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Your Hosts
Don
& Ginny Ranck are born and bred Lancastrians. They came to farm at
Verdant View after Don's parents decided to retire from farming in 1975.
At the time, Don & Ginny had been living in Recife, Brazil, after
spending five years there working in agricultural and community development.
Don studied at Penn State University, where he got a B.S. in agricultural
science and education. Ginny is a licensed practical nurse.
The Rancks have raised 4 children at Verdant View. Their elder son, Eldon,
lives locally, builds cellular towers and he and his wife Tammy are raising
three beautiful daughters: Katelyn, Adrianne and Olivia. Heather Andrea,
their elder daughter, works for the US Commercial Service (US Department
of Commerce) as an International Trade Specialist in Fargo, North Dakota.
Aaron, their second son, a graduate of Ursinus College, is pursuing his
masters degree at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey.
Elisa, the second daughter, graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia,
majoring in sociology and Portuguese, and she is currently working at
a literacy program called Everybody Wins! DC.
Both Don and Ginny are active in community activities. They attend Witmer Heights Mennonite Church in Smoketown, Pa. Don is a Rotarian, an elected township supervisor, vice-chair of the Lancaster County Farm Bureau, and was elected to the corporate board of Land O' Lakes Cooperative. Ginny was elected to the Pequea Valley School Board, she is on the Lancaster County Dairy Promotion Committee, she is on the Mennonite Information Center Board, but she is never "bored" at home!
For
over 32 years, the Rancks have enjoyed receiving guests into their home.
They have hosted visitors from all over the United States, Canada, Germany,
France, England, South Africa, Congo, Brazil, Israel, Vietnam, Japan,
Australia and many other countries. International guests are welcome at
Verdant View. The Rancks speak Portuguese and some Spanish.
The Rancks would like to invite you to share some time with them down on the farm in Paradise. Visit around the breakfast table, talk to Don about farmland preservation and politics or economics. Talk to Ginny about anything under the sun while milking the cows with her in the morning or evening. It's one of the few places in the world where you can truly get a "slice of Paradise" here on Earth!
Here's what some of Verdant View's visitors have to say about their farm stays:
"Our daughter returned to her work after our farm vacation and her colleagues shared what they had done: the Caribbean, Paris...Susan, however, topped them all. Susan got to milk a cow!" Edis and family, South Dakota.
"We wanted to thank you for the awesome overnight stay. It was so nice to meet new people at breakfast and see the farm animals. We have never been anywhere like that." Steph, Brenden, Katie and Cathy, Mechanicsburg, PA.
"You are a great host family. Your breakfast is super ("copieuse" in French) and we met nice people thanks to you. Célia will never forget the little baby cow and her mum." Chris, France.
"My wife and I had a wonderful time. We would love to come back and have some friends over next time." Arun & Julia, Morrisville, PA.
"I wanted to thank you for opening up your home and farm to us while we were there on vacation. Of all the things the kids did that week the highlight was milking the cows and feeding the calves." Charlie, Wilmington, NC.
"The
kids are still telling stories about what they did at the farm in addition
to the railroad places we visited. Billy thought it was really cool that
he got to stay in a real farmhouse instead of just a hotel."
Lori, Pittsburgh, Pa.
"Thank you for taking the time to share part of your day with us...and to share your background and your faith too!" Mary & Ed, Houston, TX.
"I loved being a guest in your little white house. The accomodations
fit our needs perfectly. Your hospitality was warm and sincere; your farm
teachings impactful on my son." Susan, NY.
"With many wonderful memories from our vacation on your farm we have returned to Switzerland. Thank you for all your efforts to make our time there so special!" Regula & Pius, Switzerland.
"You have a beautiful home in a beautiful place. The time you spent teaching us over breakfast was the highlight of our stay in Lancaster. Your insight into farmland preservation has helped us look at farm preservation from a broader viewpoint and encouraged us to continue looking for solutions to urban sprawl and farmland loss." GEI Team, Philadelphia, Pa.
"We think you live in a wonderful country. We just loved meeting you and staying in your home." Gordon & Rose, South Africa.
Farm Fun / Breakfast & Recipes / Rooms / Map & Attractions / Farm Heritage / Home
Verdant View Farm Bed & Breakfast
c/o Don & Ginny Ranck
429 Strasburg Rd.
Paradise, Pa. 17562-9705
1-888-321-8119 (toll-free)
717-687-7353 (local)
reservations@verdantview.com