My son and his wife would like to visit Amish farm country shortly, to observe their ways, enjoy the fall harvest, and sample their goods. Can anyone tell us the best time to visit this fall, and the best areas/states to visit? Many thanks!

Roy

-- Roy (roy@techcomm.net), September 22, 1998

Answers

One hint - don't visit on a Sunday. On Saturdays the Amish in our area (northeast Iowa) have market day where they open the shoppes they have in their homes (bakeries, general stores, produce markets, harness and wood shops, etc) to the public and although it gets busy, it's easy and nice to strike up a conversation, especially if you're a regular customer. I had a patient once who was Amish (they WILL go to the hospital in some cases) and we got close to his family, and still go there a few times a year for dinner and just visiting. We have learned a lot.

-- Melissa (financed@forbin.com), September 22, 1998.

In southern Iowa there is a group of Amish as well. There are 2 stores (hardware and food)that are open to the public all of the time and I have found this group to be more open and friendly than the group near Iowa City that has been established for many years.

I wish I could remember where I read about it, but somewhere in PA there is a bread and breakfast or an Inn that is run by the Amish and follows their way of life as much as possible.

-- beckie (sunshine_horses@yahoo.com), September 23, 1998.

Many Amish live in Lancaster County, PA (around the city of Lancaster - surprise). This is where the film "Witness" was shot.

-- Ray Givler (dontmail@please.com), September 23, 1998.

Obviously, you can't call first, but try to get hold of some travel people or other locals in a convenient area to plan things with one of their churches. Once there, ask if you can "help" for a few days to "learn" about "how" the Amish do things with a local family. See if you can stay out at their site too.

Several pair of willling hands and strong backs, combined with a closed mouth and an open mind, are always appreciated by honest working people. Just "playing" tourist? My guess is these guys are too busy to teach you much. Besides you won't learn unless you "do" it.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), September 23, 1998.

I'd like to visit an Amish farm too, but I don't think there are any here in northern Calif., are there? Or anything similar? Maybe I can find a "living history" museum somewhere. Anybody know of one north of Sacramento or close by? Johan

-- johan (reisch@c-zone.net), September 24, 1998.

Folks:

In terms of "visiting" an Amish farm for "a while to learn", I have to toss in my $.02.

I lived for a year in a Quaker Commune, which was designed to be (1) a rest and recharge place for Young Friends traveling in the Ministry and (2) a place people could go to "Live Simply". we received , on average, 3 requests a week to "come and study community" as the college kids said. Our response was always teh same: "You can come, but you will do no studying of community. You will live it. You will live with us, as we live, for the week. This means, vegetarian, no smoking, no alcohol (Friends Testimonies); etc. We will be happy to welcome you." We had no takers. If you want to "Study" the less technological life, you would do well to find a local analog of one of the folowing: the "Farmer's Museum" in Cooperstown, NY; or Hale Farm and Vilage near Cleveland; or Williamsburg, VA; or......(help me out here folks).

theser are all places wher you can go and spend time, with a notebook, where the people will be HAPPY to talk to you.

cr

-- Chuck a Night Driver (rienzoo@en.com), September 25, 1998.

And, under the heading of "Living Simply"; I'll probably pick another thread to add this to also, but the vast majority of people have no idea how HARD it is to "Live Simply". WE made weekly trips to the food warehouses, ordered monthly from Walnut Acres, had a 1 acre garden for vegies which was a help but didn't really support us (anywhere from 5 - 20 bodies at any one time). 25 or 30 of us picked apples at 3 sites in central NY to support the community the rest of the time.

There was precious little time left over for worship, contemplation and prayer, much less leisure (canning, drying preserving food, wood gathering and splitting, painting, carpentry (in a 200 yr old house its fun!) landscaping, digging Dueteronomy (the second outhouse.,.,., of course the first was named Leviticus, and the third was named John 3) etc)

-- Chuck a Night Driver (rienzoo@en.com), September 25, 1998.

There are Amish communities near Sturgeon, Missouri in central Missouri.

-- Becky Botts (bbotts@mexicomo.net), September 26, 1998.