I wanted to post a shot of what a typical hay field looks like:
This wasn’t the exact field that I had a chance to work on but the rectangular bales are the same.
One Amishman told me that a lot of Amish are leaning towards the rounded bales.
You can maneuver these with one of the mini-forklift machines that a lot of Amish farmers have. I can’t recall the official name right now, but they have a place to sit with a protective cage around it, and the two-pronged lifting device that can easily stab through the center of one of the massive bales and cart it around the barnyard.
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forklift sounds a bit big but that’s the best word I could find to describe it!
It is warm. it hasn’t been as bad as the last time I was in Holmes. UK probably doesn’t get quite as hot I’m guessing, I’ve only been in the spring though
A forklift?
These shots are very like the countryside here in the UK, on a perfectly sunny day haybales seem to have a wonderful shine to them…one day I will get a good photo of them I hope!
It’s lovely to see the sort of fields you are working in but I bet it is quite hot there this time of year?!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11164344
A nice piece on the new book PLAIN SECRETS and the Swartzentruber Amish on NPR’s All Things Considered today.
I love the smell of Ohio during haying season. Thanks so much for the photos–it looks just like Ashland County and the views that I grew up with.
Enjoy your stay.
We’re heading to Kelley’s Island next weekend. Many Holmes County Amish carpenter on the island during the summer, so we’ll see a few Plain folks while we’re there.
Melissa, that’s cool. Kelley’s Island is where..? I guess I don’t know my geography the best.
Kelley’s is in the western end of Lake Erie. Just starting Plain Secrets. I’ll let you know how it is.
Are the foods, fruits and vegetables that are sold by the Amish organic? Where might I be able to find information regarding the way the Amish grow their crop?
Thank you
Amish converting farms to organic
An increasing number of Amish are going organic, but that’s not the default setting on an Amish farm. Some farmers I know are in the process now and have to refrain from any sort of spraying within a certain distance of certain areas of their farm (I know that sounds pretty vague). Riding through the country you will see ‘do not spray’ signs near some of these farms.
Amish have actually ran into problems for farm runoff polluting water sources.
Borrow John Hostetler’s ‘Amish Society’ from your local library for good info on Amish farming practice.