BEDFORD, Pennsylvania — There is something about the slight shift toward crisper air and the scent that lingers in the meadows and crops, the brilliant colors, the reds, golds, and oranges, that tip the leaves in Pennsylvania’s section of the Appalachian Mountains. It draws people to small towns like this one to celebrate America’s brilliance post-harvest.

From the Ohio state line to Bedford County, the back roads of the Lincoln Highway are lined with tiny farm stands run by families looking to sell their last crops of apples, pumpkins, cabbage, and onions. There are also general stores filled with culinary fall delights “put up” by locals: apple butter, piccalilli, and a variety of pickled vegetables.