Dairy farming can get messy. Inside an Amish barn in Lancaster County.
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6 responses to Running the gauntlet
Nice cow barn!! Most Englisher dairys are not kept that clean! Sounds like your having a great summer so far. We love the family Bible library, and use it much for study. We follow a swiss anabaptist confesson, much like the mennonite dortrecht(1632). We do use commputers for bussiness. Much liked cooler weather for this week. Harvest beginning…
Good articles and photos! I found your blog yesterday looking for information on Topeka – Nappanee – Goshen Indiana areas. It’s one of my favorite areas to go bicycling. I was wondering if the percentage of the Amish who make their living in agriculture has gone down significantly in the last 10 years. I didn’t find the answer, but I’ve enjoyed what I have found, and have learned a few new things, too. (Other Amish areas where I’ve gone riding are Holmes Co., Ohio, the southern Michigan counties (St Joe, Branch, Hillsdale, Calhoun), Kentucky along the Ohio River, Adams Co., Indiana and elsewhere along the Wabash, and maybe others I can’t think of at the moment. I sometimes talk about it in my bicycling blog, even though it isn’t my primary purpose for being in those places.)
Running the gauntlet
Family Bible Library book set
Adam I always appreciate your comments on the blog here…and great to hear you have the FBL! Do you remember when/who you got it from? They typically just sell directly so maybe a student or someone was in VT. If I can ask, are you aligned with a mennonite group or more along the lines of river brethren or german baptist perhaps..? I regret that I’m not as well-versed in all of the other anabaptist-related groups.
The barns and farms here are absolutely beautiful. The Amish here, true to form, seem to try to keep things tidy. Gives the kids something to do at the very least.
You are about to get pretty busy it sounds…
Running the gauntlet
Dairy farming--Lancaster Amish vs. Indiana Amish
Among the Amish, agriculture has definitely declined across the board, though if you go out about 30 years the change is more drastic-that is roughly when the small business ‘movement’ started picking up steam and many Amish started opening up furniture shops and the like.
Dairy is still pretty strong in Lancaster County however, especially compared to a place like Northern Indiana, where I spent 3 months last summer–the majority as you may know build RVs in LaGrange/Elkhart Counties and in the Nappanee settlement. In Allen County, a settlement of over 700 families just outside Fort Wayne, I think I found maybe one or two full time farmers. In Lancaster County I’ve had a few church districts where almost everyone under 60 farms.
And John, glad you found it. Was just reading about your ride through Topeka. That is a very nice town, unlike towns like Shipshe or Berlin as you pointed out–much more peaceful atmosphere.
I see tons of bikers here in Lancaster County–solo riders to big groups–all county roads here are paved, which must be a plus.
Nice blog and pix by the way! You’ve seen some great places…
Running the gauntlet
We follow an swiss Apostolic statement of faith(swiss brethren). We worship with another farming family in our homes. Most brethren near a congregation worship in a simple church building. We used to visit Amish and Mennonite friends in Lan Co that my mother circle lettered when i was growing up. I grew up in Ellington CT were a large swiss settlement is, moved to VT for availible farmland. The FBL was my fathers, a PA native.
Running the gauntlet
Hi Adam, I see, thanks for sharing. Sounds like you and the other family are the only ones of your faith in the area, hope that doesn’t get too lonely.
Nice to hear the FBL was passed down to you. As it’s been out 30+ years I run into that alot.
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