Amish Country in Millersburg, Ohio – September 16, 2015

We left Michigan and headed to Millersburg, Ohio for a short visit to an Amish Community that is tied with Lancaster, Pennsylvania in size as the largest.  We took a tour of an actual Amish farm with a tour guide who has studied the Amish religion for many years and gave us insight we never had before.

There are Amish communities in over 30 states.  The Lancaster community is one sect but this Ohio community actually has 10 or 11 sects ranging from very conservative to very liberal and everything in between.  Our guide is confident that because of their attitude of separation from the world, the Amish will be the last civilization to be standing with a retention rate of 90% for the most conservative sect.  They live by the Bible with the most conservative interpretation including women wearing hats (1 Corinthians) and being adverse to having their photographs taken (Ten Commandments – no graven images).  Their position on not allowing electricity into their homes has more to do with not accepting our worldly lifestyle than anything else.  They use gas for other appliances and even use car batteries to power simple electric lamps in their homes.  One thing neither of us knew was that most Amish still speak Pennsylvania Dutch that they learn at home first and then English is their second language.

We started our tour with Rosie, an Amish young lady who works in the barn with every farm animal you can name including some Pot Bellied Pigs that are not typical on a working farm because they are only good as pets.

Barn at Yoder’s Amish Farm

Baby Goats at Amish Farm – Berlin, OH

Lambs

Belgium Work Horse

Ducks at Amish Farm

Then we toured a modest home for a very conservative family with no decorations of any kind on the walls or windows.  Everything in the home was functional or not at all.  Even the simple window coverings were hung on string rather than curtain rods.

Kitchen of Amish Farmhouse

Sitting room of Amish home

From there we went to a more modern home with some color painted on the walls and furnishings even if it was mostly blue and browns.

Typical bedroom in more modern Amish home

We finished our tour with a honest to goodness buggy ride and then on to Mrs. Yoder’s Kitchen for dinner of typical Amish food.

Carriage/buggy

Of course, the evening was ended with the second Republican Debate streaming on our tablet (no cable).  Hope you watched it as well because before we vote, we all have to be well informed!