By Kevin Williams
Hutterites are a Plain sect similar to the Amish.
TRAGEDY: This type of tragedy just hits so, so deeply in a close-knit community like a Hutterite colony, per the CBC:
Two teenage girls drowned and efforts are still underway to find a third who was swept away when a group of young people from a Hutterite colony were swimming and canoeing on the swollen St. Mary River in southern Alberta.
CBC News has learned the teens are all from a Hutterite colony of about 100 people in the area, the Spring Valley Hutterite Colony. It's believed the teens were all 16 or 17 years old.
We'll hope the third teen somehow made it to safety and just hasn't been found, but, wow, what a tragedy. Click here to read the whole article.
KUTZTOWN FOLK FESTIVAL: This is an amazing event that is held each year in Kutztown, Pennsylvania and showcases Pennsylvania Dutch culture in all its amazingness. SIGH, I have always wanted to go. But I want to go to experience the culture, eat the apple dumplings, try the funnel cakes, somehow a virtual festival just doesn't sound the same,but COVID-19 has forced that.
Per festival director Steve Sharadin:
“It definitely won’t be the same this year and it certainly will be a big financial hit, but the public understands this is for everyone’s safety and that we’re doing the best we can,” Sharadin said. "We’ll have to figure out the mechanics of engaging with the public online, but the upside is that we’ll be reaching a whole new audience.
“Our quilt auction, which is a key part of our event, will reach even more people than it has in previous years because auctions are globally being held online nowadays,” he said. “I think we could actually do better this year than in previous years.”
Now, THAT, is a huge dollop of optimism. I just, personally, just can't see an online version of the festival being anything remotely close to the real thing, but, maybe I'll check it out...click here to read more.
AMISH MACARONI SALAD: Amish mac salads, in my experience, tend towards the sweeter side (which I like!) and with 3 /4 a cup of sugar in this one, it leans sweet also. Check out this authentic Pennsylvania recipe that was featured this week.
A greenhouse outside the Amish home gives this home-based business a chance to get a head-start on spring, but an in-ground greenhouse? Never heard of that, sounds really interesting!
AN UNUSUAL AMISH GREENHOUSE: I have never heard of an in-ground greenhouse before...but an Amish family in Maine have one, check it out.
MILLIE'S BLUEBERRY BREAKFAST BREAD: Delicious sounding, check out the column from Illinois Amish woman, Millie Otto.
