[Constantine]

Have you spoken to, or learnt from the Amish?

Now, let's get one thing straight: the Amish are awesome.

Have you spoken to the Amish about how they do things, such as canning, or preserving foods, or making their own blankets or foods or anything? If not, are you considering it? If you have, what have you learnt from them?

As a Brit, I'd love to be able to meet people with these kind of skills. Not to say there aren't people who can't do it here, but I don't know anybody who does.

 

[tqu9047]

I used to work for an auction where we would make deliveries of flour and sugar in the middle of the night.
Once you get used to seeing the lantern being carried and no porch light coming on, it was pretty cool.
I can honestly say, I am one of the few "Outsiders" to be allowed inside their home.
Very cool!

Tim

 

[Constantine]

Nice! Did you learn anything from them?
How self-sufficient were they? What did they lack?

 

[AquaHull]

Nice! Did you learn anything from them?
How self-sufficient were they? What did they lack?

Electric , fluoride in the water, and style in their clothing.

I'll be heading to the local Amish (or is it Mennonite?) store Friday for some ground flax seed.

 

[Constantine]

Electric , fluoride in the water, and style in their clothing.

That's not too bad.
Except the fluoride, though. How could a group compensate for that?

 

[readygirl]

Electric , fluoride in the water, and style in their clothing.

I'll be heading to the local Amish (or is it Mennonite?) store Friday for some ground flax seed.

That must be why they are so happy, gotta drink the hard stuff, no way to keep beer cold.....LOL

 

[Watercanlady]

I have many very good friends that are Amish. We have been friends for over 20 years. What exactly are you getting at. They can, bake bread, the same as any one else does. Some areas canning and such are more prominent than other parts of the country. Where I live almost every one home cans and grows their own garden to do so. I have been to their wedding and many funerals. They are very humble people and yes I have been in their houses many of them I have even spent the night at several of their homes when visiting out of state. I can probably answer just about any questions You may have within reason I will not answer anything to disrespect them.....

 

[readygirl]

I have many very good friends that are Amish. We have been friends for over 20 years. What exactly are you getting at. They can, bake bread, the same as any one else does. Some areas canning and such are more prominent than other parts of the country. Where I live almost every one home cans and grows their own garden to do so. I have been to their wedding and many funerals. They are very humble people and yes I have been in their houses many of them I have even spent the night at several of their homes when visiting out of state. I can probably answer just about any questions You may have within reason I will not answer anything to disrespect them.....

There are some GBs (German-Baptist) that own/run a small butcher shop near where i live. I shop there every week, and am starting to get to know some of them very well. I raise New Zealand White / Dutch Belted meat rabbits, and have been selling quite a few to them. Do you know what the main differences are between the GBs, and the Amish ? I have always been curious, but dont know if they would be offended if i asked.

 

[Watercanlady]

I am not sure what a German Baptist is. How do they dress? The old order Amish dress in plain fabrics mostly darker colors. No prints. They wear a prayer cap which is white all the time. When they go out in public to a store they wear a black bonnet. I will ask and see what I can find out. Mostly they would not be offended. They would rather you ask such things as to assume.

 

[tqu9047]

While we were making one delivery, our truck got stuck in a snow bank. Within 10 minutes, there was at least 10 gentlemen and their
horses there to get us out. It worked. To this day I don't know where they all came from as I didn't see many houses around.
What they lack (flouride, electricity etc) has no bearing on their lives.
What they have, class, respect etc more than makes up for what they lack. When you hear the saying, "It takes a village",
I think they were talking about the Amish.
This was over 30 years ago and I still remember most of the visit.

Tim

 

[Constantine]

I can probably answer just about any questions You may have

How do they preserve their food? I want to get as much knowledge to be independent from electricity as possible, in case it never comes back; I don't want to be hunting for fuel for a generator if I don't need it to survive, so things like canning, brining, sun-drying, etc interest me.

 

[AquaHull]

While we were making one delivery, our truck got stuck in a snow bank. Within 10 minutes, there was at least 10 gentlemen and their
horses there to get us out. It worked. To this day I don't know where they all came from as I didn't see many houses around.
What they lack (flouride, electricity etc) has no bearing on their lives.
What they have, class, respect etc more than makes up for what they lack. When you hear the saying, "It takes a village",
I think they were talking about the Amish.
This was over 30 years ago and I still remember most of the visit.

Tim

I didn't mean my post about fluoride lacking to be sarcastic. I don't have it in my well either, fluoride treatments at the Dentist cover that.

Besides that, all they're missing is the Electric, at home that is. Which means no TV, with it's vile content either.They're also covered when the power goes out, no worries, life as normal.

 

[Watercanlady]

How do they preserve their food? I want to get as much knowledge to be independent from electricity as possible, in case it never comes back; I don't want to be hunting for fuel for a generator if I don't need it to survive, so things like canning, brining, sun-drying, etc interest me.

They can almost everything. They make their own sausage, and such and then can it. They can hamburger, fish and whatever. When they butcher a hog or beef they eat some fresh and can the rest. They make something called trail bologna that is sort of like a salami also. Now many of them near me have an ice house. So they can keep a small amount of items frozen or near frozen.
For lights they use white gas and have it in a tank such as your BBQ grill then the pipe is about 5 ft high with a mantle head on the top. The tank sets on a wooden platform on wheels and can be rolled from room to room. It pretty well lights the entire main floor on the home as they have open floor plans.

 

[Lucky Jim]

I don't know about the Amish lacking fluoride, but here in Britain it naturally occurs in all water in varying tiny amounts depending on region, so we all get it over here whether we want it or not.
It's supposed to be good for teeth, but there can be unpleasant side effects-

"Fluoride is a highly toxic substance. Consider, for example, the poison warning that the FDA now requires on all fluoride toothpastes sold in the U.S. or the tens of millions of people throughout China and India who now suffer serious crippling bone diseases from drinking water with elevated levels of fluoride"
Fluoride Action Network | Health Effects

Some years ago I had a borderline underactive thyroid and felt cold and sluggish half the time, so when I heard fluoride might aggravate our thyroids i switched to fluoride-free toothpaste and have felt much better ever since..

 

[shotlady]

mennonites allow electricity and cars, amish is the good ole living. learned that from a tv show about them. id love that. too bad they turn their backs on their kids whenthey decide tohave a different existance. i couldnt imagine turning my back on my kids. id love to stay a month or two with the amish.
they should open adventure camps for people to pay to go have the experience and work along side them experience their culture. id be worth it.

 

[Lucky Jim]

Good luck to the Amish, but for real survival skills, indigenous peoples would take some beating.
For example, early English colonists in America were often at the point of starvation and could only stay alive by begging or trading for food from local indian tribes who'd been happily living off the land for thousands of years.
Same with Eskimos/Innuits. Polar explorers starved while all around them were tribes surviving as they'd always done.
And trans-Australia expeditions starved too, but the aborigines had been surviving for countless centuries..
There's something beautiful and spiritual about living in perfect harmony with nature-

 

[Watercanlady]

They also taught me to quilt.... I have helped them out at quilting bees and they have come here and helped me too. I since have made 20 queen sized quilts. And 1- twin size. I have not been over to ask the difference of them is yet. I know they hunt, fish, trap and then preserve or can their catch for the winter.

 

[shotlady]

oooooooooooooo really now?????? i have been shopping for a nice quilt. man! i want one so bad!!!

 

[amishsurvivalguy]

I live in an Amish community and we've actually started a site for Amish preppers and those who want to learn from the Amish, www.amishsurvivalsecrets.com
We'll be glad to get your thoughts and questions on what we're doing. Just got started about 4 months ago.

 

[LunaticFringeInc]

I wish there were some in Texas close by...Id like to rub shoulders with them and learn as much as I can from them. Bet they are a gold mine of knowledge to soak up!!!