Car drivers complain about the lack of visibility of Amish buggies, particularly those of the plainest (Swartzentruber) churches. This group of Amish is highly resistant to change. But do Swartzentruber Amish never bend when it comes to making changes to their buggies? We’ve now seen more than one example showing that, in fact, they do. While visiting the North Carolina Swartzentruber settlement two weeks ago,…
Two readers wrote to make sure I didn’t miss this article. Dr. James DeLine has had a remarkable career as the “country doctor” of a small Wisconsin village – spending a good portion of his time treating Amish. The article is a long look at his work and career. I was drawn to this story for his involvement with the Amish, but DeLine’s background story…
I’m back now from my multi-week Amish journey, spanning five states. This trip took in everything from palm trees and short sleeves in Florida to a layer of snow on the ground yesterday morning in Pennsylvania. After logging around 3000 road miles, I am ready to kick my feet up for a bit! I planned to visit just 5, but ended up visiting 7 communities:…
Yesterday in Holmes County, my friend Myron shared the following poem with Rich Stevick and me. Later in the day we shared it with a few more Amish friends, who seemed to like it. I hope you do too. Happy Thanksgiving. I Am Thankful – Poem Of Thanksgiving I am thankful: For the wife Who says it’s hot dogs tonight Because she is home with…
I’m traveling on the way to Ohio now and haven’t had a chance to put together a post on Saturday’s visit to NC’s Swartzentruber Amish community and their first annual auction. It was a great visit and you can expect to see more on that soon. Here’s a preview shot, of an Amish auction patron hauling home a wringer washer: Yesterday I stopped at Burke’s…
Amish Acres, in the Nappanee, Indiana community, is one of the best-known Amish tourist destinations, so this news surprised me. The owners are heading for retirement after 50+ years running the business. Amish Acres will shut down this year on New Year’s Eve. There are currently no set plans for it to be taken over. Image: WNDU The attraction features an historic farm which can…
A funeral director serving the Amish in Lancaster County says that Amish rarely donate organs. But the law still requires that the bodies of the deceased be held “until an organ procurement organization reviews the case and releases the body.” This hold-up frequently causes distress to Amish families who wish to proceed with traditional viewing and funeral preparations, according to Philip W. Furman. Furman’s family’s…
The Amish community in the Sarasota-area Pinecraft neighborhood is one of the most unique Amish settlements. I went into more on why in the Florida Amish state guide page, as well as in the 40+ photo post about my 2013 visit. So if you don’t know much about this unusual community, I’d suggest checking out those. One difference between now and that 2013 visit: there…
This story caught my attention first for how the paper framed it with their headline: “Horses lead the way to a less peaceful coexistence in Amish country.” Is that meant to be a cute title? It sounds like it is strictly blaming the Amish for the conflicts, at the least. The article addresses two issues, both of which we’ve had an eye on here. One…
Some Amish people make a supplemental income – and sometimes a full living – through what might be termed “alternative animal breeding”. These are not your everyday cows, pigs, and chickens we’re talking about. The authors of Nature and the Environment in Amish Life explore this topic in chapter 6 of their book (“Tinkering with Creation”), identifying four main categories of this activity found among…