You may remember the story of Amish convert Matthew Secich of the Unity, Maine Amish community. Secich was previously a well-known chef working in upscale restaurants, before becoming a member of the Unity community last autumn, where he lives with his wife Crystal. Now Secich runs Charcuterie, a store specializing in specialty meats and cheeses. He ran into challenges earlier this year when health regulations threatened…
The Lancaster County Amish traditionally have their weddings in the autumn, following the busy season of farm work. This tradition has generally held even as it has changed in other communities (Amish in Holmes County, for instance, hold weddings in other months, including May and June). But the Amish in Lancaster County do adapt to changing needs. Jennifer Kopf shares the idea behind a recent innovation…
Two years ago, reader Shawn gave us a nice look at the Giles County, Virginia Amish community (also referred to by the name of Pearisburg, an area town). This Appalachian community is tucked away in the scenic mountains of western Virginia. Though I’ve previously visited Amish in VA and have passed within shouting distance several times on visits to Amish Ohio, regrettably I’ve never stopped in…
We haven’t done a “5 Points” list in quite awhile, so I thought it might be a good day for one. Below are five modern conveniences that you’ll find in some or even many Amish settlements. The usual caveats apply – not all Amish use all of these. Ever encountered anything on this list in your dealings with the Amish? 1. Solar Panels Ever drive through an Amish community and…
The 20-family Smyrna Mills, Maine Amish community, founded in 1996, is the oldest in a state with relatively few Amish. A recent article in the Bangor Daily News visits a Smyrna Mills Amish business, Sturdi-Bilt Storage Buildings, a maker of portable structures including sheds and tiny homes. You can lean more about it in the short video below. You’ll also notice one unusual element in this community…
It’s hard to believe that yesterday was the ten-year anniversary of the Nickel Mines school shootings. On the morning of October 2nd, 2006, local milk truck driver Charles Roberts IV entered the West Nickel Mines School, barricaded the doors, and proceeded to shoot ten Amish schoolgirls, killing five of them. At the time, the rapid Amish response of forgiveness of the shooter resonated around the…
Amish in Illinois have made news by moving the oldest-known Amish home in the state, using the power of eight mighty Belgian horses. Belgians are a common breed used by Amish for farm work. This past Tuesday morning they found themselves with the uncommon task of transporting a 150-year-old farm home–though it turns out they only did a small part of the job: A team…
Tired of presidential election coverage? Well that makes two of us. But I feel the Amish vote topic, which we touched on in the spring, is worth revisiting for a couple of reasons. Back in May we shared news of a Political Action Committee targeting Amish voters (“Amish PAC”) in Ohio and Pennsylvania, two key swing states, to generate votes for Donald Trump. The Amish…
Do Amish farm children hold the key to preventing asthma? For some time now, the Amish have been known to have lower rates of asthma. But in a new academic paper released yesterday (New England Journal of Medicine), researchers have discovered a key difference in Amish children, who typically grow up on small family farms reliant on horsepower, and Hutterite children, who live on large…
Ever heard of Horse Progress Days? It is an annual event heavily attended by Amish (we’ve covered a previous edition in Michigan here and here). Here to explain more is David Arment (author of all photos below), with a look at this year’s event, held in northern Indiana. Horse Progress Days was held July 1st and 2nd at the MEC (Michiana Event Center) North of…