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Have lived amongst Mennonites and some Amish in Western NY state. Shopped at their farmer's markets and stores. I must say their produce and goods are top notch. Quaint to see them with their horse drawn buggies going to town or to the lake. Some stores even had places outside for them to hitch their horses. I have found them to be congenial but not really "friendly". Have spoken and interacted many times and purchased much merchandise on a routine basis (wife has a hand-made cedar chest and hand-made rocking chair) from them. They are kind of a closed-community (not trying to be offensive) and if you are not a member for their group, then you are "the English".
Been through South Dayton, have you?
There are a lot of Amish communities in eastern and southern Chautauqua County as well as in western Cattaraugus County and down into Warren County in PA. They settled and stay here because the price of land is significantly cheaper than elsewhere. Most of the communities are Old Order Amish, but there's differences in what is allowed, especially in business. Some Amish communities are very strict with remaining separate while others will allow electricity, phones and even the use of motor vehicles and gas powered equipment for business. Generally, though, Amish will not use these same things for themselves.
For the most part, the Amish in this part of NY and PA are not opposed to riding in cars or trucks; they just don't drive them, even if they own one for their business (they hire an "Englischer" to drive it). As others have said, their good neighbors, friendly enough, but they don't make "friends" with people who are not Amish very often.
Amish in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties are not exempted from following county health department laws for dealing with sewage, so they have to have septic tanks and leach fields like everybody else. They also pay all taxes except those relating to Social Security and Medicare because they are exempted as they don't use those programs.
I know this is an old thread - but I do live among the Amish, and as a whole, I am not a fan. On a one on one basis, they are just like anyone else, but as a group, they are basically a cult, living amongst us, and they get away with things they shouldn't. In my area they have puppy mills and over work their horses then dump them at slaughterhouses (get a car already). They are out of control during Rumspringa - drugs, alcohol, sex, etc. They aren't immune to anything anybody else is.
I'm a horsewoman and the way they treat their horses is appalling. The way they treat their women and children is worse.
I know this is an old thread - but I do live among the Amish, and as a whole, I am not a fan. On a one on one basis, they are just like anyone else, but as a group, they are basically a cult, living amongst us, and they get away with things they shouldn't. In my area they have puppy mills and over work their horses then dump them at slaughterhouses (get a car already). They are out of control during Rumspringa - drugs, alcohol, sex, etc. They aren't immune to anything anybody else is.
I'm a horsewoman and the way they treat their horses is appalling. The way they treat their women and children is worse.
Don't buy it.
I agree.....
Some Amish in our area have little shacks behind their main home........for women.....they have to stay there if they are menstruating.
here in ny i think they are great they pay land tax pay for public schools they do not use. if not for them many farms would be laying dead.the horses are not pets but beast of burden . so yes they get worked. what is sad a 80 year old amish man can out work and lift more than a 18 year old non amish. like use they have good and bad. but i like them
In my corner of Ohio, Amish people seems abandoned agriculture, even gardening is rather rare, but they must have horses for transportation. A typical Amish "homestead" is large home on an overgrazed, pathetic lot, significant number of Amish home lots dont have a single freaking tree, any tree, not speaking of gardens etc., I kid you not. A few surviving vegetable roadstands claim that they sell "Amish" produce, they lie, local Amish people dont garden much, and I know a few commercial growers that produce "local Amish" vegetables for the lying sobs.
here in ny i think they are great they pay land tax pay for public schools they do not use. if not for them many farms would be laying dead.the horses are not pets but beast of burden . so yes they get worked. what is sad a 80 year old amish man can out work and lift more than a 18 year old non amish. like use they have good and bad. but i like them
They pay agricultural tax rate, which is much less than land tax I pay, even though most of Amish living here do little to none agriculture.
Amish in my area do not "allow" women & children to wear shoes on the farm in the summer. What more do you need know?
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