Summary
Summer is anything but lazy in Ohios Amish country
The summer season may bring lazy, hazy days, but the Amish take full advantage of the good weather. From farming to furniture to roadside stands, summer is the time to really make hay, literally and figuratively.
A strong work ethic is one of the basic tenants in the Amish culture. Amish work to make a living, whether its raising crops, produce, or working on construction crews, building furniture, running a quilt shop, working in a local bank, or operating a manufacturing company.
Plain and simple, from little on up, the Amish not only know how to work, they want to work. Work is certainly a time-honored tradition that gives their culture an envious reputation.
Known for being thrifty, industrious people, the Amish really dont rely on what people outside their community think about them. Humility is also an important trait in the Amish culture. The Amish just know that working hard, and conducting beneficial businesses for both locals and tourists provides the income flow needed and products and services others want at a fair price.
People tend to think of the Amish as an agrarian driven workforce. Though that used to be the case, the truth is that less than 10 percent of the Amish actually farm for a living, or even live on a farm for that matter.
That doesnt mean that the Amish have cut their ties to the land. They havent. They honor their ancestors who were so rooted in the land. But in todays mega farm society, small Amish farms, usually consisting of less than 100 acres, simply cannot compete. So their society has turned to other means to make ends meet.
From the Amish point of view, smaller is often better. Raising produce has increased in popularity in the Amish community for three important reasons. Producing crops like lettuce, tomatoes, pumpkins, flowers, garlic, melons and sweet corn can be done on smaller plots of land. In addition, such crops can involve the entire family, from youngsters to grandparents. That way, the work ethic is not just taught. It is modeled for all generations, which is a lasting lesson.
Most Amish families earn their income via a variety of skilled and unskilled labor jobs. Both Amish men and women own and operate their own family businesses. Called cottage industries, these businesses are usually close to home, if not built on the family farm. Their daily commute is a matter of footsteps rather than hours on the road.
The leading industry in Ohios Amish country today is wood trades. From tree farms to logging to milling to carpentry and construction to furniture finishing, manufacturing and retailing, the Amish are involved in every aspect of the wood industry. Making the transition from farming to wood has enriched the Amish community in the last two decades, and has kept the work ethic alive as well.
If they indeed own their own cottage industry, many family members, including sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, are likely employed there, too. Doing so allows the operational skills to be passed on from one generation to the next.
With the advent of summer, the tourist trade really increases in Ohios Amish country. Quilt shops, often run by Amish women and their daughters, produce stands maintained my adults and children alike, and furniture stores with Amish sales representatives welcome visitors with a smile. Most likely, they are armed with information about the product learned from childhood on up.
The Amish wouldnt claim to have a monopoly on a strong work ethic. They just do their best to model it for the good of their community and those who visit it. With due diligence and efficiency, the Amish make sure summer trips to Amish country by visitors from around the world are more than worthwhile.
