Ned Foltz still has some of the Pennsylvania German redware his grandmother used for pie plates when he was growing up in Lititz.

Those plates introduced Foltz, who is now 69, to the pottery folks had been making in Lancaster County for the previous two centuries, using the red clay that's still found here.

They also inspired him to start making his own redware in the 1960s.

"I love the earthy feel of it," he said. "And I love working with it on a potter's wheel."

In 1980, Foltz quit his job as a teacher and made pottery his full-time career, opening Foltz Pottery in Reinholds.

Authentic, Pennsylvania German redware is pretty much all he makes.

"I don't know how many pieces I've made, but it has to be in the millions," he said.

Foltz was among the first 12 local artisans recently accepted into the Lancaster County Heritage program by the county planning commission under the newly created Heritage Crafts category.

And Pennsylvania German redware pottery was among the first 10 local crafts recognized by the program.

"These are crafts that are part of Lancaster County's heritage, which help make Lancaster County unique," said Scott Standish, the planning commission's director of long-range and heritage planning.

Launched in 1994, the Lancaster County Heritage program is a collaborative effort undertaken by the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to demonstrate that historic preservation and heritage tourism are economically beneficial to local communities.

To date, the program has recognized more than 100 heritage resources, including historic sites and museums, lodging and dining establishments, events and tours.

Interested applicants work with planning commission staff to meet the program's guidelines for authenticity, interpretation and visitor readiness.

With the approval of the program's Heritage Advisory Council — a group of local heritage professionals — applicants are presented to the planning commission for official designation.

At one time, the council determined what resources received the designation, but that duty was transferred recently to the planning commission.

Commission members vote on designations at their public meetings.

"We did that to give it more prominence," Standish said.

For designated heritage resources, the benefits of the program include the use of a certification seal featuring the phrase "Authentic Lancaster County, PA," and the opportunity to be included in the program's promotional materials, including a Web site listing.

"I think it's a privilege to be part of the program," Foltz said.

Besides Foltz and Pennsylvania German redware, the other artisans and their crafts designated as Heritage Crafts by the planning commission were:

• Thomas Morton of Lititz, Pennsylvania German furniture.

• Susan Weaver of Lancaster, weaving.

• Heather Botchlet of Strasburg, Springerle cookies.

• Amy Schultz and Julie Kohler, both of Lancaster, fraktur.

• Tony Haverstick of Lancaster, bookbinding.

• Dan Alexander of Conestoga, blacksmithing.

• Elizabeth Gates of Lancaster, making decorative paste papers.

• Jay Brubaker and David Lunin, both of Lancaster, making 18th-century colonial furniture.

• Peggy Hannum of Lancaster, rug hooking.

Also declared heritage resources by the county planners recently was "Lancaster Roots 300: 1710-2010," a yearlong series of events marking the 300th anniversary of Mennonite settlement in Lancaster County, and Amish Visit-in-Person (V.I.P.) Tours of Intercourse, which gives visitors an opportunity to meet Amish families and visit Amish-run farms and businesses.

preilly@lnpnews.com