Welcome to Al's Family Farms in Fort Pierce, Florida on the Treasure Coast.
Come take a tour of our Citrus Wash-line and Packinghouse and visit our
"O.J. Corral", Mini Citrus Grove, Veggie Patch and Citrus Maze! We are
located in the famous Indian River Citrus District in our historic red barn
packinghouse. Watch us wash, sanitize and pack Indian River Citrus to send
to our freezin' friends up north! Your guided tour will walk you along our
wash line and take you into the packinghouse where you will see for
yourselves, how Florida citrus is processed. Listen to your guide entertain
you with fun Florida stories and 'Juicy' Trivia! Taste fresh picked fruit
and sample our own fresh squeezed orange juice.

$8.00 VIP Tour includes a tour of the wash-line and packinghouse plus
entrance to the "O.J. Corral"-agri exhibit.

$15.00 Lunch Tour includes tour of wash-line, packinghouse, visit to "O.J.
Corral" plus lunch at our own Red Barn Grill. Call ahead for reservations
and pick up tickets at our Red Barn Grill. Allow 1 1/2 hours for tour, OJ
Corral and Gift Shop - longer if you do the lunch tour.

1-800-544-3366. $15.00 Lunch tour menu choices at our Red Barn Grill are:

1) Angus Cheeseburger, Chips and Fountain Drink.

2) Gourmet All Beef Hot Dog, Chips and Fountain Drink.

3) Authentic Chicken Burrito, Tortilla Chips and Fountain Drink.

4) Bean & Cheese Burrito, Tortilla Chips and Fountain Drink.

5) Authentic Chicken Taco Salad and Fountain Drink.

6) Chef Salad and Fountain Drink.

Ya'll come see us!!

In 1921, Gilbert and Beatrice Bates moved their nutty family to the beautiful, picturesque oak filled valley of Valley Center, where they purchased the Walnut Slope Ranch. They raised their family of 5 boys, complete with geese, ducks, goats, horses, rabbits, sheep, tractor, plows and all sorts of old fashioned farm things. Little did Gilbert know that 80 years later his family farm would provide joy and pleasure for 5 generations of his family, but also for the thousands of visitors from around the world that make that special trip to the Bates farm each year.

We don?t know exactly how the Bates business became so famous? Perhaps it?s the beautiful farm setting, the picnic and park areas, the farm zoo, or the casual, down home environment. Or maybe, it?s the reminder of simpler times and those childhood farm memories. Farm antiques and tools line the walls of the Bates store that is filled with fresh, delicious nuts, candies, dried fruits, chocolates, fudge and gourmet delights. Watch the peanut butter machine grind fresh peanuts into peanut butter. Not only is it a feast for your eyes, but you can?t help but taste. Pick up and sample your way through the Bates store. A sample of our own homemade fudge is a must with over 10 different choices. Our new old-fashioned candy counter will make a chocolate lover?s mouth water. You can?t help but feel like a kid at a candy counter. Over 25 feet filled with truffles, mammoth turtles, a variety of chocolates and sugar-free candies, fudge and chocolates.

Bates Nut Farm started with walnuts, but now purchases nuts from all over the world. Pistachios, pecans, cashews, peanuts, pignolias, sunflower seeds and much more can be purchased on the farm. The nuts come raw, roasted, some spiced up and unsalted. To insure quality and freshness we roast and package our nuts on the farm. The Bates family takes pride in providing a quality product at a fair price. It?s part of the tradition.

Nuts may of made Bates famous, but now you?ll also discover over 5000 square feet of gifts to be found on the farm between the Farmer?s Daughter located in the original barn and the Bates gift shop. What fun you will have browsing through the nooks and crannies of home and garden accessories, kitchen items, baby, stationery, collectibles, candles, personal care, jewelry, inspirational books, greeting cards, seasonal items and much more. There is a little something for everyone at the Bates farm.

The Bates Nut Farm has become well known for its special events held throughout the year on the 100 acre ranch. You?ll love coming out and having a picnic in the beautiful tree filled park and feeding the menagerie of farm animals. For over 30 years families have made it an annual tradition in October to come out to Bates in search of the perfect pumpkin. The Pumpkin Patch is the largest, oldest and most famous in San Diego County. Arts and Crafts Fairs, Antiques, Collectibles and Crafts Markets, Fine Art Fairs, and Car Shows are held throughout the year. . For groups of 15 or more you can take advantage of our educational tours; ?Nuts For You? and ?The Life of a Pumpkin?. See our Special Event and education and tour page. Visit our South Bay location in Chula Vista a retail only store filled with the same quality gourmet delights and gifts you?ll find in our country store.

In 1968, Bill Braum opened the first Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Store...but the Braum story actually begins long before that time, spanning three generations with over six decades of history behind it.

It began in the State of Kansas in 1933. Bill Braum was in grade school when he began his career by helping his father, Henry H. Braum, with the family business, a small butter and milk processing plant in Emporia, Kansas. Seven years later ice cream processing was added to the operation.

Bill Braum worked through high school with his father and after receiving a degree in Business Administration from the University of Kansas in 1949, he came back to Emporia to take a more active role in the family business. Henry Braum sold the wholesale part of the business in 1952 and began specializing in ice cream, developing a chain of retail ice cream stores in Kansas called "Peter Pan." In 1957 he purchased the company from his father. The company had approximately 61 retail stores, when in 1967, a large wholesaler bought the "Peter Pan" chain of retail stores (excluding the Braum dairy herd and processing plant) As a condition of the sale, the Braum's would not be allowed to sell ice cream in the State of Kansas for ten years.

In 1968, Bill and his wife Mary, started a new chain of retail stores in Oklahoma called BRAUM'S ICE CREAM AND DAIRY STORES. That first year, twenty-four stores were opened in Oklahoma. Because the Braum dairy herd and processing plant were still located in Emporia, Kansas, the ice cream, dairy products and other supplies had to be transported daily from Emporia, Kansas to Oklahoma. For three years, Braum's stores were serviced from the plant in Emporia until a new processing plant was built in Oklahoma City in 1971.

In 1975, the Braum dairy herd was moved from Emporia to its new home located in Tuttle, Oklahoma. Today, Braum's owns seven farms and ranches, totaling over 40,000 acres (62 square miles) of some of the best farm and ranch land in America! Each plays its own unique role in the Braum operation from housing the Braum cows, to growing the alfalfa hay to feed the dairy herd.

Braum's bakery was built in Oklahoma City in 1978. This facility now produces the fresh bakery items available in the Braum's stores including cookies, cones, buns, breads and much more.

As the company grew, the need for a bigger processing plant became evident. In 1987, Braum's construction crews built a 260,000 square foot, state-of-the-art processing plant on the Braum farm in Tuttle. Located only minutes from the milking operation, this plant enables Braum's to consistently control the freshness, purity and quality of their products.

In 1993, Braum's construction crews built a new milking complex on the Tuttle farm. This complex consists of 17 freestall barns (over 35 acres) that house the milking herd and a milking parlor, which is the largest of its kind in the world! Three times a day, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, Braum's is milking 10,000 cows! Today, Braum's is still the only major ice cream maker in the country that milks its own cows.

Braum's is unique in the dairy industry because it is vertically integrated. Braum's "cuts out the middleman" by owning its dairy herd, farms and ranches, processing plant, bakery, retail stores and delivery trucks. Braum's can offer its customers the highest quality products at the lowest possible prices.

Today, there are over 280 Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Stores throughout Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Missouri and Arkansas. The company remains family owned and operated.

Located along the Moreau River, Burgers' Smokehouse is 3 miles south of California, Missouri on a farm off Highway 87. Just follow the signs.

Each year thousand of folks stop by our visitor's center and take a Smokehouse tour.

With the help of artist Terry Chase and his assistant, George Baldwin, the visitors center features dioramas that depict the seasons of the year. Other exhibits display ingredients, pictures, and artifacts that explain the art of meat curing.

As you enter the Visitor's Center over a covered bridge, windows on the left open to a Spring diorama scene while the other windows on the right overlook a Winter scene. Water runs under the bridge and through the dioramas continuously.

After exiting the bridge, you enter a Fall setting depicting a farmyard that features a handmade waterwheel. Slim (our little hillbilly boy) sits in the hayloft to welcome you to the Smokehouse.

You proceed around the next corner and there is Missouri in the Summertime. Wild turkey, deer, squirrel, and an assortment of wildlife as it appears in the Missouri Ozarks, are a part of this large diorama. From the bottom of the pool, up the cliffs to the sky is 2 1/2 stories high, making it one of the largest dioramas in the United States. Painting with a small brush on such a large canvas required a great deal of time, talent, and patience. The Summertime Diorama is, indeed, impressive.

As you proceed down the hall to the Smokehouse reception desk, on your left you will notice a miniature replica depicting the old covered bridge that used to cross the Moreau River, located a few hundred yards south of the Smokehouse.

When you enter our sales room, tell our receptionist you would like to see our video tour. The salesperson will seat you in our theatre and start the video.

After the video tour you will be given samples of some of our products. Perhaps you will want to drop by our sandwich bar for a Smokehouse sandwich.

As you drive down the lane from the Smokehouse, we hope that you will feel that the time you have spent at BURGERS' SMOKEHOUSE was both enjoyable and informational.

Practically designed for a tourist surge, Celestial Seasonings welcomes visitors with open arms. While waiting for the tour, you can try any and all of their flavors of tea, which at current count number over 75. They've very thoughtfully placed an iced tea machine in the lobby also, so you can taste the delights of turning their product into an iced tea.

The original artwork that the company commissions for the boxes lines the walls in their rotating art gallery and the tour begins with a walk through the offices. Stacks of Celestial boxes litter employees' shelves and the atmosphere is light and jovial. The tour itself requires a hairnet, which definitely knocks this up a notch on the coolness factor. You see the process from the tea's arrival in the factory to sorting, mixing, bagging and packaging.

The most famous stop on the tour is the mint room. The room is huge with high ceilings and has a gigantic garage door that opens and shuts in front of it. They keep this room closed, because the aroma of the peppermint and spearmint are so strong that they would get into the other teas. Entering this room, my eyes began to water and I started coughing. I soon made a speedy exit determining that I was not strong enough to survive the mint room for more than 5 seconds. (They actually have t-shirts that say, "I survived the mint room.")

The tour exits into the gift shop (of course) and they have all of the products they make adorning every available space. People are happily tossing boxes of teas and factory seconds in their baskets. But then again if you're a tea drinker like myself, the selection is not only incredible, but also impossible to pass up.

Celestial Seasonings caters to the tourist making the tour and the purchasing of tea as easy as possible. I wouldn't be surprised if they researched how to make the tour efficient and welcoming. Definitely an interesting stop, because there aren't many tea companies that give tours, especially ones this large.

Over 60 years ago my mother, Ruth Campbell Bigelow changed the way we drink tea in the United States. An avid tea connoisseur, Ruth thought tea drinkers like herself would enjoy a more zestfully flavored tea. Happening upon a special colonial recipe that called for tea to be blended with orange peel and spices, she decided to try and re-create what she felt sounded like a wonderful idea. After much trial and error in the family kitchen, she finally hit upon what she thought was the best tasting recipe. After sharing samples with family, friends and acquaintances, one of them reported back that her new tea had caused nothing but constant comments. Thus the "Constant Comment"® name was born.

In the ensuing years, my wife Eunice and I along with our two daughters have carried on expanding Ruth's idea with many new flavors in tea, herb teas, green teas, and iced teas. Bigelow Teas have grown and grown until today you can find a generous selection in virtually every supermarket in the United States. Little could my mother ever have imagined that the little tea company she started so many years ago would sell over a billion cups of tea this past year.

My wife Eunice and I hope you will enjoy your visit to our web site. Not only do we look forward to telling you about our teas but we also have some new products that we're very excited about. And our "On the Web" Gift Shop has some ninety different gifts that are sure to please family and friends. Hopefully, you can find just the right gift for that next occasion.

One last thing, because we're a family owned company we put lots of time and attention into each and every tea we make. Our goal is to make sure you get the best tasting cup of tea possible. Because we think flavor is so important, we overwrap and seal each and every tea bag in a stay fresh foil packet so that all the goodness stays in until you get ready to have a cup of tea.

Visit our tea plantation where you can see tea harvested and processed.

The Cold Hollow Cider Mill is one of the top producers of Fresh Apple Cider in all of New England. We are also one of the very few that press year-round. The Mill has become one of the top tourist attractions in Vermont because our operation is open to public viewing. Come and see cider that's still made the old fashioned way, with a rack and cloth press built in the 1920's.

After you have seen cider made, its time to wander through the large Retail store and check out many of the specialty foods we have to offer. Bring your appetite, since you can sample plenty of jellies, mustards, applesauce, fudge, and other goodies.

In the Summer, watch real bees make honey in our honey corner (don't worry, they're behind glass). Honeybees play a big part in the apple world, as they are responsible for pollenating the orchards each spring while they are in bloom to ensure a "well set" crop.

You may be lured by an overwhelming aroma to The Donut Counter, where you can sink your teeth into our legendary cider donuts. These donuts were featured in Gourmet Magazine, as one of the top four donuts in the country. They go great with big cup of fresh Green Mountain Coffee. We sell many fresh mouth-watering baked goods from our natural ingredient bakery right in the store, including apple pies, pumpkin rolls, maple cream cheese pockets, apple-cheddar squares, and many others.

Our 3,000 square feet of retail shops offer THOUSANDS of specialty products. In addition to the thousands of specialty food products in the Mill, don't forget to check out the Connection. This building, attached to the Mill by a walkway, is home to our Fudge making operation, and toy hub. The Grand View Winery is in the Connection, where you can taste Vermont made wines and hard cider.

The Cold Hollow Cider Mill welcomes school groups, tour buses, families or anyone interested in seeing one of the areas biggest attractions, 7 days a week - year 'round.

The Conrad Rice Mill is the oldest rice mill in America. It is also one of the leading tourist attractions in this area of the Bayou Teche. In 1981, the Mill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

P.A. Conrad founded the Conrad Rice Mill and Planting Company in 1912. He would cut the rice by hand and let it sun-dry on the levees before putting the rice in the threshers. The rice was poured into 100-pound bags and taken to the mill. At that time, the mill operated only three to four months out of the year. Conrad would sell his rice from inventory, waiting for the next crop to harvest.

Conrad was an astute businessman, steadily growing his business to the point where he no longer grew enough rice to meet demands. Buying grain from the other growers in the area supplemented his own crop. To satisfy his customers requests, he also began to sell the rice in smaller sized bags. In the 1950's, "KONRIKO" was trademarked as an acronym for "CONRAD RICE COMPANY."

A few years afterwards, P.A. Conrad retired and left the business to his three sons: Phillip, Julian, and Allen. Phillip, the oldest, died at a very early age leaving the two remaining brothers to carry on the family business. After many years of operating the mill, the brothers were at a retirement age and eventually only three New Iberia grocery stores remained as customers.

In 1975 Mike Davis, a former teacher and farmer, bought the mill from the Conrad brothers. Within 10 days of the purchase, the mill was back up and running after laying dormant for two years. Davis quipped, "I would mill for a day or two, then I'd get on the road and peddle the rice."

The original part of the mill was built in 1914 and received additions in 1917 and 1930. This is significant because it is a rare surviving example of a factory using a belt-drive power transmission. Davis has made many changes and improvements to the mill since 1975 and shows no signs of stopping any time soon.

"Now we sell to every major wholesaler in the state and to every chain store," Davis said. "We have also developed a specialty rice business in all 50 states and Canada, and we're beginning to break into the European markets."

Please come visit us so we can personally share our small part of Cajun Country with you.

Fortunately, our business at the store continues to grow, so we recently purchased the lots across from the Konriko® Company Store. We'll be making a new parking lot to better serve our many RV-ers and bus tours.

C'mon by and see us; the coffee is always fresh and hot!

Take time to go into our screened-in porch to watch the apple butter bubbling in open 50 gallon copper kettles over a wood fire. You may observe, first hand, the delicious ripe fruits cooking into our irresistible products. We cook in small batches and use home-canning jars. Beautifully built , this 1912 42-inch rack and cloth cider mill is a fascinating machine. This is one of the largest cider presses in the state of Ohio and is capable of pressing 450 gallons per hour. The pump that runs the press is dated 1867. We no longer run this press on a regular basis.

Come see how time-honored skills and century-old tradition combine with the most modern smokehouse facilities to produce ham, cheddar cheese, Pure Vermont Maple Syrup, and other specialty foods known the world over for their unique flavor and wholesome goodness. See how it's done?
Things to do and see at Dakin Farm:

View our educational Vermont maple syrup movie
Tour our maple syrup cannery
Tour our state-of-the-art smokehouse
See how our foods are made
FREE samples - try our special foods
FREE exhibits - for children and adults too!

We'll roll out the red carpet, show you around and give you FREE samples so you can taste for yourself the best Vermont has to offer.

At Davidson of Dundee we have been growing and shipping the finest hand selected Florida Citrus since 1967, and we're proud of the thousands of loyal customers that we have gained, and maintained, during our 33 years in business

Our fruit is always tree ripened for absolute goodness and we ship it just the way it comes off the branch. There is never color added to improve the outside appearance of the fruit.

Originally opened as a fruit stand in 1950, it reopened to the public as Hawaii?s "Pineapple Experience" in 1989 after an extensive remodeling of its previous facilities. In May of 1997, Dole Plantation completed a $125,000 interior renovation that simulates building facades patterned after old Haleiwa Town.

Dole Plantation welcomes nearly one million visitors a year. Guests of Dole Plantation enjoy a variety of attractions and activities including the Pineapple Express, the Pineapple Garden Maze, the Guinness Book of World Records 2001 World's Largest Maze, informational displays and presentations about pineapple and the history of Dole, and the plantation center, offering hundreds of unique pineapple-related and Dole brand items, including the world famous DoleWhip®. Every week, Dole Plantation sells more than 3,500 fresh Hawaii-grown pineapple for consumption at the store or packaged for customers to take home.

One of the most popular attractions at Eagle Ranch is our free farm tour. These tours offer our visitors an in-depth look at just how our delicious pistachios are grown and processed.

Eagle Ranch is a self contained agribusiness which means that we do everything to the crop, from start to finish, right here on premise. Tours take about forty-five minutes, and during that time, you'll visit the field, the processing plant, and packaging and shipping departments. It's a walking tour with wheelchair accessibility.

Located in south central New Mexico, Eagle Ranch is near the white gypsum sand dunes of White Sands National Monument, the International Space Hall of Fame, historic Lincoln County (Billy the Kid country), and just a few hours drive from the famous Carlsbad Caverns. We're easy to find.

Because you care and we care: Fair Oaks Farms award-winning dairy products are produced from the milk of cows NOT treated with any hormones or antibiotics. From artisan cheese to fresh milk, homemade ice cream to specialty butter, we've got something for everybody.

Every day, several thousand gallons of our great-tasting milk are sent to discerning customers who then bottle or process our milk to create their own delicious products. You've probably tasted our milk already and not even known it!

Naturally, we take tremendous pride in our own Fair Oaks Farms-labeled products as well. You can taste and purchase all of our dairy products in our Cheese Factory on the premises (as well as in a number of quality retailers in the region) or you can order our award-winning cheese and artisan butter from our online store. We'll ship anywhere in the country and take special care to make sure that your products arrive fresh and ready to enjoy!

Welcome to the Pacific Seafood Group, a family owned, vertically integrated seafood company based in the Western United States. The Pacific Group processes West Coast products from Alaska to Mexico and owns and operates distribution facilities and distributes in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, California, Nevada and Utah. The Pacific Group exports products throughout Asia, Europe and the Middle East and also imports products from many of these areas as well.

The Pacific Seafood Group began in 1941 by Frank M. Dulcich and his son Dominic Dulcich in Portland, Oregon, beginning from small retail counter and servicing discriminating customers at this same counter until this day. The business expanded to meet local distribution demands and as they say the rest is history. Beginning in 1977 an import department was established to meet local and extended customer needs. The distribution business continued to flourish over those years and brought the need for a consistent supply of high quality locally processed seafood that Pacific would develop by understanding their customer's needs.

In 1983 the Pacific Seafood Group expanded to processing with the purchase of our first plant in Warrenton, Oregon, Pacific Coast Seafood. The plant is located on the mouth of the majestic Columbia River, one of the most active fishing ports on the west coast. Processing of Dungeness Crab, Cold Water Shrimp, Groundfish and Salmon assisted tremendously to meet our customer's needs.

Since 1983 the Pacific Seafood Group has expanded all areas of their business with a strategy to grow distribution and to increase processing capabilities to meet the demands of not only our growing distribution customer base, but also meet the needs of our growing customer base throughout the US and the world.

Being the largest has never been the goal of the Pacific Seafood Group, but being the best is our goal. Operational Excellence is our business model to meet customer needs with top quality products and hassle free service. The expansion of distribution has always been coordinated with primary processing expansions to assure that our market base is guaranteed to meet growing customer demands with high quality products.

The expansion of Pacific has been swift over the past decade as new markets and processing facilities have opened up. Since 1983 Pacific Group has expanded from one processing and one distribution facility to nearly 20 operating units.

See how Florida's Natural Brand juices are squeezed. Learn about Florida's citrus industry in our video tour and interesting exhibits highlighting the Lake Wales area, horticulture, nutrition, packaging and our newly updated weather video.

The Visitor Center is the Field Office of the operating sugar plantation located on the west side of Kaua?i. Displays show the history of Gay & Robinson Inc., Olokele Sugar Co., Hawaiian Sugar Co. (a k a Makaweli Plantation) and Makaweli Ranch. Both historical and modern field and factory operations as followed in Hawai?i, and various artifacts are also exhibited. A world sugar map showcases sugar politics and current events.

About: Come see how potato chips are made and breathe in the delicious aroma of the famous Utz Potato Chips and Snacks at our over 600,000 square foot facility. We have built a special glass enclosed observation gallery that looks down on our production process from beginning to end. You will be guided step-by-step with the aid of a push-to-talk audio program and closed-circuit TV monitors. A wall display of our history will enhance your understanding of the company and its products.

From start to finish, you’ll be impressed with the care we put into Utz Potato Chips. At Utz, we use the finest ingredients and the most advanced equipment. Our factory is one of the cleanest and most modern snack food operations in America. The Utz Potato Chip Trip is fun for the whole family, a learning experience for young and old, and a snack lover’s delight. Come and enjoy the free tour at your own pace!

THE HISTORIC OLIVE HOUSE is home of world famous Graber Olives grown and produced by the Graber family since 1894. A rare delicacy has been created in Graber Olives: meaty, with a superb nutlike flavor. The natural full ripeness and flavor have been preserved by selecting and carefully processing only the fully tree-ripened fruit.

AN INVITATION TO VISIT..... Graber Olive House is located in a pleasant residential area north of Ontario's business district just minutes from the Ontario International Airport.

Here in quiet and serene surroundings, visitors are welcomed and delighted to discover a bit of early California!

BROWSING is encouraged in the shops which offer a variety of fancy foods, food accessories and unique gifts in addition to Graber Olives and other fine Graber products.

Because of the unique flavor and full golden appearance of the Graber Olive it has become a favorite hors d'oeuvre...the gourmet's delight! It is appropriate to any menu, perfect to serve on any occasion and is enjoyed by all. Because taste and appearance are different...and wonderful...they are a favorite gift...a unique treat for family and friends!

You will be totally surprised and delighted with this tour into one of America's largest and most successful mail order firms. This is a one of its kind operation. You will enjoy a treat from their kitchens as you weave through this giant corporation. Tours will leave at 9:15, 10:30, 12:30 and 1:45 from the Harry and David Store right next to the Convention Center.

Everyone will enjoy the short walk to shopping in the outlet store in the Harry and David Plaza. You'll want to take home a piece of the valley from this fine selection of special items.

Chelsea Milling Company is operated by a family whose roots in the flour milling business date back to the early 1800?s. We have been milling flour here in Chelsea for over one hundred years.

Mabel White Holmes, grandmother of our President, Howdy S. Holmes, developed and introduced to the homemaker the first prepared baking mix product, ?JIFFY? Baking Mix, in the spring of 1930. Currently we offer 18 ?JIFFY? Mixes. Our mixes provide you, our consumer, with the best value available.

Chelsea Milling Company is a complete manufacturer. We store wheat. We mill wheat into flour. We use that flour for our own mixes. We make our own "little blue" boxes. We do it all-that's why our mixes provide you with the best possible value. Value is using the highest quality ingredients and the best price!

Our entire operation is located in Chelsea, Michigan and our product is shipped out to all 50 states, as well as some foreign countries through the United States Military.

Half hour guided tour of a working family dairy farm using robotic milking technology. You will tour a free stall dairy barn where cows milk themselves 24 hours a day. Visit calves and feed them if your visit is during their feeding time. Cats, kittens, chickens and Jack the farm dog are other animals for you to see.

Three generations have operated Manheim's Kreider Farms, which offers a 90-minute, high-tech view of farming including a drive down the middle of our Titanic-sized loafing barn, otherwise known as the cow palace and a bird's eye view of the milking merry-go-round. Filled with facts and humor, we please groups of all ages. In fact, our farm tour program will host over 500 busses and cars totaling over 20,000 visitors this year alone.

The tour starts at the Country Inn & Suites Hotel at Kreider Farm on Rt. 72 in Manheim. The Country Inn & Suites would be happy to discuss hosting your family or group for an over night stay as well.

Take the Kreider Farms Tour and see how old-fashioned dedication to quality milk products harnessed with state-of-the-art technology produces an unbeatable team.

All are Welcome
Whether your group is a small family party, van load of senior citizens, field trip of students or motor coach of tourists, we can accommodate any size group.

Lucero Olive Oil, LLC is the result of four generations of farming and producing olives in Northern California. The rural community Corning, ?The Olive Capital,? has some of the oldest olive trees in California, and many of these century-old trees continue to flourish in the Lucero family groves. Dewey?s maternal grandfather, has been one of the foremost olive growers in Northern California (since 1946 ~ 62 years), owning his own nursery for over 27 years. He grew a majority of the olive trees now in production in Northern California. Over 37 years, Dewey?s paternal grandfather started producing small quantities of olive oil for his family and friends. His olive oil was so popular it would sell out in a matter of days. In 2004 Dewey took a leap of faith and started to develop a family label, pressed large quantities of oil and began to market and sell Lucero Olive Oil across California. Since then the Lucero?s have been growing and producing more and more top quality olive oil each year...the rest is history in the making..

Visit our Sugar House Museum and learn about the Whole Sugaring Experience??. Then browse our spacious red-roofed Cabin Gift Shop.

View our award winning video, ?Vermont?s First Industry ? Maple Syrup?. Sample our factory-direct maple candies. Taste all grades of Pure Maple Syrup and decide which one you like best. Stock up on maple candies, pure maple syrup, all natural pancake mixes, gourmet salad dressings and other Vermont made products. You can have these tasty items packed as gifts and shipped directly to your family and friends

Hilo isn't on the main tourist trail in Hawaii -- but it's well worth a trip, especially so you can visit us! Our plantations, headquarters, factory and factory store are all less than 10 minutes from the Hilo airport (drive south on Highway 11, then left on Macadamia Road at our sign.)

Mauna Loa's primary business is producing whole, roasted, lightly salted macadamia nuts, vacuum packed in jars, cans and foil packets. Among the additional macadamia nut products are Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts, Glazed Macadamia Nuts, Savory Macadamia Nuts, Macadamia Cookies, and Honey Roasted Macadamia Nuts. Plus, Mauna Loa now packages a wide variety of gift items, and has extended its product line to include a virtual feast of Tropical Treats.

Take a tour through the factory of the world's largest macadamia nut company. Watch how the nuts are processed, roasted, and packaged, or made into chocolate and candied confections.

After driving through our plantation, you'll tour our factory, shop in our factory store, sample our delicious products, and maybe best of all, stroll our comfortable nature walk, where more than 30 stunning tropical plants are in constant bloom (bring a camera!). The welcome mat is always out.

As Nan McEvoy's personal chef, chef Gerald Gass presides over an open, light-filled workspace in the Country Kitchen. Here he gives a California twist to the timeless Mediterranean tradition of cooking with olive oil.

Once a jumble of dilapidated dairy barns and outbuildings, McEvoy Ranch today is a peaceful, beautiful compound of ranch houses, ponds and working barns that blend into the California landscape.

The McEvoy Ranch Frantoio (olive mill) houses what has been called "the maserati of olive oil mills;" the revolutionary Rapanelli mill from Italy. In addition to milling its own fruit, McEvoy Ranch also does custom milling for other olive growers.

Ever wonder what it would be like to visit the home of TABASCO brand Pepper Sauce? Well, Avery Island, Louisiana is a place where doin' things slowly ensures doing them right. From the unique feel of the South Louisiana marshes and bayous to the nature preserve inhabited by indigenous plants and animals, Avery Island is TABASCO® homegrown goodness at its finest.

Touring the visitor center and the pepper sauce factory is just one part of the Avery Island experience. In addition to seeing how we age TABASCO® in white oak barrels and ship it all over the world, you can visit Avery Island's 200-acre Jungle Gardens and see, in season, a variety of azaleas, camellias and bamboo. You might even spy some alligators, deer, nutria, raccoons and black bears that live in the hills and marshes around the gardens. And then there's always the thousands of snowy egrets (saved from extinction with the help of E.A. "Mr. Ned" McIlhenny) who nest on the island each year on specially-built, pier-like structures in a pond nicknamed "Bird City". You can stroll the gardens along a path covered by gnarled oaks laced with Spanish moss, and stand at the shrine that houses a centuries old Buddha - a gift to E.A. McIlhenny in 1937.

When you are ready for the hot stuff, you can see the factory where TABASCO brand Pepper Sauce is made. There's a short film on TABASCO® history and a guided tour of our bottling and packaging operations. Then spend time in the original TABASCO® Country Store and check out a wide array of products and souvenirs for sale.

We sure hope to see you soon!

Mountain Valley Spring Water is the flagship brand of the Mountain Valley Spring Company. We bottle our water at the spring site?a single, natural spring located within 633 acres of protected, company-owned land about 12 miles from Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas.

Our water is available coast to coast and has been recognized by independent experts and generations of loyal customers as one of the finest bottled waters available anywhere in the world.

Mountain Valley Spring Water has twice won the "Berkley Springs Best Tasting Water in the World" competition and Mountain Valley's new glass bottles won this years "Excellence in Packaging" award.

Nora Mill Granary - an authentic working grist mill that is nestled alongside the Chattahoochee River. At Nora Mill, we grind corn daily using either the original French burr stones that are water powered by the Chattahoochee River - or by our more modern "Meal Master" stone grinding system located on our second floor. Either way, all product is all natural and is stone ground.

Nora Mill Granary, Inc. Est. 1876

About the mill . . . .

Nora Mill Granary is an operational gristmill sitting alongside the Chattahoochee River in the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains that stone grinds and produces all kinds of corn and wheat based products such as grits, corn meal, pancake & waffle mixes, flours, biscuit & bread mixes, pioneer's porridge, and the like. In addition, we have an old-fashioned country store & gift shop that we have named "Nora Mill Next Door," that is stocked with thousands of new items and even has a large kitchen built just for cooking & serving samples of our mill & store products.

A little history . . . .

The mill itself is a large four-story building that was built in 1876 complete with 1,500 pound French Burr Mill Stones and a 100 ft. wooden raceway that feeds water to a water turbine - not a vertical water wheel. The mill was constructed in 1876 by John Martin when he came to Georgia to mine for gold. Unlike most miners, Mr. Martin made Sautee-Nacoochee Valley his permanent home in 1902 Dr. Lamartine G. Hardman, governor of Georgia from 1927 -1931, bought the mill and named it "Nora Mill" in memory of his sister Nora. Nora Mill remained in the Hardman Family until 1998, when it, along with 300 surrounding acres, was purchased by a group of investors associated with Nacoochee Village, Ltd.

After a succession of millers throughout the years, in the early 1980s, Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Ron Fain worked with the Hardman family and leased Nora Mill for him and his parents to bring back to life and operate. Ron became the Miller of Nora Mill. Over the years, Ron worked with his parents until their passing, and then brought his youngest daughter Joann in under his wing to learn the art of milling and work the Nora Mill business with him.

Ron and Joann together, developed and brought to market a number of corn & grain recipes that are famous to Nora Mill. Recipes such as "Georgia Ice Cream", "Dixie Ice Cream", "Pioneer's Porridge", and the like. They expanded the product offerings and opened the gift shop next door to the mill and named it "Nora Mill Next Door". Joann and Ron worked shoulder to shoulder until his recent passing in June of 2001.

Nora Mill is now in the third generation of the Fain family operation as Joann Fain Tarpley, with husband Rich, continues to manage and operate Nora Mill Granary. The fourth generation of the same family can be seen at Nora Mill Granary as the children of Joann and Rich are actively working with them at the mill.

Ron Fain and daughter Joann

There have been many changes over the years, but the main idea is still the same, to grind fresh grains with no additives or preservatives with old-fashioned quality. Nora Mill has recently gone through a major refurbishing. The dam, raceway, and penstock have been rebuilt. We have enclosed the breezeway and have built new porch & deck that overlooks our very own gigantic rainbow trout swimming in the beautiful Chattahoochee River. We have recently refurbished our grinding and milling machinery to ensure the highest of quality in the products that we produce, hand-bag, and offer on-site in our mill and through our Internet & mail order business.

More about today's operation . . . .

Managing and operating Nora Mill Granary today is Joann Fain Tarpley and husband Rich. Together, the two oversee all aspects of the mill from overall general business management to the grinding and milling operations.

Rich & Joann Tarpley

Prior to Ron's passing, Rich was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend time with Ron to learn the rare art of milling and to learn the "inner workings" of the mill itself. Ron taught Rich how to "listen and feel" the heartbeat of the mill and how to adjust the millstones and flow of grain to achieve the perfect Nora Mill blend.

Over the years, every one has worked to develop a nice mail order business that began with the mailing of very simple brochures to the folks that sign our guest book as they visit the mill. Today, the mail order catalog is mailed out to over 30,000 "guests" that have either signed the book at the mill, or have requested a catalog via telephone or the web. To request a catalog, send Joann an e-mail with your mailing address or sign our mailing list form on this site.

Everyone working in around Nora Mill is considered family. We consider our work a labor of love and take great pride in everything we do. Whether taking an order on the phone for a single bag of grits or working with one of our wholesale accounts for a 2,000 lb order of stone ground products, we treat everyone the same! We love what we do and we love working with people.

Please stop in for a visit whenever you can. We would love to show you around. Nora Mill is open every day except Christmas & Easter.

Fain family history . . . .

The Fain Family roots began in Northeast Georgia area just a few miles from Nora Mill where Ron's father, George, resided until 1917 before moving to Ohio in search of work. While in Ohio, George met and married Florence McPherson and together raised 4 children. Ron, the youngest boy, was raised in Ohio where he met and married Rita Lepera. After graduating from the University of Akron and retiring from the US Army as a Lt. Colonel in 1979, Ron and Rita, with their 5 children settled in Helen, Ga. at his family homestead.

George & Florence Fain

Ron & Rita Fain

As Ron got involved with Nora Mill, he became so interested in preserving a bit of history that he buried himself in books and publications and sought help from knowledgeable individuals including long time miller of Nora Mill, Tom Farmer, and Clyde Keltner of Tennessee. As Ron received his on-the-job education of the lost art of grain milling by water-power, he became and stayed active in the Society of the Preservation of Old Mills.

In the early years, Ron & Rita and all of the children worked hard to keep Nora Mill running. Son David worked on the mill building, rebuilt the raceway and dam several times over. Oldest daughter Janet worked with Ron in the mill, came up with the idea of cooking and serving samples at the mill, and has published 2 Nora Mill Cookbooks which can be purchased on-line and/or at our mill. Daughters Joyce, Judy, and Joann all worked at the mill while in school. Like her father, Joann developed a deep love for the mill and has continued to work at the mill throughout the years and to present day.

Ron's spirit is alive and well within the walls of Nora Mill today. Ron's wife Rita helps whenever possible and when called upon. Ron has touched all of our lives. We are very proud to have been close to him. We all are anxious to share our most remembered "Ron Stories" amongst ourselves and with guests visiting as a number of the guests that return to the mill - visit not only to restock on the great products that we have - but also to sit and talk about Ron, who has left a great impression on their lives as well.

Welcome to the Pacific Seafood Group, a family owned, vertically integrated seafood company based in the Western United States. The Pacific Group processes West Coast products from Alaska to Mexico and owns and operates distribution facilities and distributes in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, California, Nevada and Utah. The Pacific Group exports products throughout Asia, Europe and the Middle East and also imports products from many of these areas as well.

The Pacific Seafood Group began in 1941 by Frank M. Dulcich and his son Dominic Dulcich in Portland, Oregon, beginning from small retail counter and servicing discriminating customers at this same counter until this day. The business expanded to meet local distribution demands and as they say the rest is history. Beginning in 1977 an import department was established to meet local and extended customer needs. The distribution business continued to flourish over those years and brought the need for a consistent supply of high quality locally processed seafood that Pacific would develop by understanding their customer's needs.

In 1983 the Pacific Seafood Group expanded to processing with the purchase of our first plant in Warrenton, Oregon, Pacific Coast Seafood. The plant is located on the mouth of the majestic Columbia River, one of the most active fishing ports on the west coast. Processing of Dungeness Crab, Cold Water Shrimp, Groundfish and Salmon assisted tremendously to meet our customer's needs.

Since 1983 the Pacific Seafood Group has expanded all areas of their business with a strategy to grow distribution and to increase processing capabilities to meet the demands of not only our growing distribution customer base, but also meet the needs of our growing customer base throughout the US and the world.

Being the largest has never been the goal of the Pacific Seafood Group, but being the best is our goal. Operational Excellence is our business model to meet customer needs with top quality products and hassle free service. The expansion of distribution has always been coordinated with primary processing expansions to assure that our market base is guaranteed to meet growing customer demands with high quality products.

The expansion of Pacific has been swift over the past decade as new markets and processing facilities have opened up. Since 1983 Pacific Group has expanded from one processing and one distribution facility to nearly 20 operating units.

Tour the facility, pecan orchard, and collection of more than 3,000 antique pecan crackers. You'll see the harvesting, processing, and packaging of pecans. The harvest begins in September and continues through December, while processing continues through May.

We are a 3rd generation family dairy farm. We have been bottling our own farm fresh milk since 1963. Vistors are welcome to come tour our farm and processing plant. We offer hand dipped ice cream and fresh produce. Daily lunch specials and friendly sales people to assist you.

Watch milking and the bottling process.

The Purina Farms Visitors Center incorporates a Pet Center, a full-size barn containing domestic farm animals, a theater and informational center. Demonstrations, dog obedience shows and hands-on petting areas are some of the highlights of this popular attraction, which draws nearly 200,000 visitors a year.

The Purina Farms Visitors Center offers an educational experience by providing exhibits that help explain to owners how to determine the optimal diet for their pet based on its health and nutritional status. In addition, a 75-seat theater offers an ongoing video presentation.

Visitors can experience the excitement of operating a pet food factory in a hands-on exhibit that demonstrates Purina's expertise in creating leading dog and cat foods. Plus, displays and a timeline help to connect visitors with the history of Purina.

While at the Visitors Center, visitors can browse through the Purina Farms Store to pick up Purina mementos or breed-specific sculptures, ornaments and shirts. Food services also are provided at the Visitors Center.

You will discover Wonderful Pound Cakes, special sauces and jams that make perfect gifts or that can be used for your own pleasure. Don't miss our newest treat, our Celebrate Virginia Cookbook and don't forget the children's story cookbooks for that special little one!

It began in 1906, in a small kitchen in Campbell, Ohio.

The morning air was crisp, and Dora and Joseph Schwebel were working together to mix, knead and bake the family's famous bread. Known for its outstanding taste, unmatched freshness and superior quality, the bread was carefully baked each day, and delivered ? still warm from the oven ? in wicker laundry baskets to a growing number of customers residing in and around neighboring Youngstown, Ohio.

Building A Business On The Finest Bread

In just a few short years, the reputation of Schwebel's bread spread far and wide. The bakery's customer list continued to expand, and delivery operations now depended on horse and wagon ? instead of wicker baskets ? to deliver the oven-fresh bread.

In 1914, Dora and Joseph entered the world of retail sales by working out agreements with several local ?mom and pop? stores ? a move that opened up new and more profitable sales channels for their fledgling business. To ensure that fresh bread was in the stores when customers asked for it, the young couple added more bakers to assist the family, and even hired the company's first driver/salesperson to complement the horse and wagon.

The strong economy of the 1920's kept operations humming along, and more and more people experienced the taste and quality of Schwebel's bread. In 1923, the Schwebel's invested $25,000 and built a small bakery complete with a store front for retail business. At this time, the family could bake and deliver 1,000 loaves a day using six delivery trucks. The bakery was on the move and the future looked bright. Unfortunately, tragedy was just around the corner. In 1928, Joseph Schwebel died suddenly at the age of 46 ? leaving Dora with six children and the family's business to run by herself.

Challenges And Difficult Decisions

In 1928, many people believed the baking business was no place for a woman with young children. Dora Schwebel was told she should sell her bakery and stay home with her children, but she wouldn't hear of it. Instead, she stared down the naysayers and decided to carry on with the business she helped to build with her husband. Against all odds, Dora forged ahead to keep her family thriving.

The stock market crashed in the fall of 1929, less than a year after Joseph Schwebel's passing, and Dora and her young family found out just how difficult running a business could be.

Vowing to meet her obligations by working all day and all night if necessary, Dora skillfully negotiated a number of critical agreements that kept the business running in the face of national financial ruin. She built a new bakery in 1936 that doubled production and improved efficiency, and added to it in 1938 and again in 1941. And through it all, she found the time and financial resources to help the less fortunate.

By the late 1940's, demand for the company's products was growing by leaps and bounds as soldiers returned home from World War II and the baby boom began.

Riding The Wave Of Success In The Fifties And Sixties

In 1951, Dora and her children moved into their ?million-dollar bakery,? a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility on Youngstown's Midlothian Boulevard, outfitted with equipment and baking processes that would transform the Schwebel family's baking business.

The family, proud of the new bakery, and thankful to suppliers and local citizens who enthusiastically supported the big move, planned elaborate Grand Opening festivities. The Schwebel's invited the entire community to tour the modern bakery and celebrate with the family. The new bakery allowed the company to continue expanding product lines and distribution channels.

The 1960's marked the beginning of the third generation's active participation in the company. Their entry would add vitality, new ideas, and a quest for rapid growth and expansion outside of Youngstown. In 1967, the popularity of Schwebel's Golden Rich Bread led to a successful national licensing program throughout the country.

Extending The Reach Of Great Taste

By the end of the 1970's, the company had noticeably expanded its distribution network. In rapid fashion, Schwebel's had now become a key player in the Canton, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Cleveland, Ohio markets. In addition, the company had undertaken a significant bakery expansion program that fully automated the bread and buns lines, doubling capacity.

Record growth characterized the 1980's and 1990's. As a result of several key acquisitions, Schwebel's had become a regional force in the baking industry. To complement this expansion the company added distribution facilities in Columbus, Ohio and Buffalo, New York. This period also heralded special baking agreements with Stouffer's, Pillsbury, and Walt Disney's Epcot Center.

Growing The Company Into The Future

For more than 100 years after its humble beginnings in a suburban Youngstown kitchen, Schwebel Baking Company continues to produce the breads people ask for by name. With more than 1,400 team members dedicated to maintaining the company's standards of quality, freshness, and honest hard work, the Schwebel family makes sure that customers get nothing short of great taste every time. Joseph and Dora wouldn't have it any other way.

It began in 1906, in a small kitchen in Campbell, Ohio.

The morning air was crisp, and Dora and Joseph Schwebel were working together to mix, knead and bake the family's famous bread. Known for its outstanding taste, unmatched freshness and superior quality, the bread was carefully baked each day, and delivered ? still warm from the oven ? in wicker laundry baskets to a growing number of customers residing in and around neighboring Youngstown, Ohio.

Building A Business On The Finest Bread

In just a few short years, the reputation of Schwebel's bread spread far and wide. The bakery's customer list continued to expand, and delivery operations now depended on horse and wagon ? instead of wicker baskets ? to deliver the oven-fresh bread.

In 1914, Dora and Joseph entered the world of retail sales by working out agreements with several local ?mom and pop? stores ? a move that opened up new and more profitable sales channels for their fledgling business. To ensure that fresh bread was in the stores when customers asked for it, the young couple added more bakers to assist the family, and even hired the company's first driver/salesperson to complement the horse and wagon.

The strong economy of the 1920's kept operations humming along, and more and more people experienced the taste and quality of Schwebel's bread. In 1923, the Schwebel's invested $25,000 and built a small bakery complete with a store front for retail business. At this time, the family could bake and deliver 1,000 loaves a day using six delivery trucks. The bakery was on the move and the future looked bright. Unfortunately, tragedy was just around the corner. In 1928, Joseph Schwebel died suddenly at the age of 46 ? leaving Dora with six children and the family's business to run by herself.

Challenges And Difficult Decisions

In 1928, many people believed the baking business was no place for a woman with young children. Dora Schwebel was told she should sell her bakery and stay home with her children, but she wouldn't hear of it. Instead, she stared down the naysayers and decided to carry on with the business she helped to build with her husband. Against all odds, Dora forged ahead to keep her family thriving.

The stock market crashed in the fall of 1929, less than a year after Joseph Schwebel's passing, and Dora and her young family found out just how difficult running a business could be.

Vowing to meet her obligations by working all day and all night if necessary, Dora skillfully negotiated a number of critical agreements that kept the business running in the face of national financial ruin. She built a new bakery in 1936 that doubled production and improved efficiency, and added to it in 1938 and again in 1941. And through it all, she found the time and financial resources to help the less fortunate.

By the late 1940's, demand for the company's products was growing by leaps and bounds as soldiers returned home from World War II and the baby boom began.

Riding The Wave Of Success In The Fifties And Sixties

In 1951, Dora and her children moved into their ?million-dollar bakery,? a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility on Youngstown's Midlothian Boulevard, outfitted with equipment and baking processes that would transform the Schwebel family's baking business.

The family, proud of the new bakery, and thankful to suppliers and local citizens who enthusiastically supported the big move, planned elaborate Grand Opening festivities. The Schwebel's invited the entire community to tour the modern bakery and celebrate with the family. The new bakery allowed the company to continue expanding product lines and distribution channels.

The 1960's marked the beginning of the third generation's active participation in the company. Their entry would add vitality, new ideas, and a quest for rapid growth and expansion outside of Youngstown. In 1967, the popularity of Schwebel's Golden Rich Bread led to a successful national licensing program throughout the country.

Extending The Reach Of Great Taste

By the end of the 1970's, the company had noticeably expanded its distribution network. In rapid fashion, Schwebel's had now become a key player in the Canton, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Cleveland, Ohio markets. In addition, the company had undertaken a significant bakery expansion program that fully automated the bread and buns lines, doubling capacity.

Record growth characterized the 1980's and 1990's. As a result of several key acquisitions, Schwebel's had become a regional force in the baking industry. To complement this expansion the company added distribution facilities in Columbus, Ohio and Buffalo, New York. This period also heralded special baking agreements with Stouffer's, Pillsbury, and Walt Disney's Epcot Center.

Growing The Company Into The Future

For more than 100 years after its humble beginnings in a suburban Youngstown kitchen, Schwebel Baking Company continues to produce the breads people ask for by name. With more than 1,400 team members dedicated to maintaining the company's standards of quality, freshness, and honest hard work, the Schwebel family makes sure that customers get nothing short of great taste every time. Joseph and Dora wouldn't have it any other way.

For all the technical advances in food processing in recent years, many of our processes have changed little or not at all. We avoid any shortcuts that might detract from the quality of our pickles.

Farmers from across northern Indiana, northwest Ohio and Southern Michigan bring us their freshly picked cucumbers straight from the fields. They are immediately "graded", that is, sorted into seven sizes. From there most will go to tanks for curing. The tanks, mostly of cypress, contain a salt brine solution in which the cucumbers will be transformed into pickles over a period of three months or longer. We're best known for our many varieties of processed pickles.

Those cucumbers that don't go immediately to the tanks become "fresh pack" pickles. These are washed, usually cut, packed and pasteurized. They can be eaten within three or four days of being packed. For example, Sechler's Bread and Butter Pickles and Kosher Spears are fresh pack.

Nobody takes more time and care in the process of making sweetened pickles. All of our products labeled "sweet" or "candied" have been through this process, the candied having been sweetened twice. We take up to two weeks for the sweetening process alone, (many pickle companies take only one day) to insure our pickles are sweetened all the way through. As we like to say: "We could make them faster, but that wouldn't make them better." All the candied and most of our sweetened products are tank-cured, but you'll also find some among the fresh pack items.

As you'll see while perusing our product pages, cucumbers are only one ingredient among many to go into our product line.

Defects are minimized by our stringent quality control, another tradition at Sechler's. We inspect pickles at the grading stage, after processing and, if they're sliced, again after that.

The origins of Ralph Sechler & Son, Inc. date back 85 years to 1914, just before the First World War. Ralph Sechler actually got his start in the pickle business running a pickle station in St. Joe, Indiana for the D. M. Sears Company. He'd deliver "brine stock" (freshly picked cucumbers in salt brine) by horse-drawn wagon to a railroad siding in nearby St. Joe, Indiana, where it would be transported by rail to Sears, 20 miles away in Ft. Wayne.
After a respite from the business in college and the Army, Ralph went back to work for Sears in 1919. Two years later he leased two of their pickle stations, getting his start as an entrepreneur. He was still shipping the brine stock to other companies like Heinz. By the early '30s Ralph was selling pickles and relish in bulk in wooden kegs and barrels, some of this directly to restaurants. Jars for consumer sales were hand-packed by Ralph's wife Anna in her kitchen, often with the help of some neighbor ladies. In 1930 the business grew out of the house. The barn was converted into a factory, after another home was found for the cow. After the barn burned in 1937, a masonry building was erected from which the present facility continues to grow.

Starting out as "St. Joe Valley Brands," the company wasn't renamed "Ralph Sechler & Son" until 1948, when Ralph's son Frank finished college and committed to the family business. At that time it was also decided to concentrate on consumer-sized packaging. On Ralph's death, Frank took over management.

Sechler's first product available to the consumer was Genuine Dill Pickles (which is still available from Sechler's today as Genuine "Aged in Wood" Dill Pickles.) Sweet relish and sweet pickles soon followed. Sweet pickles quickly became a Sechler specialty. Candied Sweet Orange Strip Pickles were added in 1940, being a Sechler's favorite ever since. Pasteurized "Fresh Pack" pickles were introduced to the Sechler's line in 1958. Innovative product development has been a constant over the years, to where Sechler's now offers over 45 items to the consumer, many of these unique.

The late '40s saw the first mail orders. Gallon jars were sent out in boxes individually hand-made by the boiler operator. These were sent out by railway express. The volume and sophistication of our mail order business has steadily increased ever since. Our factory has had an attached showroom since 1965 from which all of our products are available and groups are given tours of the factory. Frank's wife Fran took over responsibility for the showroom and mail order business in the late '70s.

A third generation of Sechlers, Franks' son David and daughter Karen, assumed leadership roles in 1990 when Frank took partial retirement. After 75 years Sechler's is still family owned and operated. While new processes and procedures are introduced, we've resisted change that might in any way detract from the quality of our pickles. While most pickle companies emphasize fresh-pack pickles, the majority of ours are still tank-cured.

Sechler's Pickles is still located near St. Joe, Indiana. That old farm house in which Anna Sechler hand-packed pickles now serves as an office. The surrounding facility, including the tank yard, now exceeds 60,000 sq. ft.

In retrospect many things here at Sechler's have changed with the times, but only if they improved our pickles. Traditions like family ownership, original recipes, and fresh, quality ingredients haven't changed. As we like to say "We could make them faster, but that wouldn't make them better."

Shatto Milk Company is a family dairy farm that milks 150 cows twice a day and bottles that milk at their, on the farm, bottling facility. The milk is bottled in old fashion glass bottles. The family farm offers a wide array of YUMMY products including butter, Root Beer Milk, Strawberry Milk, the worlds best Chocolate Milk, Orange Dream Milk, a full line of white milks and of course cream and half and half.

Shatto Milk Company schedules tours Tuesday through Saturday throughout the year. Call ahead for appointment. Tours include:

Seeing the baby calves (you may possibly get to bottle-feed one yourself).
Milking a cow.
Getting a first-hand look at where our cows live, what they eat, and how they are milked.
Learning how the milk is processed (this includes a tour of the processing plant or viewing the actual process, along with a description of each step our milk goes through before it ends up on your table).
Seeing how the wonderful milk is packaged in their famous glass bottles and how those bottles are washed before being re-used.
Sampling many of Shatto Milk Company's tasty products.

Tours typically last one and a half hours (1.5 hours) from start to finish. The minimum group size is ten however smaller groups such as families can be accommodated. There is a $4 charge per person, and children two and under are free. All groups are welcome; we have hosted tours for school field trips, families, Boy and Girl Scouts, businesses, and Senior citizen bus tours.

The Shatto Milk Company Country Store is your one stop-shop for farm fresh milk, cow collectibles, clothing, snacks, and gifts of all types.

While browsing the Country Store visitors can sample many of the yummy products bottled by Shatto Milk Company, then walk about fifty feet up the sidewalk to the barn and pet the baby calves; or just stay in the store and view the bottling plant through one of the two large viewing windows.

Once you are through looking around the farm store and venturing up to the dairy, visitors are always encouraged to relax in our porch swing or on our old fashion church pew. These relaxing seats offer an opportunity to watch our cows roam the pasture. Visitors are welcome to stop by the farm store 7 days a week.

The new 16,500 square-foot SPAM Museum opened in September 2001. Museum visitors are welcomed to the world of the SPAM Family of Products with a variety of interactive and educational games, fun exhibits and remarkable video presentations.

Originally called HORMEL Spiced Ham, Hormel Foods held a contest to create a new name for the product in 1936. Discover who won the contest and the story behind the creation of SPAM luncheon meat.

In South Korea, SPAM is considered a gourmet treat. Find out why and investigate a world map showcasing the countries where SPAM is sold and eaten. The Global SPAM exhibit is your passport to everything SPAM!

Meet host Al Franken, former Saturday Night Live cast member, and test your SPAM knowledge during this interactive quiz show.

Put on hard hats, rubber gloves, hairnets and earplugs - everything you'll need to participate in the simulated SPAM production line. While you're at it, catch a glimpse of the SPAM Ballet. Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity.

Just as every Elvis fan longs to visit Graceland, SPAM fans worldwide now have their own pilgrimage to make. Museum visitors will be welcomed to the world of SPAM Family of Products with a variety of interactive and educational games, fun exhibits and remarkable video presentations.

Maple Syrup Farm. While you can't quite call a maple sugar house a factory, its the work place where maple sap as its collected out of a maple tree in the spring is boiled down into maple syrup. The actual production takes place in the spring but visitors can visit this farm factory to see how its done year round. Walk in the woods to see the sugar maples, see how the spouts are drilled, and see the huge evaporator where the sap is boiled. Stop in the farm house sampling room for samples of the different grades,and also taste 14 varieties of cheese that are aged, smoked, and hand packaged in the farm house "factory."

Phil and Sandy Dee love what they're doing, converting the traditional harvest of their homeland into something imaginative and delicious. Their roots in farming span four generations, from Sandy's grandfather Clark Kenneson to their son Steve.

But when the ag economy dipped, it was Phil who saw a new way to take locally grown fruits and nuts to market. While Sandy's brother Mickey handles the farming operation, Phil and Sandy manage this company that produces literally tons of hand-made, coated delicacies.

For those who can not resist and fall to temptations, Sun Empire Foods is located at 1220 South Madera Ave., Kerman, Ca., 93630. We're roughly 15 miles west of Fresno on Madera Ave. also known as HWY. 145.

The Bratworks Ltd. is a family-operated business owned by Ann and Dean Fagan of Bucyrus, Ohio. The company began in 1987, mostly as a concession business. The Fagans traveled throughout Ohio serving bratwurst sandwiches at local fairs and festivals. In 1997, Dean purchased the property he was leasing for his manufacturing facility, which became the BratWorks Drive- Thru at 574 South Sandusky Avenue.

As the demand for retail brats from the BratWorks grew, so did the need for a more accommodating manufacturing facility. In 1999, the company moved their bratwurst making facility to 100 East Center Street and became federally inspected, allowing them to ship across the continental United States.

Dean is the developer of all the BratWorks' recipes. He takes special notice to combine just the right blend of seasoning and pork. What is behind his special blends? Well, many years of working with the legendary Bucyrus German bratwurst maker, Bob Hoelzel. But even more importantly... Dean's love of a great tasting brat!

Located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, the Old Mill is one of the most photographed in the country and over 1,000,000 visitors make a stop at this Smoky Mountain landmark each year. It still functions as it did when it was built in 1830, daily grinding thousands of pounds of grains with every turn of its giant water-powered wheel.

The area surrounding the Old Mill is now known as Old Mill Square, where you'll find a working tribute to Tennessee history in every corner. From an award-winning restaurant that serves the best in traditional southern fare (using the Mill's own fresh-ground grains, of course), to pottery and sculptures formed and fired on-site, to old-fashioned candy made with the finest of ingredients, the folks at the Old Mill consider the results of their labors of love anything but a "daily grind."

Tours are given of the working mill.

The tour of The Peanut Patch, will teach you how peanuts are processed and stored.

One of the highlights, of course, is the roasting area. Here, you'll be able to watch hundreds of pounds of peanuts dry-roasted at once. You'll also have a chance to taste a warm, newly-roasted peanut. In the Kitchen, you and your family can watch peanuts ground into natural peanut butter, and see how peanut brittle and other types of candy are made. On some of the children's tours, kids even get to make their own peanut butter!

The Wayside Inn Grist Mill is the first working mill to be built as a museum. Commissioned by Henry Ford and designed by renowned hydraulic engineer J.B. Campbell of Philadelphia, work on the Mill began in 1924 by local workmen preparing the waterway from Grist Mill Pond. Built in the style of mills that operated in the Delaware Valley of Pennsylvania and in the Midlands area of England, the mill operates with millstones imported from France and high-quality 18th century milling machinery purchased by Ford?s antiques buyers.

The Mill ground its first grain on Thanksgiving Day 1929 with local miller Erwin Smith of Hopkinton turning the iron wheel to open the floodgates and set the millstones into operation. For many years, the Mill produced corn, wheat, and rye for the Inn and the Wayside Inn Boys School that Ford operated on the property. When Henry Ford died in 1947, the Mill ceased operations and Ford family representatives began selling off the land he had accumulated until the Wayside Inn property was back to its original 125-acre parcel.

Pepperidge Farm postcard In 1952, the Mill began full operations again. Under a lease arrangement with the Inn, Pepperidge Farm provided a full-time Miller to produce stone-ground whole wheat flour for the company?s products. The Wayside Inn Grist Mill shipped out its entire output to Pepperidge Farm plants: 48 tons of whole wheat flour a month?approximately 9,000 tons of whole wheat flour during the 15 years of the lease arrangement. As a Pepperidge Farm employee, the Miller operated and maintained the Mill, provided educational tours to thousands of visitors, and promoted Pepperidge Farm products which were on display in the Mill. When the Inn re-opened in June 1958 after a devastating fire and thorough restoration, Margaret Rudkin, a friend and neighbor of one of the leading preservationists, provided Pepperidge Farm cookies as dessert to the dining dignitaries. Pepperidge Farm ceased its production at the Wayside Inn Grist Mill in 1967 after 15 years of a harmonious working relationship that benefited both the Inn and Pepperidge Farm.

The Mill produced flour for King Arthur Flour Company from 1967 to 1969. In 1969, the Inn began to operate the Mill, hiring its own full-time Miller. The current Miller has worked at the Inn since 1977. The Grist Mill currently produces 5?15 tons of flour per year (depending on demand) which is used in the restaurant?s baked goods and is sold in the Inn Gift Shop.

WELCOME! Enjoy your tour with us at Wiebe Farms. You may be wondering why a farm would have such a tour. Have you ever been to a packing shed in the middle of harvest? Over the years we have received requests for tours of the shed to see the whole process of packing PEACHES and NECTARINES. We finally decided to open up our facilities for tours. Our family-friendly atmosphere ensures you will have a great time with us. Plus, you will get to taste some very delicious PEACHES and NECTARINES.