5 Places Where Amish Buy Things

Places Amish Do Shopping

Where do the Amish do their shopping? Obviously, without a car in the drive, it’s not as simple as jumping behind the wheel and zipping to the store when you’re running low on sandwich bread or hairpins.

But Amish still have quite a few more- and less-convenient shopping options available to them. Here are five venues Amish people turn to when they need to buy something.

Five Places Amish Do Their Shopping

1. Wal-Mart

Large quantities, low prices? It’s no surprise that Amish shop America’s largest retailer.

For instance, it’s rare that I don’t see Amish people in the aisles when I’m at the New Philadelphia, Ohio Wal-Mart, about a 10-15 minute drive from the edge of the Holmes County settlement. For most, that one takes a driver to reach.

Buggy at Wal-mart

The one on the other side of the community, in Millersburg, is close enough for Amish to get to by buggy, over the Holmes County Trail or regular roads. As with many businesses Amish regularly patronize, there are covered horse stalls in the lot.

If you can’t get there on your own, you get some other Amish people together, get a van driver and make a trip of it. “Always Low Prices” are a big draw for Amish people just like they are for English.

Parking outside an Ohio Wal-Mart. Photo: Don Burke

Amish also shop other large supermarkets and bulk-buy outlets, such as Costco.

2. Catalog

Shetler’s Wholesale is a popular catalog-based retailer operating out of northeast Indiana. It he past it has offered a number of appealing deals, including a 10% newlywed discount “For entire first year of marriage” or free shipping with orders over $150. As you can see the bright neon cover color makes it hard to misplace.

Mail Order Catalog Shetler's Wholesale

Shetler’s catalog is packed with tons of items you might find in an Amish home–clocks, kitchenware, books, oil lamp globes and burners, toys and puzzles, fly tape and swatters, clothing items, knives, tools, wagons and more.

You can imagine the convenience of shopping by mail order if you depend on the buggy and hired drivers for long-distance transport.

Customers quoted inside the catalog praise the service for just that reason: “I can shop at home with my feet in the air” (Fredericktown, OH); “We can sit in the cozy warm and do our shopping” (Woodward, PA); “It means so much to a Mom with children if she doesn’t have to go out in town to do a lot of shopping” (Chili, WI).

With online shopping such a big part of the consumer experience, the dead-tree catalog has become a rare-ish sight nowadays. But outlets like Shetler’s continue to thrive offering their Amish clients a tried-and-true buying experience.

3. Visiting Salespeople

Traveling salespeople seem like an anachronism in a world of one-click web shopping and overnight delivery, but door-to-door salespeople still exist. As with catalog shopping, in this case the “store” comes to the buyer.

Door-to Door Salesman

While not as prevalent as they once were, direct salespeople still sell certain products. They seem to show up in Amish communities, which kind of makes sense.

I’ve heard of door-to-door salespeople selling cleaning products, smoke detectors, vacuums, Bible story books, and aerial photos in Amish communities. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Schwan’s man does alright in Amish settlements.

Not an everyday shopping experience, but seen sometimes.

4. Auctions

“Shop” may not exactly be the correct verb, but Amish people definitely like to buy things at auctions. Many have a theme; farm equipment, animals, furniture, and tools are common types of sales.

Not really the venue you depend upon for daily necessities, but a place to find an unexpected good deal or a nice price on a higher-ticket item.

More than any other venue on this list, socializing can be as much a reason to go as a need to buy something.

Attendees Rudy Gingerich Auction

Sometimes buying at an auction is not so much about getting something you need, as it is supporting a cause, like an Amish school’s funding or a hospital benefit.

Once, at the Clinic for Special Children auction, I watched two men bid up the price of a birdhouse, constructed by a boy with a rare disease, which Dr. Holmes Morton estimated “cost less than ten cents to make.”

Quilts for sale at a Clinic for Special Children auction

The Amishman who won paid (donated) $6000 for the privilege of owning it. I wonder if the eventual bird tenants realized they were living in such high-dollar digs. But I digress. Finally…

5. Local Stores (Both Amish and English-owned)

Amish-owned variety stores, bulk foods outlets, fabric shops, and bent-n-dents (to name a few) can all be found in Amish communities, especially the larger ones (but often the smaller as well). Unsurprisingly, Amish are heavy patrons. English people like these shops too.

Nauvoo Country Store

Proximity is even more important to the Amish than the rest of us since travel is less convenient. That’s why Amish also shop at other local, non-Amish-owned stores.

Plus, Wal-Marts may be everywhere, but not every Amish community has one in their backyard, nor do all Amish churches permit travel by hired vehicle (outside of emergencies).

Hats and shoes section of an Amish-owned store. Some Amish wear plainer versions of brands like Skechers, valued for their comfort

Patronizing a store owned by a fellow church member is also a way of supporting the community.

Images: Shopping cart- Kate Ter Harr/flickr; Wal-Mart- Micah Maziar/flickr; Traveling salesman- imlsdcc/flickr; Iowa Auction- Carl Oliver; Nauvoo Country Store- ShipshewanaIndiana

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    65 Comments

    1. Al in Ky

      I think you’ve pretty well covered it, Erik. I liked the “visiting salespeople” category. It reminded me of a visit to some Amish friends a couple of weeks ago (mid-February). The women of the house were canning tomatoes. I asked where they got them (in February?). The father so, “Oh, they’re from the peddler who came by”. When I was growing up in rural Minn. in the 1950’s and 60’s, we had many door-to-door salespeople who came by. Products sold included fresh fish, woolen clothing, honey, popcorn, all kinds of dairy products, Watkins, Fuller Brush, Amway, etc. We bought a lot of things from all of these salespeople.

      Another source was our neighbors. We didn’t raise chickens, so bought all of our eggs, frying chickens and stewing hens from a neighbor woman. And then we’d “trade”. We raised hogs and my uncle raised cattle, so we’d trade pork for beef. My grandparents grew asparagus, apples, and berries, and we grew lots of vegetables, so we’d trade those products, too. I’m wondering if some Amish people might do similar things. A practice I’ve seen quite often in the summer and fall is where one Amish family will buy a huge lot of apples, pears, citrus fruit, etc. and then the whole community will buy several boxes of the produce from them.

      1. Al that’s an interesting story, kind of surprising. I wonder why they wanted to do more tomato canning, maybe they weren’t able to put up as much as they wanted for whatever reason from their own sources? I am guessing these tomatoes were imported from another state or country and probably not the quality level they are accustomed to.

        Also interesting to hear the array of goods available back then. I’ve mentioned before I have a soft spot for this type of sales since that’s how I first met the Amish. It just goes to show how much more access and choice we have that direct-to-home sales is no longer all that common.

    2. Terry in Wisconsin

      Buggy shed

      In my hometown in western Wisc (population 1550) the community built a buggy shed with room for four buggies just off the main street. The grocery store, hardware store, city cafe for lunch or coffee after a full morning in town, and bank, are all with in walking distance. Businesses that the Amish patronize frequently and no driver needed to transport them.

      People being people there was complaining from some locals about buggies parked randomly around the town, and when you have a horse you have manure, another problem. If the weather was inclement, remember this is Wisc and we have nasty winters, more complaining about horses being tied, and standing in the elements. What to do? Build a buggy shed and everyone was happy! Now I’m wondering who removes the manure from the buggy shed. If you’re a gardener you could always take a pail and shovel and help yourself! After all it’s best to reduce, reuse, recycle! (My mom the gardener, always had a pail and small shovel in the trunk just in case she found flowers to dig, or better yet a manure supply! Ha!)

      1. Trish in Indiana

        My dad used to run a mobile home company in Shipshewana, and he was an avid gardener. He had a garden right there next to the factory, and he got his fertilizer from the shed he’d had built for the Amish workers’ horses. Best carrots you ever tasted!

      2. Manure in the streets complaints

        I’ve always thought a little manure in the streets from Amish horses is one of those first world problems which we should be grateful occupy a lot of our time.

        I’ve begun to think it’s part of the human condition to constantly require a problem or challenge to deal with, and if street manure is that problem for some people rather than clean drinking water or warlords, I guess as a society we are doing pretty well… 🙂 .

        But for the number of news stories you see on it, it seems to really bother some people. It’s possible that manure is an outlet for people who don’t like the Amish for whatever reason to begin with.

        Or maybe to take it at face value they just really appreciate cleanliness. Nothing wrong with that but everything can be taken to an extreme. I could more easily see residents of big-brick suburbia complaining about this, coming from residents of a rural area where agriculture predominates it is more surprising (unless the complainers used to live in suburbia 🙂 ).

        1. Manure in the streets

          Erik I agree manure in the streets is about cleanliness. However, I disagree with the manner in which you justify your argument. I believe we are dealing with two very different cultures. I think all will agree. Having lived in an area surrounded by Amish farms, I have encountered this problem first hand many times on a personal level. The sticking point I have learned, is that the Amish want their culture respected but, they have no intention of respecting anyone else’s culture. In other words, they don’t care! They feel they are entitled, for whatever reason. And that is where the problem lies! If the Amish don’t get their way or they do encounter conflict, they move. A civilized society. Works out their differences!

          1. I’ll admit I might feel different in your situation. I’ve heard similar things about some communities. Some Amish seem more willing to work with non-Amish neighbors and authorities. Others, more like what you describe. The manure itself wouldn’t bother me as much as an unwillingness to respect and address neighbors’ concerns. Good points, Fran.

            1. Jerry

              I've seen cases where the horse manure is a problem

              In a community near the “Big Valley” in central Pa, I’ve seen signs that people object to having horse manure deposited in the streets. My message to these people is “get real”. You are blessed by having an Amish culture living near by and you want to object to the deposits on the street?. Get real people. You should be thankful that you are blessed by living in an era that has this kind of simple living. Mother Nature will take care of your i’ll conceived problem. Count your blessings that you don’t have carbon monoxicide fumes that are far more harmful. Do you have to pay 35.00 a year to test your automobile emmisions? It’s manure people and you should be joyeous that that is all it is.
              When I was drafted into the Army in the 70’s and was taken away from my family farm for two years, I could not wait to get back to the farm just so I could smell the the horse and cow manure. To me that was HOME and sign of great comfort. Most of you will not understand this comment.

          2. Anonymous

            They want their culture respected?

            A good way of respecting their culture might be to stop plastering “Amish Country” or Amish this & that on every available flat surface and running tour buses through their community or creating so-called reality shows about them.
            I agree there can be problems between cultures. I live in an Amish area and I see horse manure on the roads, too. I try to avoid it if possible, but come on, it’s the country! Have you ever noticed how quickly horse manure breaks down? I don’t want to be gross or anything, but because it’s plant-based (unlike dog droppings) it breaks down quickly.
            I’m finding it pretty offensive that you are saying “the Amish want their culture respected, but they have no intention of respecting anyone else’s culture. In other words, they don’t care! They feel they are entitled, for whatever reason.” That’s a pretty broad statement! I know several Amish people well and I take exception to your suggestion they are all entitled and arrogant. Some of the ones very I know very intimately show more tolerance and respect than your comments show. Are there some that are ignorant & entitled? Oh I’m sure there are, but classing an entire culture in such a broad statement is, I’m sorry, bigoted.
            There have been comments posted on this site by Amish or Mennonite people and they show the variety of individual personalities and outlooks. Some of those comments have impressed me by their warmth and insight while others might come across as arrogant, but the Amish are human and made up of a wide variety of personalities.

            1. Forest in North Carolina

              I live in an area that used to be very rural. Now, since a few years ago they built a Walmart and a Tanger Outlet on our road ( five miles away) we have seen the volume of traffic triple. I understand that horse manure would probably be annoying to many, but I would happily exchange the traffic on our road for a whole load of horse manure. Which I would then scoop up and cut into my garden….8)
              But it depends on what you are used to. I grew up in the country, frequently having to avoid the cow pies in the yard from where our across-the-road neighbor’s cows decided the grass looked greener on our side…

            2. I know seen out of context it could be taken broadly, but I took Fran’s comments to be about the particular Amish community in her area, not all Amish. Unfortunately Amish and English do butt heads over issues like this. Some seem to be more able to adapt, or if not change, to at least smooth over these issues than others. Of course it takes good will from both sides.

              1. Mark - Holmes Co.

                Well, I’m glad to read that it applies only to a certain area and not all of us! As a person who has always had an interest in other people & cultures (Thank you National Geographic magazines) and have tried to be understanding and respectful towards other cultures, it was a bit of a jolt to read Fran’s comments. I was always taught we should not judge other groups of ANY kind of people by the actions of one or several and throwing people together in one big lump is not right. I would like to think that is something all of us could do.

                1. Naomi Wilson

                  As a child, I frequently delighted in walking barefoot over old horse manure in the streets in Colonial Williamsburg, just to hear the tourists gasp in dismay. The fife and drum corps marches straight through the fresh stuff. How undignified it would be to break ranks or fall out of step just over a bit of manure!

                  I can think of lots worse things than horse manure in the streets and parking lots. Altough scooping it up and depositing it in fields and gardens is a good thing for many reasons.

                2. 5 places where Amish shop

                  I believe lumping us all together in one group is exactly what the Amish do when they refer to non-Amish people as “English”

                  1. Mark - Holmes Co.

                    Good point! And it’s the reason I prefer to say non-Amish if I’m using it really broadly or narrow it down whenever I can to fit what I know about a person. Labels can be useful but they can cause bad feelings once you start lumping people together and passing judgment on them. Maybe I’m wrong, but I figure it’s okay to talk about someone as (let’s say) a Methodist, but once I start saying “you Methodists” or “all the Methodists” it starts getting a bit risky. I’d rather be told I’m offending someone than go on doing it!

                    1. Ashley

                      You English! :)

                      To Anonymous and Mark, I’ve never thought of that before. I’ve always thought of it as a way to differentiate but you’re right, just like “the Amish,” “the English” is also sweeping everyone into one big group, which can easily lead to the sorts of things Mark spoke of above. Thanks for opening my mind to that!

          3. Don

            Whoa!

            So the Amish aren’t civilized? The organic stuff isn’t just on the road.

          4. former Amish

            I was Amish. That comment is rude. I was raised to respect others and we cared about other people. We had good neighbors and were good neighbors back. There are a lot of folks who might agree with you Fran but also a lot who will not. Even before I left I knew better then to call all English people good or all bad.

          5. Ashley

            Entitlement

            In all the time I’ve known about, heard about, or been around people who are Amish I’ve never noticed a sense of entitlement as part of the culture. I’m sure some individuals may feel entitled to do as they please but isn’t the same true of individuals in any culture? If you’re saying that the Amish as a whole feel they can do as they please, then I wonder what the point of their culture emphasizing others above themselves would be? If allowing horses to do their natural business demonstrates a sense of entitlement to you, could one not say others have a sense of entitlement to drive cars, or honk intentionally to spook horses on the road? I don’t tbink it’d be right to group all Amish people this way, even in a particular settlement. It’s putting this judgment on one and all, from children to the elderly, from those who never drive a carriage to those who do. I could be wrong, I just don’t like to make such sweeping judgements.

        2. Abe

          Polution by way of horse

          Cars were first seen as the eco-friendly alternative to horse and horse drawn travel. They thought horses manure was polluting the environment and horseless carriages were seen as the obvious way to solve the problem of so many horses poluting up the environment lol. If they only knew huh lol.

      3. Sharon Gerstman

        Building built for the Amish so they can shop in the town

        Replying about Terry’s post about a building built for the Amish in a town in Wisconsin. I would love to know what town that was in. I won’t come up there in the winter, but would love to see that small town I think was in Western Wisconsin. Does anyone know where it is?

    3. OSIAH HORST

      Canadian Family Resources owned by Peter Zehr and his family make shopping easier for their Amish and Mennonite customers, not just locally. They have a large retail store in the Milverton Amish area and have both a catalog and “A Store at Your Door” to serve the rest of us. The store truck which carries a large variety of goods has a number of routes that it covers on a monthly basis. If they don’t have your size or colour on the truck, you can order it for next month. if you want something they don’t normally carry on the truck, you can phone or email your order and it will be on the truck for your next route. Whenever the new catalog arrives, we eagerly check it out for new books, greeting cards and other items we can’t buy at WalMart then phone, fax or email the order.
      Concerning horses and stores and the by-product of horses, we have heard some complaints since the Orthodox Mennonites started a community in our area. The way the story goes one local Home Hardware store said they wouldn’t be putting up a hitching rail. It seems that got a phone call from the St. Jacobs head office of Home Hardware Stores and they very quickly had a hitching rail. St. Jacobs is considered by some as the heart of Amish and Mennonite country and Home Hardware’s co-founder was a Mennonite!

      1. Osiah, thanks for sharing about this shopping option in Ontario, I hadn’t heard of it. Sounds like just the right business for local needs.

        If I were a hardware store in an area with a lot of Amish or horse-and-buggy Mennonites, putting up a hitching rail would be a no-brainer. Unless I really had an aversion to manure. Funny story.

        1. Millie Williams

          Hitching posts, etc.

          Here in Glasgow, KY, the Walmart allows the horses to be tied to the light poles over on the side of the parking lot, on the grass. They also provide a couple of big tank waterers for the horses. Most of the horses are unhitched and just enjoy standing for a bit and resting. I was thrilled the first time I saw this Thank you for the wonderful information each day on Amish Culture and habits. I think they are very lovely and interesting people. My husband was going down to Reuben Schwartz, and irridologist in Hested, KY but he has retired now. I don’t know the name of the man who is working with my husband now. Reuben is very wonderful and I enjoyed meeting and talking to him when we went there. That would be a great subject for a post!

    4. Malls

      While I’ve never seen older (married) Amish folks at a mall, I have seen quite a few young folks. Last time we visited the mall in Mishawaka (near South Bend, IN) I was surprised to see a Amish teen-aged girl coming out of Victoria’s Secret with a little VS bag in her hand. Ah, youth!

      1. Trish in Indiana

        Now, THAT’S Rumspringa, Indiana-style: Plain dress on the outside, and Victoria’s Secret.

      2. If I had made this article “50 Places Amish Shop” instead of just 5, I still wouldn’t have come close to putting *that* one on the list 🙂

        1. Terry in Wisconsin

          One more place to shop

          Years ago, say 40, a friend worked in our local drug store, and condoms weren’t on the shelves in those days. So, here comes a local Amish man asking for condoms, and the friend who waited on him asked, “Isn’t this going against the rules?” (Birth control was a no no) And his response was, “I have enough kids to feed!”

          PS: Victoria Secret wasn’t around yet for his wife to shop at! 😉

        2. VS

          VS sells a whole lot more than just scanties.. Im an old lady & I’ve been known to shop there too.. and you wouldnt catch me dead (or alive) in any of their “clothing line”.

          They have some of the nicest perfumes, soaps, lotions, & talcs.. Thats what I buy there.

          1. Amish-Girl

            Victoria's Secret

            I agree with KimH the perfumes and lotions are we’re likely to go for.
            By the way I love malls.

    5. Trish in Indiana

      Don't forget Meijer!

      Amish in my area come to Meijer by the vanload. If you see one Amish woman in the aisle, it’s a fair bet you’ll see half a dozen more all around the store, both the grocery side and the non-grocery side.

      Meijer’s known for its produce, but I don’t generally see Amish women buying it there, even in the winter. When you’re used to picking onions out of your own garden, I suppose even on sale they seem pricey, and not as fresh. It wouldn’t surprise me if Amish farms might sometimes be the source for some of the local produce at Meijer.

    6. Anne

      Baby shopping

      This is not exactly something to “shop” for, but Ed also worked a trade with the local midwife in exchange for delivering his first child. She got a season of fresh veggies from him. It seemed like a pretty fair trade to all involved, at least if you count the “hour for hour” of work involved. Actually, I think it was pretty generous on her part to do this deal for them.

      1. That sounds like a great deal. I’m guessing she got lots of baby carrots and corn for her labor? 🙂 Actually this reminded me of a similar barter/health care story one of our readers shared a few years back:

        https://amishamerica.com/baskets-and-cash-amish-working-with-hospitals/

        For instance, I know of one situation where a $20K bill was paid with about $8K. When my friend came to Smithfield he told the billing department he had 8K and they said fine and dandy, we’ll take it. In another instance a friend had to have a colonoscopy and the physician knew he made baskets. So the doctor told him he needed a very large laundry basket so the deal was done. That said, I wish I could make very large laundry baskets and get such a bargain.

    7. Janet

      Farmers Markets!

      One place I see the Amish frequent is the local farmer’s markets. My favorite place to get lost in Amish culture is at the Green Dragon in Ephrata, PA. Not only do you see the Amish behind the counters selling their baked goods, produce and various other merchandise, but you also see the women with their shopping bags going from vendor to vendor, supporting their own, and catching up on a little bit of news. There are two local department stores in the Lancaster County area. One is Goods and the other is Weavers. Both seem to cater to the Amish and Mennonite communities. I suspect that there is this type of store in other Amish communities as well. All are fun places to go. All take you back in time.

    8. Paula

      Address for Shetler's Catalog?

      After 15 years in a plain church, my husband’s company closed his facility in PA, and we found it necessary to accept their offer of a job in IL near St. Louis. We have to travel almost 2 hours for church, but because it is on Sunday, the Plain stores naturally are not open when we are in their area.

      We will be going to the Mennonite meetings up in Nappanee, IN area in about a week. Is Shetler’s a brick and mortar store? If so, can somebody put up the physical address, and a mailing address so we can get on the catalog list?

      Also, as we will be close by, do you know any clothing, sewing and houseware stores near Nappanee, IN?

      Thank you.
      Paula in IL

      1. Amy Jo

        Shetler's Wholesale

        Paula in IL: I Found this for info on Shetler’s but unsure if it is still accurate
        http://www.bbb.org/northernindiana/business-reviews/giftware-wholesale-and-manufacturers/shelters-wholesale-in-geneva-in-90020636
        Ther seem to be more and more plain communities developing all around southern IL in the last few years so you will have better luck w time. There are places for dry goods et material et such. I used to order material from a place in St. Louis but less time to sew as of late.
        Good luck in you quests! Amy

        1. Paula

          Address for Shetler's Catalog?

          Thank you for the contact information 🙂 I will give them a call. I appreciate your help.
          There are two or three German speaking Amish Mennonite churches, Berean AM group, “near” us. Rehoboth at Roodhouse is about an hour north and they were very friendly when we visited, but they are too strict for us to be able to join as my husband’s job requires internet and computers, we would have to get rid of our piano and music recordings. There is one south of us at Carrier Mills, and another at Olney east of us. I could maybe ask the Rehoboth people if there are stores; they are about 70 min. drive for us.
          The other place I am interested in checking out is Vandalia, IL where the OOMennonites are. Their city hall has a brochure with the OOM businesses on it. When the weather warms up, I would like to go check them out. They are about 70 minutes also.

          1. Shetler's info

            Paula I reached out to try to get an answer for you, but haven’t heard back yet about Shetler’s regarding your brick-and-mortar question.

            From what I recall I believe it is just a mail-order operation. If I hear otherwise I’ll let you know here.

            As for the address, it is:

            Shetler’s Wholesale Co.
            P.O. Box 8
            630 High St.
            Geneva, IN 46740

            I have last year’s Spring/Summer catalog, and the cover price is $3.00. I *believe* you get the next one or ones free after you place an order, but don’t hold me to it. Hope that helps.

      2. Linda

        Nappanee Amish Stores

        Paula, here is some shopping information for Nappanee, Indiana, if it’s not too late,

        -http://nappaneechamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Countryside-Shoppes-web-12-3-14.pdf (Nappanee Area Countryside Shoppes, from the Nappanee Chamber of Commerce)

        -Market Street Fabric Company, owned by the husband and wife team of Maria and Richard Schmucker, opened in June. The store is located in Coppes Commons at 401 E. Market St. in Nappanee.

        -http://www.amishcountry.org/things-to-do/shopping
        (general northern Indiana shopping)

        -https://amishamerica.com/amish-quilts-indiana/
        (Indiana Amish Quilt Shops)

    9. Alice Mary

      Trade & barter

      Whoa, Erik! I’m with your basket-making friend! I’m due for a colonoscopy in about a year, so if I start basket weaving NOW…hmm! There’s a thought!

      We had Goodwill store open nearby last year (it’s across from our local Walmart, so double the bargain-hunting opportunities!) and they have both used and new items. I’ve had good luck getting some needed items—a tea pot and a covered casserole dish (used) and some handy plastic baskets & kitchen utensils (new). Are the Amish very inclined to shop Goodwill & similar “used” item stores?

      Yes, without regular, reliable transportation (which in my part of the world also relies on the weather, especially in winter), you have to learn to make do with the stores & “sources” you have nearby. I often miss my old Chicago neighborhood where everything we needed was within walkling distance of our house. (Of course, “walking distance” declines with age.)

      Alice Mary

    10. In 2010, on our first trip through Millersburg, OH — when the adrenaline was still flowing because I was finally getting to fullfil a long-time dream of visiting Amish countries — one of my favorite pictures was of a horse and buggy in the stall at WalMart. It was just a perfect image of people I considered so much different from me (which I’ve learned was a far from accurate perception) doing the same day-to-day things that I do.

    11. Linda

      Help! I have a cooking question. I have a recipe from an old Quaker/Amish cookbook. It is ham (or chicken) sandwich spread, that calls for mangoe. It is not the fruit call mango. Any idea what this might be?

    12. Janet

      Mango

      Believe it or not, they probably mean green pepper. 🙂

      That’s what my grandma called them and she was German.

      1. Linda

        That would make sense! Thank you so much!

      2. Madeleine

        Mangoes

        My Mother always called it Mango too

        Thank you for reminding me of that !

        She told me we were Pennsyvania Dutch. I am on ancestry.com Now I know what she meant !

        1. Janet

          Mangos

          Interesting, because I was told that my grandparents were Pennsylvania Dutch, but I didn’t understand why we weren’t Amish or Mennonite. I recently came to the conclusion that it just meant we were Pennsylvania German, or Deutsch.
          I lived in Scranton, PA for a period of time, and they called green peppers mangoes, too. In fact, there was a lively debate about the use of that word on one of the Scranton Facebook pages. What’s odd is that Scranton is made up of a very diverse, yet distinctive group of immigrants, including Irish, Italian and German. So, I knew mangoes were green peppers, but I still am not sure where the term originated. 🙂

    13. Linda

      Had Family that were Pennsylvania Dutch also. Never knew them. But my Mom learned how to cook from them, and she sure could cook. Plain and simple and very good!

    14. Carol

      green pepper-mango discussion

      This green pepper vs. mango discussion was discussed at length in a recent facebook exchange–can’t locate it right now. But it seems that the word “mango” at some point referred to “pickling” and as a result the green pepper which often is “pickled” became known as a mango . Several posts on the facebook exchange thought it was a regional designation, but apparently it’s pretty widespread in usage. My mother-in-law’s salsa recipe calls for mangos in addition to tomatoes and onions.

      1. Carol

        Read on Wikipedia the Etymology for “mango” and see where the green pepper naming comes in.

    15. Terry Berger

      Erik,
      You can’t forget Lehmans catalog out of Ohio either for great shopping!!

    16. Forest in North Carolina

      Also Gohn Brothers, Middlebury Indiana. Also online now.

    17. Jerry

      I live in Camp Hill, Pa. Once a week I treat myself and visit Amish and Old Order Mennonite communities in Synder and Union County’s. There I hit the local stores that the Amish and OOM shop. I love it. I buy almost everything I need and I know I’m getting the best food available. These stores are the real deal and the farm stands give me what I need to live healthly. Yeah Walmarts have the horse parking stations but I find all I need at the local Amish shops. I pitty those who do not know what I know.

    18. Jerry

      While the places I shop are mostly Mennonite owned that carter to the Amish, I still get extreme benefits from these organic markets. I do love my local Wegmans and my Whole Foods markets, nothing beats the “Amish Markets” I favor.

    19. Jerry

      OK, I live in Camp Hill, Pa. we have a local market…West Shore Farmers Market in right here and it’s always been popular. Over the last five years the market has turned more Amish. Yeah it’s over priced but this area is not lacking in money. The Amish ahve discovered a Cash Cow. They provide us with wonderful comfort foods that is amazing in quality. Yeah they make big bucks but they deserve all their profits. It’s just good food and they know how to do it. And most of it is the real deal.

    20. Mary Jo

      where do Amish shop

      I drive for a few Amish families near the St Anna/New Holstein WI area. There favorite places, Wal-Mart, Fleet Farm, Menards, Aldi and thrift stores.
      When we do our bakery Farmers Market in Sheboygan it always includes a stop at Wal-Mart on the way home. And Kwik Trip for bananas.
      One think I have learned as a driver for Amish. There are always more stops than what the call requested. I have learned not to plan much when I drive Amish. You never know when you will get home! But I do really enjoy them.

      1. Mark - Holmes Co.

        You could do what some of our drivers do and say “Yes, I can take you. I’ll pick you up at 2:00 and you may have me until 4:30,” or whatever.
        Aldis & Walmart are main stops for us, going about once a month, but we like thrift stores, too. 🙂

        1. Shopping

          To tag onto Mark’s comment of Aldis and Walmart, we shop the local bent and dent stores. There are usually a handful of Amish also shopping these stores. Often there are great finds at super low prices 🙂

      2. Linda

        Driver of Amish

        I live in the Stockbridge Wis. area how did you get into driving the Amish for shopping and other needs.

        1. Mary Jo

          Driving amish

          Driving Amish is really something you fall into.
          I had a friend that does it. He refered me for some jobs. If they like you they call. If they dont, they dont. You cannot make a living doing unless you drive for construction co. then you are also woring construction also.
          They tend to call last minute many times. A friend ship helps, trust. Need to be easy going.

    21. Trish in Indiana

      Unsubscribing?

      Erik, can you check your site’s “unsubscribe” routine? Once I saw how popular this particular topic was getting to be (I guess we all like thinking about shopping!), I decided I needed to cut down on arrivals to my Inbox, but I’ve tried clicking the “unsubscribe from this post” link several times, and the emails keep coming.

      1. That’s curious. It should work. Sorry about that.

        Just unsubscribed you manually, so should be good now.

    22. Niva Rani Sarkar

      Want to know something?

      In Bangladesh do you have any brunch? If yes so how can i communicate with them?

    23. Jim Kusper

      For sale

      I’ve had a hard time trying to figure out how to offer something for sale to the Amish.Sorry! that i’m posting this. We have a farm in Rolling Prarie,IN and have some equipment for pigs for sale. Feeders,Crates,small grain storage bins,large generator.We have many other items but thses are at the top of our list.
      Sorry again!
      Jim Kusper
      (630)327-8626

    24. Don Shenk

      Where amish shop

      Many Amish in Lancaster County, Pa, shop at Costco. They arrive by horse & buggy and by hired vans. Costco has erected a shed for a place to park the Amish horse and buggies, providing shade and protection for those using it.

    25. Shetlers

      Is Shetlers still in business? I haven’t been able to locate them in a while.