Amish
Development Proposal Threatens the Amish
The lush green and brown farmlands of central Lancaster County and the lives of the Amish and Old Order Mennonite farming families who live there are seriously threatened by a proposed development. Opponents of the development claim that the horse and buggy culture of the Plain People will be disrupted if not destroyed by all […]
A Traveler Visits the Holmes County Amish
The Guardian published a travel piece a week ago by a writer/photographer who visited the Amish of Holmes County, Ohio, for several days. Kate Eshelby, her husband and two sons flew into Columbus, Ohio, where they stayed for a couple days. But the focus of her article is on the large Amish settlement in Holmes […]
Saudi and Amish Business Selling Camel’s Milk
Some Amish farmers have been raising camels and selling their milk to a Saudi entrepreneur who then sells it to people who are allergic to cow’s milk. CNN published an article last week about the businessman, a Muslim raised in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and his Amish and Mennonite suppliers. Walid Abdul-Wahab had drunk camel’s milk […]
Victims of Amish Sexual Abuse
A new organization called the Amish Heritage Foundation, formed mainly by Ms. Torah Bontrager, held its first conference at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA, three weeks ago. The conference, titled “Disrupting History: Reclaiming Our Amish Story,” focused on ex-Amish people and their reasons for leaving their communities. It was held on September 28 […]
Persuading the Amish to Vote
Republican leaders in Pennsylvania are becoming nervous that citizens who supported Donald Trump in 2016 are considering voting for Democrats in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections. Donald Trump, Jr., attended a state Republican gathering in Hershey on September 21 and tried to reassure the faithful in the crowd about the accomplishments of his dad. Party […]
New Book on the Amish
Donald Kraybill, who is undoubtedly the leading authority on Amish life, has just written another book on his favorite subject. Last week, LancasterOnline reviewed his new work, Simply Amish, which was published by Herald Press on June 26. It is a popularly-written, slender book of only 64 pages that is designed to answer questions about […]
The Amish Are Protecting the Land
Five years ago, the Pennsylvania environmental media highlighted the path-breaking efforts of a Lancaster County Amish farmer to protect his soils and the streams near his property from erosion and pollution. The efforts of farmer Raymond King to retard soil erosion, plant in contours, and, more than that, to adopt advanced techniques for protecting the […]
Amish Snowbirds
Ever since the 1920s, thousands of Mennonite and Amish people have escaped the rigors of northern U.S. winters each year by flocking to Sarasota, Florida. The plainly dressed men and women, who travel on packed buses from their homes in such northern U.S. settlements as Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and Holmes County, Ohio, were featured in […]
Pennsylvania Dutch Speakers
According to Patrick Donmoyer, Pennsylvania Dutch, which is spoken by the Amish, is “considered the fastest-growing small-minority language in the United States.” Donmoyer is Director of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University; he shared a lot of information about his favorite subject with Jason Nark, who published an article on the subject […]
Anti-Amish Ordinance Fails in Wisconsin
An anti-Amish ordinance failed to pass in Wisconsin last Tuesday, in large part due to the vociferous, pro-Amish objections raised by local voters. The daily newspaper for the town of Wisconsin Rapids explained the controversial proposal several days before it was due to be brought up for a vote by the Wood County Board of […]
