The Clark Amish Calendar

CLARK AMISH CALENDAR

By Kevin Williams

I want to welcome Countrylife101 to the Amish365 Marketplace, thanks to them for their sponsorship.

When I saw the Clark, Missouri Amish calendar I was excited.  And I have several reasons.  First, Amish calenders are kind of common and they are almost always shot in Holmes County, Ohio or Lancaster County, PA.  Beautiful places and calendars to be sure, but there is a certain "sameness" to a lot of them.  So here is a calendar from some place different,and  that immediately got me excited.  And from a personal standpoint I was flummoxed by the calendar's price: $12.00!

I have wanted to offer an Amish calendar for years.  Going back in the year 2000, I have tried various times to create one using the vast reservoir of images we have on hand.  But, in the end, price always stymied the project.  Some of you may have our 2013 calendar.  That was probably our most realistic attempt, but even then the calendar came out to over $30 with shipping, a hefty price-tag for someone just wanting a calendar.  I simply could not find a way to produce a quality calendar at an affordable price. So Sharon Marohl and her Countrylife101 website has found a way to do something that I haven't, produce a quality calendar at a price for the masses.  This calendar complete with a year's worth of beautiful, respectful Amish images is only $12!  I about fell off my chair when I saw that.  She uses a local print job and sometimes you can find great deals with local businesses and she obviously has.  In addition to beautiful images, the calendar also acts as a primer to the local settlement, with a map of Amish businesses and times for produce auctions locally.  And I love Countrylife's larger focus on sustainable agriculture and small-scale farming.

I have, by the way, been to the Clark settlement,but it was years and years ago and just a fleeting visit at that. Here is the Amish365.com interview with CountryLife101's Sharon Marohl about their Clark calendar.  And if you want to skip the interview and just order the calendar, click here and scroll to the bottom of their page.   Here are some photos from previous years's Clark calendars.

How many years have you been doing the Clark, Missouri Amish calendar?  This our third year doing the calendar.  I broke my wrist and we missed one year due to surgery and hand rehabilitation therapy.

How did the idea for a Clark calendar come about?  In 2010, I was recovering from thyroid cancer, and my husband would take me for a drive to get out of the house.  I didn't have enough energy to do much, but I had lots of time to think, and I remembered an idea I had years ago about putting together a Clark, MO calendar. I began taking photos on my good days in preparation for a calendar the following year.

Tell me a little about you and your background?  I am a native of Minnesota and live on the southern edge of the Clark community.  My husband Jon and I have three daughters and have lived on this farm for 21 years. We raise most of our own food including a large garden, dairy goats, pigs, chickens, turkeys & guineas.  I have a degree in Equestrian Science and taught riding lessons at home with a string of lesson horses while the girls were growing up.  Currently I work as a Stable Manager for Stephens College.

What is the Amish response to the calendar? They are always excited to see the new calendar and many sell them locally in their stores. They will often send them to relatives who have moved away from this community.  I try very hard to respect their privacy and not be intrusive while taking photographs, so it has been a positive experience.

Can you tell us a little bit about the Clark Amish community?  I.e. how many church districts?  Is it a very conservative settlement? Or is it more progressive?  The Clark community is Old Order, so it is extremely conservative.  There are over 14 church districts and schools throughout the approximately 15 mile long settlement.  Unlike other Amish communities, much of the Clark community is close together without large distances between farms.

What is the most difficult part of producing a calendar like this? It's always a struggle to select only 12 photos. I take photos all year long so the photos "match" the month.  Deciding which ones to take out and which ones to use is hard!

NOTES:  The dates of the Produce auction are printed in green.  There is a complimentary map of the Clark settlement showing shops & printed inside the cover of the calendar. Amish holidays are noted in red. Calendars are printed professionally at a local print shop. I only print one run, so when they are gone, I am out for the year.

Order your Clark calendar here!