If you ever find yourself in the rural Highland County area you'll have to stop and check out Paint Creek Orchard, 9479 SR 771, Leesburg, OH.
Coaxed in by a sign for fresh eggs and homemade noodles, I stopped there the other day. I had a lot of questions about this relatively unfamiliar (to me) Amish community tucked away in the rolling hills of Highland County. Paint Creek Orchard is an Amish-run organic farm and they have a shop on site, a good old-fashioned Amish variety store selling everything from hats to noodles. I love, love these types of stores and this one is really neat.
It was getting late, around 5:30 p.m. and while the store's posted hours says it closes at 5 p.m., there was still an OPEN sign in the window. A young Amish girl who couldn't have been more than 10 bounded out of the house to ring up my purchase. I told her that in addition to my purchase that I'm a journalist and I had some questions about the area, "maybe you could get one of your parents?"
Unfortunately, her parents were away at a wedding in Michigan. She offered to go get her 19-year-old brother but he was out plowing a field and I didn't want to bother him for my questions. I also didn't feel comfortable asking a 10-year-old girl for permission to film the shop or ask her any questions so I left.
But a short drive up the road I'd meet an interesting Amish man who'd answer my questions about the community. Stay tuned to Monday for my story about him!
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