Melanie Fink said Open Gate is the one day of the year when Heidel Hollow Farm is open to all so people can see what goes into farming.

The farm is operated by the sixth generation of the Fink family - David and Sonia Fink, and their son Mike and his wife Melanie. Family friends come to help on Open Gate day.

Heidel Hollow and Mike Fink’s second farm in Potter County encompass more than 2,000 acres.

This year, 300 acres of pumpkins were raised which were shipped as far as Chicago.

Mike began raising vegetables and took over the Water Wheel Farm Market on Route 309 near Pleasant Corner in 1996. Melanie said they get their best cider from Gould’s Market, Brodheadsville.

The Fink family donated pumpkins to St. Peter’s Lynnville UCC for the pumpkin carving evening for the kids.

With a laugh, Melanie said she was busy directing traffic from her spot at the end of the market where it is easy for people to ask for directions.

Andrea Semmel Lazarus of North Whitehall, with other 4-H parents were talking about the Lehigh County Livestock and Dairy Calf clubs.

Livestock includes beef, goats, sheep and hogs. 4-H members range in age from 8-18. They finish their record books in October and then there are fun events until the end of the year.

For 4-H information contact Kelly Weisner at the Lehigh County Penn State Cooperative Extension.

This was their first year at Heidel Hollow and she said other members were at other farm-related events on the busy weekend.

The Rural Preservation Association of Northwestern Lehigh County was active with the food court and bake sale.

David Fink said they’ve been shipping hay overseas for many years. Puerto Rico was the farm’s first customer.

This year bred heifers and hay were to be shipped to Puerto Rico but then there was the hurricane. They have shipped to Russia but not for the last 2-1/2 years because of the uneasy political situation.

A 1,100 pound bale can be rebaled into 15- to 75-pound bales which greatly reduces shipping costs. The farm offers timothy, alfalfa and mixed hay.

Germany developed the compressed bales, which with oats mixed in provided K-rations for the horses.

Hay bricks, which are wet down when fed, make handy feeding when horses are away from home. They are easy to transport.

In answer to a question, Fink said the compression machinery, which is considered small, cost a half million dollars and can do 8 tons in an hour.

Heidelberg Church’s youth group was doing face painting to raise money to buy a water buffalo for Heifer International, which provides animals to needy areas of the world.

Lehigh County Farm Bureau had a Wheel of Agriculture. Children spun the wheel and were asked questions concerning the type of produce where the wheel stopped.

They received coloring books and stickers.