CAPTIONS: A typical gray-topped buggy in Wayne County, Indiana with a produce cart and box of watermelons, a typical sight at the produce auction. Below are other scenes.
The Amish settlement in Wayne County, Indiana has been steadily growing since it was first established in the mid-1990s. Â One of the main reasons the group moved here from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is the availability of cheap farmland, something in short supply back home. Â But as the crop yield has grown among the Wayne County, Indiana Amish the need for a convenient, profitable place to move product became apparent. And that demand is what gave birth to the Wayne County Produce Auction several years ago. Â The auction has grown to the point that it is held three days a week. The auction is open every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Oct. 19. The only exceptions are Oct. 3 and 10. The auction opens at 1 p.m. Mondays and 10 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays.
While the auction generally attracts wholesalers, there is a "retail" table set up for shoppers who just want to get some fresh fruits and veggies to take back home.  Rachel and I bought a bag of green beans and some heirloom tomatoes.  The Amish woman running  the register told me that the auction attracts growers within a 125 mile radius, that is the distance they must be within to be considered "local produce."  Nearby the produce auction are some Amish-owned and operated greenhouses and one of the many one-room school-houses that now dot the northern Wayne County, Indiana countryside.
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