Amish in the News: Buggies, Pickle Recipes, North Carolina Amish, New York Amish and More!

By Kevin Williams

We have a good mix of Amish stories in the news this week, so let's dive right in!

Last week I included the link to a story about the new Amish settlements in "east central" Upstate New York.  This is a very rural area near the Vermont border on the southern edge of New York's "North Country."  By way of reference, it's about halfway between Glens Falls and Plattsburgh, or about 90 minutes north of Albany.  The Glens Falls Post-Star is the local paper in the Whitehall area and they did a three-part series about the newly settled Amish in the area.  These types of stories ("let's get to know the Amish in our backyard") have been around for years, but they are probably my favorite because you usually have a local reporter looking at the Amish with a fresh set of eyes and it makes for informative, fun, educational reading.  To read Part I, you'll have to dig up last week's email, here is part II and III

PART II - Click here

PART III - Click here

NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA AMISH:  This is an article about a benefit fish from to help an Amish family struck by tragedy.  But the short article offers some insight into the tiny Amish settlement at Union Grove, North Carolina (one of the state's only Amish communities) and a new sister settlement in Chatham, Virginia. Click here.

This is an Amish bakery outside Berne, Indiana. Many of the roads in the area are like the one pictured, gravel....

ADAMS COUNTY, INDIANA BUGGY PLATE FEES TO GO UP?  I loved this article because it was very informative.  For me personally, I have spent a lot of time in the Berne Amish community so I found it interesting.  But I think you'll all find the comments from the Amish in the article the most enlightening. I think anytime you can hear directly from them, like the quotes in this article, it is insightful.  If the one Amish man's view reflects many of the others there, then it appears the Amish in the Berne area are perfectly willing to pay more than the $60 they already pay for buggy plates.  The extra funds would go towards upkeep of roads in the area.  Click here to read more.

AMISH TWINS AND THEIR ART:  This was an interesting article in the Lancaster paper, I wish it had been longer, it really left me with some lingering questions.  But it is a fun read. Click here.

BROWNIE MOCHA TRIFLE:  This recipe was featured on Fox 58 in Cleveland this past week and comes from Amish Country in Ohio. Click here for the recipe.  I love trifle, so you won't go wrong with it, I am sure!

PICKCLESBURGH AND SOME PICKLE RECIPES:  Oh geez, I better not tell my wife about this festival or we'll be headed to Pittsburgh next time it rolls around. She loves pickles.  I've just never been able to get into them.  Only as an adult have I sort of grudgingly enjoyed them on a cold cheese sandwich.  My parents buy "bread and butter pickles" and Rachel buys dill....and, frankly, I can't tell a lot of difference between the two....maybe it's because they are usually buried in my sandwich so the flavor just sort of gets absorbed...I know my daughter can tell the difference between the two.  I have had some amazing Amish-made pickles. Anyway, this article has several awesome-sounding (if you like pickles) Pittsburgh pickle recipes and the interview with Urie Byler was interesting.  He and his wife are successful pickle processors drawing upon their Mennonite background....Click here to read the article and get the pickle recipes