Amish in the News: Amish Biking, Amish Baked Oatmeal, Amish Businesses and More!

By Kevin Williams

We have a variety of Amish stories in the news today.  So let's get started!

BIKING IN AMISH COUNTRY:  I love cycling so this article caught my eye.  Bikes are met with varying degrees of approval in Amish settlements. In some areas they are perfectly acceptable, while other areas they are not.  Three large Amish settlements where bikes are generally permitted are Northern Indiana, Holmes County, Ohio, and Daviess County, Indiana.  Of course there are others that use them, those are just three of the largest.  In other Amish settlements like Wayne County, Indiana or Adams County, Ohio bikes are taboo but foot-powered scooters are popular. Anyway, a Chicago writer and cyclist explored over 60 miles of northern Indiana countryside, most of it in Amish country. Click here to see some fun photos and read accounts of his journey.

Look for little signs like this pointing the way to Amish-owned businesses

EXPLORING AMISH COUNTRY:  This article is from the Wausau, Wisconsin paper.  It's a good article because it really could be applied to any Amish settlement, the way to enjoy it most: EXPLORE.  That's my best advice when visiting any Amish area: just get in your car, get off the main roads and explore. Look for little signs advertising Amish businesses and then go visit.  As the article points out, be prepared to spend a little something. Even if it is just buy a few eggs.  Amish entrepreneurs view their time as money and they don't want to spent prime worktime chatting with someone if it doesn't bring some value.  Click here to read the article.

FORCED ELECTRIC AMISH?  This is a weird story. I've heard of Amish people butting heads with officials over all sorts of things, but never something that would force electricity on them.  I'd be curious as to what other Amish in that area do as far as hooking up to the local sewer system?  And I'd wonder if they couldn't compromise at all, if the "grid" is the issue, if there would be a way for them to use solar to power a hook-up?  Odd.  Click here to read the article.

AMISH BAKED OATMEAL:  Check out this article from the Lancaster, PA newspaper about baked oatmeal. The article includes an Amish recipe for baked oatmeal that they say tastes like a "cinnamon cookie."  I'm sold! Click here for the recipe an article.

AMISH IN IRAQ?  This is mainly video and it was really lacking in information, but it was interesting. I guess some Amish and Mennonites are serving in humanitarian capacities in Iraq, very unusual and I'm sure controversial among some Amish. Click here.