade wooden toys line the shelves, the kind that never needed batteries. They make thoughtful gifts for kids, or for adults who miss simpler playtime.

Quality leather goods fill another corner. You might even catch artisans working on leather items, which adds a real hometown touch.

The pantry finds are where things get dangerous for your budget. Bulk foods, local maple syrup, and Amish noodles all practically jump into the basket.

Hershberger’s also sells its own brand of spices. Options range from popcorn seasoning to ranch dressing mix, so movie night and salad night are covered.

Poly outdoor furniture rounds out the selection for anyone planning a porch upgrade. Measure your vehicle first, though, because rocking chairs are surprisingly bulky.

A smart move is to shop near the end of your visit. That way your treasures ride home without getting squished during pumpkin duty.

Mums, Gourds, And Pumpkins Pile Up Everywhere You Turn

Autumn decorating gets a lot easier when the farm has already done the hard part. Colorful mums, towering pumpkin stacks, gourds, and cornstalks fill the grounds each fall.

It’s honestly a photographer’s dream. Stand anywhere near those pumpkin piles and your phone will thank you.

Produce follows Ohio’s harvest calendar throughout the growing season. That means what you see depends on what local fields are producing at the time.

Fall brings crisp apples and various squash to the tables. Sweet candy onions also show up, and they’re worth grabbing for soups and stews.

Buying here feels different from a grocery run. You’re picking up food that grew nearby, in the same countryside you just drove through.

Planning a holiday meal? Load up on squash and apples now, and your Thanksgiving table gets a little piece of Amish Country.

Bring a few sturdy boxes or bags along. Mums tip over easily in a trunk, and dirt in the cupholders is never a fun surprise.

Lunch Gets Serious Once You Find The Food Trailer

Fry pies are wonderful, but they won’t power a full day of pumpkin hauling. Luckily, the Food Trailer at Hershberger’s Farm and Bakery serves breakfast and lunch.

The headliner is the Hershberger, billed as the biggest burger in Amish Country. It stacks meats like sausage, bacon, and hamburger, then adds melted cheese and the fixings.

Sharing is allowed, and possibly encouraged. Nobody will judge you for needing two hands and a strategy.

Homemade lemonade makes a refreshing partner for that burger. When it’s in season, homemade ice cream is another sweet way to finish the meal.

Then there’s the kettle corn, cooked over an open fire nearby. The smell drifts across the farm, and resisting it is mostly a lost cause.

Timing matters if you want a relaxed lunch. Eating before or after the noon rush gives you more time to enjoy the scenery.

Save room for a bag of kettle corn for the road. It’s the ideal snack for the scenic drive back through Holmes County.

Stick Around After Dark On A Fall Late Night

Most farm visits end at closing time, but fall has a bonus round. Hershberger’s hosts special Fall Late Nights that stretch the fun into the evening.

The perks are generous. Past events have offered free petting area admission, plus free pony and draft horse rides.

Free wagon rides to the pumpkin patch are also part of the evening plan. Picking a pumpkin as the sun sets feels downright cinematic.

The bakery, farm store, and food trailer stay open until 9 PM during these events. Extra food trucks also roll in, so supper is handled.

Evenings bring a different mood to the farm. The light softens, the air cools, and everything feels a bit cozier.

Dates change from year to year, so check the farm’s schedule before your trip. Building your weekend around a Late Night is a clever move.

Pack a warm jacket for after sunset. Ohio fall evenings can turn crisp quickly, and shivering through a wagon ride isn’t the goal.

A Roadside Stand Grew Into Four Decades Of Farm Fun

Back in 1986, Alvin and Emma Hershberger opened a simple roadside stand. Nobody could have guessed it would someday include hundreds of animals and pony rides.

The early days were humble. Emma baked in her home kitchen, using recipes the bakery still relies on today.

Fun fact: the business was first called Hershberger’s Truck Patch. The name later changed so visitors would better understand its farm-fresh focus.

Growth came steadily over the years. A new bakery building, a modern petting area, and various rides all joined the lineup.

Through all those changes, Hershberger’s Farm and Bakery has stayed family-owned. That continuity gives the place a grounded, homegrown feel.

Knowing the backstory makes a visit more meaningful. Every fry pie connects back to one woman baking for her family’s little stand.

It’s a classic Ohio success story, built one loaf and one pumpkin at a time. Not bad for a stand that started beside the road.

Plot Your Route Into Holmes County Before You Leave

Millersburg sits about 66 miles south of Cleveland, which makes it an easy weekend target. The village is also the Holmes County seat, right in the heart of Ohio’s Amish Country.

Set your GPS for 5452 OH-557, Millersburg, OH 44654. That’s where Hershberger’s Farm and Bakery waits with fry pies and friendly goats.

The farm is open Monday through Saturday, generally from 8 AM to 5 PM. The petting area opens a little later, at 10 AM.

Sundays are closed, so plan your weekend accordingly. Saturday visits work well, especially if you want time for the drive and a full farm day.

Hours can shift with the seasons. Checking the farm’s schedule before you leave saves you from staring at a locked door.

Credit cards are accepted, which is handy for big shopping hauls. Still, small bills come in useful for feed and quick snacks.

Drive carefully on rural roads, since horse-drawn buggies share the way. Slowing down is part of the charm anyway.