Amish in the News Special Feature: Amish Raising a Barn in 3 1/2 Minutes?

There are some iconic images of the Amish that people always come back to:  barn-raisings, shoo-fly pie, buggies, bonnets, and beards.  I remember once when some friends of mine from this site, Margie and Fred, were talking to me about their interest in the Amish.  If memory serves me correctly, Margie was asking me about how to strike up a pen-pal friendship with someone Amish and I think she also mentioned a desire to see a barn-raising.  On both counts I was, like, "Margie, it'll probably never happen."    On pen-pals, my reasoning is that non-Amish are usually far more interested in Amish than vice-versa. So there's just not a lot "in it" for the Amish person to go seeking a non-Amish pen pal.  And as far as barn-raisings go?  While you wouldn't know it from Hollywood, these are relatively rare happenings.  Sure, there are still barn-raisings in Amish country, but it's not like they happen every day, or even in every community once a year.  As the Amish shift away from being an agrarian people the need for big barns is diminishing.  And in older, more established settlements, land is scarce and barns are built to last so there are often plenty of barns.  Still, though, occasionally fire strikes or a tornado chews up one or a new barn is needed and in those cases the old tried and true tradition of "many hands make light work" comes into play.  Oh, and back to Margie and Fred...I think within a few months of that conversation, Margie had struck up a friendship with an Amish pen-pal and seen a barn-raising. SIGH, shows what I know:)

Anyway, this video has been making the rounds in several online outlets, but I am choosing to link to The Daily Mail in Great Britain.  If you don't have video capability on your computer or phone you can also enjoy the still images posted.  The stunning video was shot over a 10-hour period but is still down to 3 ½ minutes, so it shows a veritable army of "Amish ants" working to get this done.  I had to chuckle at maybe a 15 second "break" where noone appeared in the video.  That had to have been the lunch break and, wow, the amazing - and well-earned - spread that awaits those workers would be worth picking up a hammer just for that!

The Daily Mail makes a big point that the Amish don't usually allow themselves to be photographed and the videographers obtained permission before filming. That is great and proper that they did that, but this is just the type of thing that the vast majority of Amish wouldn't mind be filmed for.  You can't identify any one person and the video illustrates the power of group work and that is something most Amish are happy to showcase.    Block 3 ½ minutes out of your schedule and watch this amazing footage.  I love the roof work towards the end, that just goes on almost magically.