Alfred and Carolynne Wanner, and together with our two sons, John and Matt, own and operate Wanner's Pride N Joy Farm. Our modern dairy farm, situated in picturesque Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, has been in the family for eight generations and was recently recognized as a Century Farm. Much has changed in the farming industry since Alfred began farming with his father in a 16 cow tie-stall barn carrying pails of milk. We've grown to accommodate our growing family and currently milk close to 650 Holstein cows. Our goal is to operate a successful farm business while being responsible stewards for the long range health of our cattle and land. With the construction of a methane digester in 2007, we are one step closer to that goal. By using waste as an alternative energy source, our operation reduces odors, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, and the volume of manure going back to the fields.
Our property history is old and interesting...
The Wanner Guest House is the result of the restoration of Christian Kurtz's house, built sometime after 1775, when Christian's father, Jacob, divided his land between his two sons, Jacob and Christian. The oldest part of the house is in the back. It is also the entrance where one walks on the original floor boards and where modern conveniences line one wall, but do not take away from the farm home look with its trestle table.
The living room has a fireplace on the east side with a sitting room leading through large doors to the bedroom on the left side. Hold on to the original stair rail as you go upstairs. There you will find four tastefully decorated bedrooms. A fifth bedroom is above the kitchen.
Four succeeding generations of Kurtzs farmed the land from the 1790's until the 1930's. Christian had a son, John, who had a son, John, who had a son David Kurtz. In 1983, R. John Yost bought the farm at auction. When John died, he left the farm to Eastern Mennonite Missions. At the auction in 2007, Alfred Wanner, Jr. purchased the property. In just one and a half years, he and his wife Carolynne have transformed this federal-like farmhouse into a beautiful guest house.
History reprinted from the 2008 Historic Salisbury Township Day Tour.
