Amish in the News: Wisconsin Power Struggle, Good Neighbors, and Pennsylvania's Saffron Belt...

Here is some Amish in the News to start off your Friday.

WISCONSIN POWER STRUGGLE:  No, we aren't talking about the state's governor and legislature, we are talking about a high-voltage power line that is proposed to cut right through the heart of western Wisconsin's large Amish settlement.   Over 100 Amish men packed the Cashton, Wisconsin town hall to generally silently voice their opposition to the project.  Perhaps the most persuasive argument was put for by one Amish man about the power lines:  "We aren't going to use it, so why it in our community."  Click here to read more.

GOOD NEIGHBOR FRIDAY

MINNESOTA:  In Minnesota area English rallied around an Amish family who lost a lot in a house fire.  People pitched in to donate blankets, clothing and anything else they might need.

NEW YORK:  In the Empire State good news flowed the other way as dozens of Mennonite men showed up to rebuild a non-Mennonite man's business after it burned down.  Click here to read this "feel good" story.

SAFFRON:  Such a mysterious, flavorful spice!  Saffron is not something I've seen used in traditional Amish cooking, which tends toward the plainer fare, historically.  But Saffron is cultivated in some pockets of eastern Pennsylvania by Mennonites who have deep culinary roots here.  Check out this story to learn more about saffron's place in Pennsylvania Dutch culinary culture and get some great saffron-infused recipes like "Saffron Corn Soup" a twist on the traditional, regional "chicken corn soup."