I am in Florida for a few days and heading to visit the Pinecraft Amish community in Sarasota for the first time today. Palm tree foliage doesn’t seem to change much around these parts. Everything is green here and it feels like July. I like the warmth but I appreciate the change of seasons too. With that in mind today we have some autumn photos…
Why are people drawn to Amish markets? Kevin Shelly examines the question in a recent article about Amish markets in southern New Jersey.  Shelly counts seven in south Jersey alone, despite there not being any Amish in the state. A few points to consider: “The quality is a lot higher here and I’m willing to spend a premium,” says one shopper.  Amish-sold goods are commonly…
Today I thought I’d touch briefly on Council Meeting, a special twice-yearly occasion happening now in Amish churches in Lancaster County and elsewhere. Council Meeting: Preparing for Communion Last Sunday while staying with Amish friends in Lancaster, I did not get an invitation to attend Amish church. Usually the family I was staying with asks if I’d like along. But last Sunday they had Council Meeting,…
Is it just me or do pumpkins make their appearance earlier every year? They have been camped out in front of the local Kroger, and popping up around the neighborhood for the last week or two at least. People just seem to like being around pumpkins, and pumpkin-branded things. They’ve certainly gotten into our foods. McDonald’s is selling some pumpkin coffee now, and so is…
Back in June I shared a little of what I learned from Janneken Smucker’s talk on Amish quilts at the Elizabethtown Amish conference. During her talk, Janneken shared numerous examples of Amish-made quilts which defy assumptions (such as quilts with white backgrounds or elaborate embroidery). Likewise, quilts that Amish produce for today’s consumer market often differ from expectations (solid colors, simple patterns, dark backgrounds) of what…
WGAL has a story, viewable above, featuring an interview with a man named Jason McClune. McClune’s sister suffered a serious brain injury when an Amish family’s horse got loose and hit a van she was traveling in, head-on. In the video McClune suggests that if the horse were wearing a reflective vest, it would have prevented the accident. We’ve discussed reflectors on buggies many times….
Corn, pumpkins, and tobacco feature in today’s harvest photos, taken by reader Ed at various times and places in Lancaster County. Enjoy, and thank you Ed.
I say “next”, because it’s pretty much inevitable there will be more television and film on the Amish. What I’ve seen lately suggests as much. Over the past two weeks, I’ve been contacted on five separate occasions by people interested in presenting Amish on film (in a program or documentary). While I do hear from people wanting to film the Amish from time to time, on…
School has been back in session in Amish Country, and for that matter much of English Country, for a few weeks now. Ask an Amish child how he feels about going to school and you’ll get a range of answers, just like you might hear from his non-Amish counterpart. Some enjoy it very much and look forward to the return of school days. Others would…
Do Amish ever live in town? Which musical instruments do Amish play? How old do you have to be to become a bishop? Do Amish ever accept government aid? When do Amish grow a beard? Do Amish ever drive cars? When and why do Amish make exceptions to the Ordnung? How are store-bought Amish quilts different from those in Amish homes? Do Amish ever adopt?…