An Amish Farming Success Story
I wanted to share a link to an Amish success story I happened across the other day. It’s in a publication I’d never heard of called “The New Food Economy” and it’s called How Amish Farm Produce Gets to Whole Foods Without Internet, Tractors, or Phones. It is an in-depth article and well worth reading. My absolute favorite line in the whole article is such an Amishism, “There is a lot of good eat in there,” which is what the Amish farmers will say when defending their crops that didn’t quite make the wholesale cut for one reason or another. I love how Amish humor is close to the earth.
I also love that in this day and age of “bigger is better” these groups of Amish are going up against big businesses with their cooperative and back-to-the-land approach. It reminds us of the true meaning of “horse power.” The Amish have something to teach the mainstream culture, if only we care to learn.
I also like that success stories make it into the news once in a while. I literally cannot stomach reading, watching, or hearing the mainstream news these days. It gives me a distorted view of humanity. I need to fill my brain with stories about people doing good in the world and caring for one another and the earth itself. Most Amish don’t set out to be environmentalists, but they are better at it without trying (and without saying so) than most of society.
Someone could easily ask the question why I’m no longer Amish if I feel this way. The answer would be the same as always — that life doesn’t fit me — or conversely, I cannot make myself Amish.
So I enjoy Amish success stories from a distance, and pass them along to those who are interested.
Photo by Saloma Furlong: Amish homestead in Holmes County, Ohio
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What a beautiful farm! Saloma even if the Amish lifestyle doesn’t fit you I believe you were positively affected by it when you were growing up and that is the part you miss. I do not think many aspects of the Amish lifestyle would fit me either but I also think we as a society would be better off if we lived more like them. There are many positives that are attractive even to us who are not Amish.
I used to know Aarom Schwartz when I lived in Aylmer Ontario. I remember him as a likeable go-getter.
I appreciate you posting this article. One of my concerns here in Ethridge is that the Amish are buying into non-organic methods of farming. I learned from our neighbors that they do use chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and they use Round Up to kill the bermuda grass around their fields. I heard from a non Amish farmer that some Amish here grow GE corn. As I get to know these people better I want to share with them the environmental need to farm as their ancestors did. This article will help me prepare for this.
I some how missed your last blog! You are right in that they could teach mainstream a thing or two. They remind me of the story of the tortoise and the hair. I’m sure i have referenced to it before! Big business is doing everything bigger and better while the product itself suffers and the Amish are just quietly going along doing what they have done since coming to this country and being successful at it. I am glad to see weekly farm markets popping up in many of our communities here and around the Pittsburgh area supporting local farmers. It’s so important. One of the places I like to get Amish produce and food is at Rogers flea market in Rogers, Ohio. I’m with you on how depressing the news papers have become. So few stories that lift your spirit and give you hope. Believe it or not that’s one of the reasons I have been getting the weekly “Budget” for close to twenty years!!!! Thanks for the link, by the way, going to check it out!!