DAVID: We're at the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, The museum is 100 acres, 30 buildings, and within those buildings are exhibits.

The museum represents 300 years of Pennsylvania German, uh, history and culture here in Lancaster County and the surrounding area.

Here on the grounds we actually have an early example of a multi-generational Pennsylvania German farm.

LAURITA: It's so cool that the Landis Museum let us dress up like the Germans did back in the day it feels like we stepped back in time.

LAUREN: Be prepared to see us in some sack dresses, here we go.

♪ (laughing) We have now transformed into the Pennsylvania Germans.

LAURITA: Yes.

LAUREN: We're in their dress, as they would have worn back in the day.

Head wrap, long sack dress, and an apron.

DAVID: The museum sits in a wide, very low valley that has a long association with the Landises.

The buildings were built by different generations of the Landis family.

The last generation of the Landises create and build the museum that we are today.

The Landises had a love of their Mennonite past, and the love of the larger Pennsylvania German population that shaped this area and shaped their lives.

For many of our visitors the picture they get of Lancaster county is very rural and very much oriented to agriculture, which goes back to the first Amish farmers that came here the land was recognized as rich, and very quickly they established a presence here as farmers.

For the contemporary visitor, they want to connect to the bounty of product that's grown here.

PERFORMER: So we are in the mid-1700s and this tavern is a truck stop tavern, we're only serving two men.

And right now I uh, sautéed some bacon, and I have potatoes in here and some onions and I'm cutting up our squash.

Excellent job.

You're gonna scoop the guts.

LAUREN: Alrighty.

PERFORMER: So while we're doing that, I'm gonna get the soup back on the stove.

Now you are going to rub the sage.

LAUREN: This smells so good.

PERFORMER: It's amazing, isn't it?

LAURITA: And it goes right in the pot?

PERFORMER: Yes ma'am.

Aright, ladies, well thank you so much for coming and working in the tavern today.

LAURITA: Oh it's delicious!

PERFORMER: Thank you very much.

LAURITA: Wow!

So even without having a complete commercial kitchen and all the slices and jars, you can still make a tasty meal.

PERFORMER: Very tasty, yes.

LAUREN: Good soup.

LAURITA: I think what was most interesting at Landis Valley was the cooking in the hearth.

LAUREN: I know, and the food tasted so good even though it's just a few simple ingredients.

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