It was a small berry farm that turned into one of the world's most popular amusement parks: Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. Knott's Berry Farm had some very humble beginnings. In the 1920s, a farmer named Walter Knott and his wife Cordelia ran a 20-acre berry farm and fruit stand in then rural Orange County. Making a living was tough for the family, but Walter had plenty of marketing savvy along with a potent green thumb. He developed a popular new strain of berry that came to be known as the boysenberry and sales took off! Walter's daughter, Virginia, has worked here for more than fifty years. She runs a gift shop and says that for many visitors, their trip is filled with nostalgia. "Everyday, I have people who come and say, 'well, I came here when I was a little boy with my dad and now I've brought my kids and my grandkids.'" Walter Knott's little farm grew into a restaurant. When the lines at the restaurant became too long, Walter moved old historic buildings onto the property and built a "ghost town" to keep patrons busy while they waited for a table. Eventually, the ghost town turned into an amusement park, and the city of Buena Park grew up around it. But Walter Knott never forgot his agrarian roots, even when interviewed by Groucho Marx on the 1950s television show You Bet Your Life. In answer to the question, "What do you do?", Walter said simply, "I'm a farmer." You can still get a taste of the old Knott's Berry Farm. Mrs. Knott's famous chicken dinners and Knott's boysenberry and other preserves are for sale in the park, but the original farm is little more than a pleasant memory. All that's left are a few rows of berry vines tucked away in a small corner of the park. For recorded information on Knott's Berry Farm, call (714) 220-5200. For other information, call the park's main number at (714) 827-1776. Disney's California Adventure Not far from Knott's Berry Farm, the people at Disneyland have broken ground for "Disney's California Adventure." Slated to open in 2001, it will showcase California agricultural products and include a small working farm. "The Farm" at the University of California at Davis Another choice for an ag-themed family vacation will be "The Farm," a complex that will educate and enlighten visitors about our state's diverse agricultural and environmental heritage. While it's still in the works, tentative plans call for a "root pavilion" featuring an up-close look at life underground, along with exhibits on viticulture and livestock. To find out more about "The Farm," go to the U.C. Davis website at http://www.aes.ucdavis.edu/thefarm/farm.html. If you have questions or comments about this story, please E-mail our Executive Producer Corita Gravitt at corita.gravitt@mailexcite.com.