Running the gauntlet
Dairy farming can get messy. Inside an Amish barn in Lancaster County.
Dairy farming can get messy. Inside an Amish barn in Lancaster County.
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We’ve looked at the 12 Southern, 4 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) and in many ways is both the US heartland and Amish heartland. Three of the four most Amish-populous states (Ohio, Indiana,…
I’m no pro when it comes to photos. In fact, I’m a big believer in the volume school of photography. Â Maybe you know it? It’s only become possible thanks to digital cameras. Volume school photographers know that the more photos you take, the higher the chances a few will come out alright. So I try to snap a bunch. Of course, it helps if you…
Northkill was an Amish settlement existing in Berks County, Pennsylvania in the 1700s. Â It was home to some of the earliest Amish settlers in the New World. It was also the site of a brutal massacre still recounted by Amish today. During the French and Indian war, Amishman Jacob Hochstetler’s home came under attack by Indians. Â Hochstetler famously restrained his sons from retaliating with gunfire….
On my drive to church this beautiful morning I passed scattered groups of Amish men, women and children, all dressed in Sunday best, walking the backroads of Lancaster County to the homes of fellow churchmembers where the day’s service would be held. Suddenly, a raunchy red pickup containing a pair of suspiciously Amish-looking ‘hatted’ silhouettes pulled out in front of me and sped off ahead. …
Thanks to substantial genealogical records, many Amish can trace their lineage back to the 1700’s and 1800’s, when significant waves of Amish immigration to North America occurred. One of the most common Amish names is Stoltzfus, found predominantly in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and its offshoot settlements. The short-version history of the Stoltzfus name, courtesy of Family Life: “On Oct. 18, 1766 Nicholas Stoltzfus with his…
Bruce Stambaugh describes peak season at the vacation/retirement community at Amish Pinecraft, in Sarasota, Florida: The atmosphere was part family reunion, part auction crowd. Some came to meet and greet. Most were there to watch. Men with white beards and denim pants with suspenders and women in pastel dresses and lacy white coverings predominated the scene. A few children in straw hats and long, plain…
6 Comments
Nice cow barn!! Most Englisher dairys are not kept that clean! Sounds like your having a great summer so far. We love the family Bible library, and use it much for study. We follow a swiss anabaptist confesson, much like the mennonite dortrecht(1632). We do use commputers for bussiness. Much liked cooler weather for this week. Harvest beginning…
Good articles and photos! I found your blog yesterday looking for information on Topeka – Nappanee – Goshen Indiana areas. It’s one of my favorite areas to go bicycling. I was wondering if the percentage of the Amish who make their living in agriculture has gone down significantly in the last 10 years. I didn’t find the answer, but I’ve enjoyed what I have found, and have learned a few new things, too. (Other Amish areas where I’ve gone riding are Holmes Co., Ohio, the southern Michigan counties (St Joe, Branch, Hillsdale, Calhoun), Kentucky along the Ohio River, Adams Co., Indiana and elsewhere along the Wabash, and maybe others I can’t think of at the moment. I sometimes talk about it in my bicycling blog, even though it isn’t my primary purpose for being in those places.)
Family Bible Library book set
Adam I always appreciate your comments on the blog here…and great to hear you have the FBL! Do you remember when/who you got it from? They typically just sell directly so maybe a student or someone was in VT. If I can ask, are you aligned with a mennonite group or more along the lines of river brethren or german baptist perhaps..? I regret that I’m not as well-versed in all of the other anabaptist-related groups.
The barns and farms here are absolutely beautiful. The Amish here, true to form, seem to try to keep things tidy. Gives the kids something to do at the very least.
You are about to get pretty busy it sounds…
Dairy farming--Lancaster Amish vs. Indiana Amish
Among the Amish, agriculture has definitely declined across the board, though if you go out about 30 years the change is more drastic-that is roughly when the small business ‘movement’ started picking up steam and many Amish started opening up furniture shops and the like.
Dairy is still pretty strong in Lancaster County however, especially compared to a place like Northern Indiana, where I spent 3 months last summer–the majority as you may know build RVs in LaGrange/Elkhart Counties and in the Nappanee settlement. In Allen County, a settlement of over 700 families just outside Fort Wayne, I think I found maybe one or two full time farmers. In Lancaster County I’ve had a few church districts where almost everyone under 60 farms.
And John, glad you found it. Was just reading about your ride through Topeka. That is a very nice town, unlike towns like Shipshe or Berlin as you pointed out–much more peaceful atmosphere.
I see tons of bikers here in Lancaster County–solo riders to big groups–all county roads here are paved, which must be a plus.
Nice blog and pix by the way! You’ve seen some great places…
We follow an swiss Apostolic statement of faith(swiss brethren). We worship with another farming family in our homes. Most brethren near a congregation worship in a simple church building. We used to visit Amish and Mennonite friends in Lan Co that my mother circle lettered when i was growing up. I grew up in Ellington CT were a large swiss settlement is, moved to VT for availible farmland. The FBL was my fathers, a PA native.
Hi Adam, I see, thanks for sharing. Sounds like you and the other family are the only ones of your faith in the area, hope that doesn’t get too lonely.
Nice to hear the FBL was passed down to you. As it’s been out 30+ years I run into that alot.