Amish in the News: An Amish Haunting (Sigh), Amish Frolic? And Seeing Shipshewana

AMISH HAUNTING:  Here we go again.  I have very little information about this show but the same company that produces Amish Mafia is milking the Amish cash cow again with a new show: Amish Haunting.  The program is slated to debut on Destination America this fall.  I don't know who to blame more.  While I have a lot of antipathy for the production company - Hot Snakes Media - I'm equally appalled at Destination America for picking up the show and then at the people for watching it.  I'd be lying if I didn't say that part of my frustration is that I've been editor of The Amish Cook/Amish365.com for over 20 years and it's been a struggle.  Then some company like Hot Snakes Media parachutes in and makes a fortune.  It is frustrating. But I just have to keep plugging along.  Click here to read about the show.

AMISH FROLIC:   We've all heard of barn-raisings where hundreds of Amish or Mennonite men gather and raise a barn in a single day.  Those are more rare than what TV would have you believe.  More common in Amish settlements are "frolics" where maybe a dozen people might gather to complete a garden, paint, or plow.  These are smaller projects and smaller gatherings where many hands will make for lighter work.  These gatherings are done in the spirit of goodwill and fellowship.  An article in Bland County, Virginia's newspaper caught my eye.  Now, I'm not being snarky when I say this, but hmmmm, I'm not sure it really counts as a true frolic if the people are paid contractors.  The article focuses on some Amish men who built a barn in a day for a non-Amish Virginia couple.  I am sure it was a great experience for all but the Amish sound more like they were there to do a paid job.  Am I missing something?  Click here to read.

SEEING SHIPSHEWANA:  The Illinois Times ran a pretty vanilla, garden-variety travel piece about visiting Shipshewana.  There's not a lot in there that we haven't discussed on this site before and you could always just buy a Williams Guide for travel info:)  But click here to read the Illinois Times piece about Shipshewana.