TV cooking show star Rachael Ray’s film production crew members Alex Boylan (left) and Zsolt Luka, of Around the World Productions, are shown with Sharon Grover, president of Geauga County Tourism Council and owner of Ridgeview Farm and Tours, Saturday. CARL E. FEATHER
Published September 02, 2008 07:35 pm - Amish history culture, scenic farms and countryside, plus delicious Amish Wedding food, will be featured in a segment for cooking host Rachael Ray’s TV show and Web site.
RV’s Rachael Ray to feature Geauga County Amish
By DORIS COOK - Staff Writer Star Beacon
MIDDLEFIELD — Amish history culture, scenic farms and countryside, plus delicious Amish Wedding food, will be featured in a segment for cooking host Rachael Ray’s TV show and Web site.
The segment was filmed Saturday in Trumbull and eastern Geauga counties.
The Around the World Productions film crew followed Ridgeview Farm owner and tour operator Sharon Grover on her Amish Backroads Tour.
Zsolt Luka, Around the World Productions’ producer-director, who is of Hungarian descent, was joined by Alex Boylan, a host with Rachael Ray on her cooking talk show. The crew, including Luka, Josh Bolton, and Andrew Boylan, filmed Emma Miller’s Amish Craft Shop in Middlefield, the Middlefield Original Cheese Co-Op, several other Amish-owned businesses and the End of the Commons General Store in Mesopotamia.
“We ended their visit at an Amish home in Troy Township for a typical Amish wedding lunch,” Grover said. “Here everyone was served the same type food the Amish serve at a typical wedding. They really enjoyed their visit, and we were excited to have them pick us,” Grover said.
The large red van, painted with Rachael Ray’s photos and called “Rach to the Rescue,” caught the attention of many people in the Geauga area Saturday. Luka said the California-based crew hauls a lot of its computers and camera equipment aboard but the van is not equipped for sleeping.
“We are making a number of stops over the next six weeks in 36 to 37 states. It’s part of the show’s Hidden Gems, which will be on Rachael Ray’s Web site in what is called a ‘webisode.’ The visit to Geauga County probably will be up on the Web site this week. It’s among the first. A portion of what we filmed may also get on Rachael Ray’s show,” Luka said when contacted Tuesday in Chicago.
Grover said the tour of eastern Geauga County was designed to give the film crew a glimpse of the nation’s fourth-largest Amish community.
“In turn, it promotes Geauga County as a tourist destination,” she said.
“For me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime event promoting Geauga County and the Amish back-road tours we do. I thoroughly enjoyed it and found Alex, Zsolt and the crew easy to work with. We sent them off with copies of an Amish cookbook for the show and other gifts to remember us,” Grover said.
Grover serves as president of the Geauga County Tourism Council. The Grovers’ Ridgeview Farm Web site first attracted the Around the World Productions crew as a place to start their Hidden Gems journey in Ohio, according to Luka.
“We just started filming this series. It’s all about seeing America through the eyes of the local people in their hometowns. We started in New York and are heading west for the next month. This is the first time for meeting Amish folks,” Boylan said as they departed after lunch.
WANTED TO BUY!! Wanted to Buy Complete plow assembly for a 2002 Dodge pick up truck. 440-319-5510 lv msg....>MORE
Christmas Trees! Spruce & Pine - Wagon Rides, Big Selection. (440)293-7330 www.logbarnfarm.com...>MORE
CHRISTMAS TREES PreCut or You Cut $25. Nov. 27th Saturdays & Sundays 9-5; 5926 Sidley Rd. Madison 440-298-1818...>MORE
Cemetery Lots 2-lots Garden of Christus, Greenlawn. $400/both. 440-391-3795...>MORE
SEASONED FIREWOOD FOR SALE Mixed Hardwoods. Cut & split approx 16” $225.00 cord (+) or Slab wood, cut $150.00 cord(+). Delivered within 15 miles of...>MORE
BUYING JUNK VEHICLES WE PAY SCRAP OR BETTER Budget Auto Parts, 6015 Woodman Ave. 992-1111...>MORE
WANTED TO BUY Immediate Cash for unwanted items. Call for details 440-319-4274...>MORE
"WE NEED LAND!" Paying top prices for farms or acreage in OH, W. Virginia and PA. Call Bruner Land Co. at (740) 685-8138....>MORE
MACHINERY & TOOLS SAFES- Large & small, Forklifts, extra forks, Pallet Jacks, air compressors, (1-20HP), complete torch sets, welding gass...>MORE