The picture above was taken at an Amish farm in Hardin County, Ohio (we’ve mentioned this settlement already this summer, see the unusual buggy post). Can you guess what’s happening here? The family only does this once a year. Luckily, that was the day I stopped by! UPDATE: if you guessed apple butter, well done! [...]
Continue reading A once-a-year occasion
Amish are well-known for their produce, which they sell at stands and auctions. Produce season is in full swing, with lots of tasty garden treats to be had. You can usually find some great buys for relatively little money. On my recent trip I bought a lot of fruits and veggies from Amish produce stands [...]
Continue reading Amish produce
Continuing our “Signs of an Amish Home” series, let’s have a look at milk cans. Milk cans seem to be another one of those quintessential symbols of the Amish–who else uses them nowadays? A few other Plain groups perhaps, but not many others. If you see them stacked up by the road or by the [...]
Continue reading Amish milk cans
The small farm has a special place in our national consciousness. For some, farming is a noble, even spiritual undertaking. The scrappy small farmer is a symbol of American perseverance. But family farming has long been in decline. Most of us know agriculture in the abstract. I was not raised on a farm but like [...]
Continue reading Why do we revere farmland?
The FDA has taken legal action to stop Amish farmer Dan Allgyer from shipping raw milk across state lines, according to this article. This case against Allgyer has been going on for quite some time. Allgyer’s Lancaster farm was visited/inspected/raided by federal agents a year ago. Allgyer has been selling his milk in Maryland and DC, [...]
Continue reading Amish raw milk sting
Today is the first day of spring (also known as the furthest day possible from next winter). Depending on your latitude, you may need the calendar to tell you that. But even if your weather this morning doesn’t seem so springy, it will be here soon enough. With spring, plants know the wait is over. [...]
Continue reading 5 signs of spring in Amish America
I just got back, late Saturday, from a great trip visiting friends in Lancaster County and elsewhere. I’ve got a lot to share in upcoming posts. But for now, a little summary. Here are 12 key numbers from last week’s travels to Amish communities in PA, DE, VA, and MD: 7-number of settlements visited. In [...]
Continue reading A visit to the Amish, in 12 key numbers
I don’t know if the video I just watched-entitled “Amish Smugglers’ Shady Milk Run”–was intended to be funny, but I couldn’t help but chuckle. Technically, I guess you do call someone who brings in product to sell in an area where it is illegal a “smuggler”. But the term is such a loaded one. The [...]
Continue reading “Shadowy” Amish raw milk smugglers
Do Amish celebrate Halloween? While Amish do grow a lot of the pumpkins that become the Jack-o-Lanterns adorning homes across the nation today, the Amish themselves do not carve or display their own. The most you might see are some uncarved pumpkins and gourds festively arranged at some homes (though I suppose that could just [...]
Continue reading The Amish and Halloween
A couple more articles caught my eye over the past few days. Many people have likely already seen the article from yesterday’s NYT on Amish farms damaging the Chesapeake Bay through farm runoff. This issue has existed for a number of years, but this was interesting to see written about for a couple reasons: one [...]
Continue reading Controversies over Amish manure and aching backs
