Blogging from A to Z: Amish hunting

Martins eat mosquitoes so they are good to have around.

Amish culture fascinates me, partly because it holds true to a simpler, more traditional way of life and its community is grounded in strong Christian beliefs. After moving to Indiana, I was thrilled to learn that it is home to several Amish communities. While the largest ones are located in Northern Indiana, there are several just northeast of Terre Haute.

My friend, Sandy, and I enjoy weekend driving and unearthing treasures, whether it be at a garage sale, knitting shop, backdrop for the perfect photo or Amish farms (hence the term “Amish hunting”). Last year, we came across a small Amish farm with free-range chickens, draft horses, drying laundry and a dead mule. Trying to respect the owners’ privacy yet identifying the far-away animal from a van window seemed to be at odds with each other but after closer inspection, the mule’s demise was confirmed. Sandy was not as keen on notifying the family about the mule’s passing as I was and since it was Sunday, we left without further incident.

Yesterday we went for a treasure-packed drive. We found several Amish farms and many different buggy types out-and-about. It’s common for Amish farms to have one or more Martin houses. What we didn’t expect to find were such busy birdhouses with incoming and outgoing traffic. It’s a wonder they didn’t need a radar system and mission control. We even heard their beautiful songs, which was a true spring delight. The horses were munching in the pastures and baby goats and cows were getting frisky in the fields.

This is the “convertible” model and great on gas!

We also discovered an Amish auction where straw-hatted men were bidding on various farm equipment. A fuel tank had topped $1,000 and the bidding wasn’t near complete. The children were playing volleyball and other outside games in the parking lot.

We found the Swarey’s Variety Store, in Marshall, Ind., which sold hens and chicks planted in old shoes. We had discovered this store once before but it was typically closed on Sunday. The store offered homemade jams and jellies and other meal accompaniments such as spaghetti, chow chow, pickles and relishes and fruited ice cream sauces. They also had an impressive choice of glass and stainless steel bakeware, wooden gifts and an unusually nice collection of rubber stamps and card-making supplies for sale.

This prompted my discussion with Lydia, the owner. She enjoyed making stamped cards and she and her friends would get together for stamping parties. They also spent time quilting. We discussed how Sandy and I preferred the piecework to the actual quilting and Lydia enjoyed the latter. I found I had more in common with this young woman than I first thought. The store also sold all the great board games and a nice array of cookbooks. I had an Amish cookbook from Lancaster County, Penn., so I asked Lydia which other book she recommended. She suggested “A Bridge to Homestyle cooking” compiled by Parke County Amish, which had a few of her recipes, as well as recipes from her friends in her community. I can’t wait to try my first recipe. It even offers a nice selection of sugar-free options.

Lydia had a basket with business cards of other Amish-owned businesses like Turkey Run Furniture & Antiques, Fisher’s Discount Store, Beiler’s of Nyesville, Meadow Sales, organic meats at Tara Hill Farm and natural, raw milk cheeses from Sunset Acres. What treasures we found, not only in the experiences we had and the homemade goods we found but in Lydia generously sharing a bit of her life and culture with us. The experience will be with me long after I make my first Shoo-Fly pie.