I’m on my way to NC today after a week on the road, having visited four Amish settlements – plus one – let’s call it for now “future Amish settlement” – with a stop at a Virginia community still to go. Usually when I am traveling and staying with Amish friends, I post a bit less here – not because there are not things to…
Four Swartzentruber Amishmen took the unusual step of filing a lawsuit in 2017 against a Minnesota agency, over objections to wastewater requirements. Their trial began last week (article no longer online): PRESTON — For the last week, four members of the Swartzentruber Amish community have listened to arguments on whether their religious beliefs would allow them to not comply with state wastewater regulations. Four men,…
This morning I spotted this poem on the wall at my Amish friends’ home here in Lancaster County. I asked if I could share it with you. I thought it might be nice food for thought on a Sunday. It’s called “When Tomorrow Starts Without Me.” She hand-copied it from another source. I took a couple of photos, forgive the dark tone as it was…
If you’re in Lancaster County, one Amish store to have on the radar is Glick’s Natural Products. Glick’s is an Amish-run food store specializing in – you guessed it – natural foods, remedies and other health-related items. This is a fully-stocked store which has been around for awhile. The people working here are friendly and helpful. Last time I visited, I was actually there as…
Amish wedding season is in full swing. I was reminded of this yesterday speaking with an Amish friend about visiting Thursday – he had to stop to think if they had any weddings that day. Thankfully the schedule is clear, but it’s not uncommon to have multiple weddings to attend in a week, and even on the same day (Tuesday and Thursday being the traditional…
One Amish family in Geauga County, Ohio is facing great tragedy this Thanksgiving. From Newsweek: One child died and 10 people were injured when a fire tore through the home of an Amish family Wednesday evening in Middlefield, Ohio. The two-year-old was declared dead on arrival at nearby UH Geauga Medical Center, according to NBC-affiliate WKYC. The first fire crews arrived at the two-story, wood-framed house at 6.21…
How do Amish celebrate Thanksgiving? As anywhere, that can vary, but Gloria Yoder shares one special experience in her latest Amish Cook column – an annual supper held for widows in her community: This year Wanita took charge of coordinating the event. The meal consisted of ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn and salad, as well as pumpkin, apple and peach pies served with ice cream….
How to prep food for 300+ wedding guests? The Amish, accustomed to frequent weddings with many attendees, have figured out a way to make the whole affair easier and more efficient. Enter the wedding wagon: For those who don’t know what a wedding wagon is, it is like an RV with a ramp added on, with six or seven propane gas stoves and ovens in…
We’ve looked at the 12 Southern, 5 Western, and 4 Northeastern states with Amish populations. Finally, today we review the 11 Midwestern states with Amish communities. The Midwest as a region has a higher percentage of its states with Amish populations (11 of 12) than any other. In some sense it is both the “US heartland” and “Amish heartland”. Three of the four most Amish-populous…
What does it feel like to auction off your loved ones’ possessions? Those special things that have accumulated over a lifetime and hold stores of precious memories? For the Amish, this is the way things work when the aged pass on. Amish Cook Gloria Yoder writes this week about auctioning off her grandparents’ estate, following her grandmother’s recent passing: Ever since Grandma’s death, I knew…