berks county – Just Get in the Car https://justgetinthecar.com Local finds and family adventures Tue, 18 Feb 2020 16:13:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://justgetinthecar.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Untitled-design-4-75x75.png berks county – Just Get in the Car https://justgetinthecar.com 32 32 Getting to know Donna Wethey of Spotted Hill Farm https://justgetinthecar.com/getting-to-know-donna-wethey-of-spotted-hill-farm/ https://justgetinthecar.com/getting-to-know-donna-wethey-of-spotted-hill-farm/#respond Tue, 18 Feb 2020 16:12:46 +0000 https://justgetinthecar.com/?p=1030

Last spring we had a lovely visit with Donna and Guy of Spotted Hill Farm. We learned all about kidding season, and got to feed the baby goats! We thought it would be fun to catch up with Donna and ask her a few questions. Here’s what she has to share.

  1. Tell us about you, Guy, and the farm. What does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day here:

We get up early, 6:30 most days, when we have kids [baby goats], earlier! There are animals to be fed and cared for, and babies to be bottle fed. The does [mama goats] are milked and then we pasteurize the milk and set up bottles for the next feed. When the babies are weaned, we will either freeze the milk for later use in soap or make cheese for family and friends.

In between feeds, there is hay to gather, grain to buy and pick up and numerous other things to do. Our garden is just getting started in Spring, so there is planting and weeding to be done. We never lack something to do around the farm and we are never bored!! Later on in the season we will be canning fruits and vegetables for use in the winter.

Guy and the Goats

2. What do you want our readers to know about Spotted Hill Farm? Can people visit you?

We LOVE sharing our farm with others, especially young people! Guy and I believe every child should know where eggs and milk are made! Springtime is the best time to visit, as our goats give birth in the Spring! This year, we have 7 does due to kid in April!

We will be hosting our Open Farm Weekends every weekend in May from 10-5. We are open by appointment the rest of the week! Set up a time to come see our friendly farm pets or shop in our Barn Store for wonderful goods handcrafted by local artisans and farmers.

We host Yoga With Our Baby Goats in May and June! Our babies are bottle fed and obnoxiously friendly and love interacting with people! Check out SpottedHillFarm.com/yoga for schedule and tickets.

Kids in the coop

3. We know you love your town – tell us the best thing about Boyertown! Is there a hidden gem that we should know about?

Our little Boyertown has tons of gems!! Some of my favorites are Dancing Tree Creations, Colebrookdale Railroad and Taylor Backes.

4. If you had a day to explore around your town, where would you go, what would you eat, what would you do?

We would start out having breakfast at Brakeman’s Cafe, right across the parking lot from the Colebrookdale Railroad. Set in an old brick garage, it is a friendly and charming place with excellent coffee and food! Then, we would go take a glass blowing class at Taylor Backes, a wonderful gallery of handcrafted blown glass.

We would then stop by Grind [website appears to be coming soon] for a delicious lunch! We would visit with Keith, the owner and Tom, our favorite waiter. The food is wonderful and the people are even nicer!

After lunch, we would definitely take a ride on the Colebrookdale Railroad! The last time we went, we took our grandkids and it was the biggest kid, Guy, who had the most fun!

Then, we would go home as it would be time to feed all the animals.

5. It’s almost kidding season – right? Are there opportunities for the public to come and see the baby goats?

We will be open weekends in May from 10-5. Other times by appointment only. We are not set up to receive visitors on a drop by basis.

6. When we visited, our daughter named one of the babies! How is Gabbie doing?

Gabbie is doing well! She is living with a lovely young couple out in the western part of Berks County. We delivered Gabbie and Harvey and they have a wonderful life, going for walks every evening.

Thank you so much to Donna for sharing more about her farm, Boyertown, and the opportunity to visit the baby goats! Our family had such a lovely day with Donna and Guy and we can’t wait to head back this spring. It’s an experience you and your [human] kids will not soon forget!

-Kristin

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Chew, Chant, Chill, and Craft Beer in Reading https://justgetinthecar.com/chew-chant-chill-and-craft-beer-in-reading/ https://justgetinthecar.com/chew-chant-chill-and-craft-beer-in-reading/#comments Tue, 11 Dec 2018 04:08:45 +0000 https://justgetinthecar.com/?p=617

Whenever my wife and I plan a trip somewhere, the first thing I look into is the local breweries.  Almost every big town and city has one or more craft brewery these days, so there is never an excuse not to try out some new, local beer!  On our last trip to Reading, I did the same thing and came across Chatty Monks.  We were on our way to a Fightin’ Phils game, but were not able to make a visit.  But I had kept an eye on the place, and was determined to get there on my next visit to Reading.   

Last week, my wife made plans to head up to the Reading area to visit Koziar’s Christmas Village.  It didn’t open up until later, so we had to find someplace to meet up with the rest of our group for lunch.  Seeing my opening, I quickly suggested (OK, insisted) we try out Chatty Monks.  She agreed, reached out to the brewery, and I finally got my chance to check out the place. They were very responsive to having Just Get in the Car in for a visit, and the complimentary flight of beer was most welcomed!

We showed up on a Sunday afternoon with a pretty big crew – four adults and six kids.  We settled in for a nice meal, with a side of libations.  It was difficult to decide what to start with:  the Hoppy French Friars were intriguing – hand cut fries dusted with hops.  We also considered the Fried Pickles and wings, but our stomachs were not big enough to try everything.  We decided on the Jalapeno Popper Dip – a spicy and delicious dip we were all able to share.  I would highly recommend trying it if you stop in.

The main dishes did not disappoint, either.  My brother went with the fish tacos, which he quickly devoured and raved about, while his wife enjoyed the “Q” Platter, which consisted of pulled pork, baked beans and coleslaw.  My wife, being the Italian that she is, ordered The Rosa!, a pasta dish with marinara sauce and cream. It was a little spicy for her tastes, so take that into consideration if you are jonesing for pasta. I went with the Chatty Brisket Brioche, a smoked brisket sandwich with herbed cheddar cheese and a peppered mustard sauce.  All four of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals.

After we ordered our lunch, my brother and I decided to do our due diligence on their beers – three flights allowed us to try all eight beers on tap, plus a local cider that they offered.  Chatty Monks offers a great mix of beers to try: IPAs, Stouts, Sours and Ales were all on tap. 

With the first flight, we started with the Chocolate Maids-a-Milken Stout.  I really enjoy a good stout, and this one was delicious.  It was on nitro, which gave it a nice kick, and also had a tasty chocolate flavor.  Next up was the Black Friday IPA, a dark, tasty beer with a nice hoppy flavor, as well as some maltiness.  After that was the Berks English Ale, a smooth, easily drinkable beer. 

On the next flight, we started with the Pekkochu IPA (pronounced just like the Pokemon).  It had a nice melon flavor and a light color.  Next up was one of the most unique beers I have ever tasted – their Sour Brown Ale.  It had a much darker color than you normally see in a sour, with a strong, lip puckering flavor.  Definitely worth trying!  We rounded out that flight with the Traditional London Brown Ale – a dark, malty masterpiece.  We followed this up on flight three with another nice malty drink – the Revelation Ale, then the Crafty Cranberry, a cider made at nearby Wyndridge Farms.  It had a light pink color, as well as a nice apple-cranberry flavor.

My favorite of them all was their Endoplasmic Reticulum, a delicious American IPA.  When the flights were gone, I had two pints while finishing my lunch, and also left with two Crowlers, neither of which lasted through the night.  If only have time for one beer, make sure that this is the one you try.

Another great thing about the place is that it is kid friendly.  They have a few offerings for the kiddos on their menu – grilled cheese, chicken fingers and chocolate chip pancakes, since we were there for brunch.  No milk or chocolate milk, unfortunately.  But the kids were content with water (and a soda for our older daughter).  The place also offered some entertainment to our surprise Magic with Matty Whipple.  He came over to the table, and did a few tricks for the kids, which left them bewildered and excited.  Luckily, he did not make our beer disappear!

We are not the only ones who think this place is great.  They just recently won Berks County Brewery of the Year!  So if you are looking for something to do, go check out Chatty Monks.  Make a day of it – down the block are another brewery, a nearby ice cream shop, a coffee and donut shop, and a used toy shop, where the kids harassed us for figures, while dad got to relive his youth.  On top of that, you are only a few blocks away from the Reading Public Museum and Planetarium, a great museum for kids and adults alike.  There is plenty to do in the Reading area, starting with the opportunity to try out some great beer.  

- Shawn

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