Amish Parking Garge

You will see these buildings in the parking lots of most grocery store in Lancaster County (even at Walmart).  Its a parking garage for Amish horse and buggies.  The "English" are very courteous and leaves the spaces open (I have never seen a car parked under one - no matter how full the parking lot) so the horses have shade while their owner shop.

The Amish Mafia Sites

The Amish Mafia has been caught filming all over the area for their Season Two which is beginning in August.  The authenticity of this "reality" show is such a joke.

The filming was done in the following places:

• East Lampeter beer distributor
• At a party staged near Strasburg
• A vacant apartment building on the corner of Grant st and Brimmer Ave in New Holland (pic below)
• The New Holland Livestock Auction, 101 W Fulton St, in New Holland
• Choo Choo barn in Strasburg
• Farms on Bowman Road in Strasburg and on routw 741 between Strasburg and Gap

Looks like they are keeping the cast and crew on the run!

The New Holland Livestock Auction

Local farmer bringing calves to the New Holland Livestock auction.  This auction is an interesting local place to see many horse and buggy Amish and Mennonites.  The horse auction is on Mondays.  It is also rumored that they used the New Holland Livestock auction in the Season Two reality show THE AMISH MAFIA which begins in August 2013.

Carriage Rides Coming to Shady Maple

 

Shady Maple Smorgasbord has joined forces with Lanzelot Promenades to offer specialty carriage rides  through the countryside on magnificent parade horses.  The horses are Percheron's which are a very large draft horse that was originally bred to carry knights into battle.   The rides begin on Saturday, August 26th and will run daily though Christmas. 

Lancaster County's Best Kept Secret Tour

This year I have decided to take this unusual shopping, food and fun adventure.  The tour features 35 unique business that are off-the-beaten path, ones that you would probably never find.  The tour runs October 5th through October 20, 2012.  

If you are interested in going, the tour is a self tour, costing $7.00 each person.  Each business will provide refreshments, games, gifts, demos, tours, make and take projects and many other surprises.  Contact melissa@bestkeptsecretstour.com for more information.

Stay tuned in, I will keep you updated on the highlights and share some of the better kept secrets with you.

Growing Tobacco - A Cash Crop

Cash Crop or Devils Cabbage?

This has been a wonderful year for tobacco in Lancaster County.  Due to the abundance of rain it has grown larger that I have ever seen it.  Harvest has come early and the first sign is seeing the farmers out working with their tobacco. 

The tobacco leaves are picked and then speared onto lathes and left in the field for a few days to dry

It is then picked up and put in a tobacco shed or any warm dry area.  After a few months of drying (In November or so) the tobacco dealers will come around, examine the quality and buy it from the farmer.

Brought to the area in 1825 to combat the financial distress of  the 1820's, tobacco is called a cash crop because it is used for profit rather than consumption.  Since 1917 it has been a great controversy by Amish and Mennonite  to grow it or not.  Many believe that is wrong to "raise tobacco, or grow an article that destroys human character" and have stopped growing it calling it  the "devils cabbage".   Finally to stop the controversy some church groups made the decision that if your farm was not paid off you could grow tobacco, if it was paid off you didn't need the extra cash and were asked to refrain from growing it.

Steel Wheels on Tractors

When visiting the Amish Country you may notice some tractors have steel wheels.  Tractors with steel wheels are used by the Wenger Mennonites for farming.  The use of steel wheels ensures that the tractors are not used as a substitute for automobiles to run errands or to make more extensive trips than are convenient with horse-drawn carriages.   The Wenger Mennonites drive black horse-drawn carriages for transportation and are allowed to have electricity.

Amish Church wagon

Above is a picture of a church wagon.  If you see this in someone's yard it means they are the family that will be holding church next.  Notice that the wheels are steel and not rubberized.  

The Amish do not have a church building to worship in.  Every other week they hold their services in one of their members' homes, barns or businesses.  Up to 150 people will be expected.  This makes for a busy week.  The house, barn or business is thoroughly cleaned and emptied of furnishings and lunch preparations are started.  I have known some families that closed their business down for a week to prepare for this.  The church wagon is brought to the home filled with backless benches that can be converted into tables and other things needed for services.  The next week the wagon is pulled by horse to the next families home.