Whenever I get a chance, I announce that “We’re not tourists!” Sometimes I’ll add “But we’re trying to look and act like them.” I have long said that when I’m among the Amish, I consider myself a guest, not a tourist.
One stop today was a “real” Amish store (owned, operated by, and containing Amish-related merchandise). I had a good time with the Amish girls waiting on me, trying to be at least mildly entertaining. I’m not sure I convinced them I wasn’t a tourist but we enjoyed some laughs together.
Needless to say I left with some books. I was a bit tempted by a black vest, but it required sewing on your own hooks and eyes. I’m not ready for that level of simplicity and tradition.
While we’re self-declared non-tourists, we do occasionally do touristy things. Today we opted to visit The Farm at Walnut Creek.
A highlight of the trip is an open wagon trip through a portion of the grounds where the animals have trained people to feed them. In addition to the “flat hand” suggestion, our Amish wagon driver explains that many of the four legged type prefer to have you drop the pellets on their tongues.
The assortment of furried and feathered friends is amazing. It’s quite an experience. Half the fun for me was watching the kids on our wagon.
As is often the case, there’s a back story. This could be about simplicity but it may also be a bit political. You have been warned. The farm has existed for over fifteen years and maintains more than 500 unique animals. (Not all are available for feeding by visitors.) Due to the nature of their operation, they are licensed by the U.S.D.A. Historically, that’s been a positive relationship.
Their license was due for renewal in May of this year and that meant reinspection by the U.S.D.A. The short version of the story at least has a fundamentally happy ending, but the inspection was conducted by inspectors who were less than qualified and obviously involved “government overreach.” The Farm did an excellent job of documenting the process and an even better job of organizing a campaign to support reasonableness. Even so, it cost the farm $50,000 to meet the requirements, some of which were “necessary” due to rule changes made after the inspection visit.
As I anticipate my ox-driving workshop I find myself wondering and worrying how many experiences (particularly traditional and historical ones) are becoming extinct.
At the grocery store next to the Amish store, we were able to buy some whole milk. It’s actually not about the milk, really. It’s about having the choices and options. I may not want hooks and eyes but I do like whole milk.