Millie Otto is an Amish woman living in the Arthur, Illinois settlement. I’ve mentioned her here before, including in the “3 Amish Columnists You Might Enjoy” post. From time to time I read her column, which is carried in several news outlets, including the Champaign, IL News-Gazette. She is one of several Amish columnists printed in non-Amish newspapers (others include Lovina Eicher and Gloria Yoder)….
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…
In a post last month, I wondered if recently-legalized industrial hemp would become a new Amish cash crop – perhaps replacing controversial tobacco, most often seen grown by farmers in the Lancaster County Amish community. Another article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has shed more light on Amish involvement in hemp cultivation, now essentially in its first year being legally raised like any other crop. Industrial…
How would you feel about taking your life in your hands just to pick up some boxes of cereal? This one-minute video, shot from the cockpit of an Amish buggy, really brings home the experience of those Amish people who must regularly travel on busy highways – just to get basic errands done. Much of this was taken on Route 30 in Lancaster County, aka…
![Community Supports Grieving Amish Family; 6-Year-Old Survivor In Stable Condition [Updated]](https://amishamerica.com/images/amishman-mowing-lawn.jpg)
Both Amish and English members of the Vermontville, Michigan community have come together to support the family who lost three children in a buggy accident Wednesday. Below we’ve got comments from Amish and English locals. There’s also information if you’d like to send a card or donate money to support this family. The good news here is that the fourth rider in the buggy –…
I missed this odd story when it appeared in late August. Someone is stealing hemp plants from two Amish farmers in Chester County (part of the greater Lancaster County settlement). I wasn’t even aware Amish were growing hemp, which is used to make a wide array of products including clothing, rope, insulation, plastics, and biofuel. And there is a reason – this is all quite…
I found this article in the Washington Times Herald to offer a positive example of Amish and authorities working to solve a common problem – road damage cause by horses and buggies. This is a breath of fresh air compared to the way similar conflicts seem to be addressed in some places. The Amish in Daviess County, Indiana already pay $60 for buggy licenses to…
Dubious Amish content lists continue to pop up online. They must really be generating traffic for these sites! I debated whether to even post about this one, but I couldn’t resist. Following 20 Unique Ways Amish Raise Their Children and 15 “Insane” Rules For Amish Children, we come to “25 Little Secrets No One Knows About The Amish,” from thethings.com. You’ll have to Google this…
Plain teamwork was on display again in June, and again in the Geauga County Amish settlement. We last saw the Amish of this community picking up and moving a barn in March. In the video below, around 90 Amish lift and move a building described as a shed by video author Bill Jancsurak. Jancsurak commented the following to Global News: Bill Jancsurak told Global News…