Amish in the News: Amish and Clean Energy, Millie's Black Bean Salsa, Sara Miller's Amish Corner, and More!

By Kevin Williams

THE AMISH AND THE WIND:  This is an interesting article with a lot of layers....the administration of New York governor Andrew Cuomo squaring off against the Old Order Amish of Upstate New York over a wind turbine farm.  Here's part of the article:

There’s no small bit of irony that a handful of Amish families stand in the way of Cuomo’s devotion to renewables. The Swartzentruber don’t vote. They don’t file lawsuits. And they don’t use electricity. Indeed, by nearly every metric that modern society cares about, the Swartzentruber are an anachronism.

Read more here.

ZOOM IN ON THE AMISH:  There is a webinar being offered by the Shelby, Ohio library.  Here is an excerpt of the promo material:
- The Richland County - Shelby Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society will present “Moving off the Farm and Trying to Stay Amish” at 6 p.m. Aug. 13 via Zoom.

What many people do not know is that Amish life is changing in some very significant ways due economic pressures that have pushed them off the farm. In the course of this presentation, the program will look at what Amish life has been like for the better part of a century in the U.S. and how it is changing now as a result of what has been called “the Amish industrial revolution.”

I might sign up for this and maybe see some of you there.  But also that got me thinking that maybe since we are all in lockdown, maybe I could do a Zoom seminar on some aspect of Amish cooking or culture.  Let me mull it over.  Stay tuned.  But if you want to sign up for this Shelby, Ohio library one, check it out here.

SARA MILLER'S AMISH CORNER:  What I love about Sara Miller's monthly column in the Geauga County Maple Leaf is that it is this classic Amish narrative that you'd see in The Budget, the Amish newspaper.  This is an excerpt of her column this month:

The morning of July 30, Matthew and Betty Miller and five little boys, Danny Ray and Betty Miller and I also plan to leave for Mio. I plan to visit daughter Betty and Melvin’s family and also spend some time with my three sisters. We plan to stay for a week. Matthews and Danny Rays will camp out at their cousin’s, Nathan and Norman Ray Byler. On Friday evening, while Richards are at Melvin’s, they plan to have a pig roast that Matthew will furnish.

I love the casual references to names and places.  Very charming column that gives an authentic insight into Amish life.  Check out Sara Miller's newest dispatch here.

I asked Millie if I could take a photo of her house when I visited her and she graciously said "ok." This is a modern ranch, perfect for husband who suffered a stroke 10 years ago and still has some difficulty walking. Amish homes in Arthur are a mix of new ones like this built on subdivided farms and sprawling farmhouses that have been added onto and added onto and house multiple generations....

Delicious Amish-made black bean salsa from Arthur, Illinois

MILLIE OTTO:  Let's check out Millie Otto's latest here, where she shares what is going on in her Illinois Amish community and a recipe for Black Bean Salsa!  I love the summer rhythms of Millie's busy life, like this:

COVID SPREADS AMONG PLAIN COMMUNITIES IN ONTARIO:  Canada has generally done a superb job containing the coronavirus.  But you always have to be on guard and there are now some outbreaks in Mennonite settlements in southwest Ontario.  Always have to be on guard. Click here to read more.