FOUR AMISH HEALTHY HABITS
There are a few interesting Amish items to share today in the news. Â First one concerns health and the Amish. Â Those two words sometimes collide. Â While the Amish do incorporate - historically - a lot of natural exercise into their lives, diets laden in butter and fat sometimes cancel that out. Â Still, a writer for Fox News finds some healthy habits to emulate.
FOUR AMISH HEALTHY HABITS: Â The writer cites four healthy habits of the Amish. Â One of the healthy habits she cites is fitness and we have talked about that. Â I think this is generally spot-on but like so many things about the Amish, it is changing. Â As farming falls by the wayside, more and more Amish are leading sedentary lives. Â Hard work is still part of their cultural ethos, but I think without farming as a fitness underpinning future generations will increase in girth. Â The writer also cites the Amish tendency to be home-gardeners and there is a lot of truth to that. Â Still, if you grow your own cauliflower and then deep-fry it, you are negating benefits. Â I just see such a broad spectrum among the Amish from ultra-organic locavores to deep-fried, never-heard-of-olive oil Amish. Â But the writer's number one health benefit of being Amish? Â She is spot-on here, but even this one is - sadly - beginning to change. Â Click here to read the article!
SALVAGE GROCERIES:Â The Amish were one of the first to see an opportunity in other's cast-offs. Â Amish entrepreneurs have begun many "Bent and Dent" type salvage stores. Â These are groceries that sell items past their sell-by dates, items that have been damaged, promotional products that have been discontinued. Â I know of one Amish man who runs a chain of such stores. Â Does anyone shop at them? Â I'd be curious to know how much you can save on your grocery bill? Â These are different from the typical Amish "bulk food" stores that sells candies and cheeses and baked goods, these bent and dent operations sell Cheerios and soup and graham crackers. Â I even found Ipod cases at one. Â Click here to read more.
DEER HUNTING SEASON QUIET IN AMISH COUNTRY: Â Deer hunting is a popular pasttime in Amish country, but it has been quiet this year in Ohio. Â This is a good article about it with a nice photo of some Amish boys going out to hunt.
LEARN ABOUT THE HUTTERITES: Â The tiny Yankton, South Dakota newspaper ran a superb article this past week about their local Hutterite colony, the Bon Homme. Â This is South Dakota's oldest Hutterite settlement, but the article is superb for it's easy-to-read background about Hutterite history and their modern colony structure. Â If you don't know a lot about the Hutterites and how they are connected to the Amish, this is a great, quick read!
Missy
There used to be a German Baptist bent and dent store near Greenville, but they eventually closed it, though I heard a rumor they are thinking of re-opening it.
Kevin
Sounds neat, let me know if they reopen!