Things to Consider When Working with Amish Farmers

The following information is designed to assist conservation planners when working with Amish producers. Creating a working relationship with Amish producers is vital to conservation because the Amish comprise the majority of farmers in large farming areas such as Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and Holmes/Wayne County, Ohio. Amish farming communities can also be found 22 other states in the U.S. and one Canadian province. These strategies to working with Amish producers are practical for every interaction with the Amish, considering their different, and often misunderstood, approach to farming and everyday life. It is important that one understands the basic tenants of Amish life before entering an Amish community in which outsiders are not trusted.

Amish producers in the U.S. have their roots in the Anabaptist movement which occurred at the close of the Protestant Reformation in 1517. In 1693, Jacob Amman, for whom the Amish are names, provided leadership to those individuals who were in direct conflict with the contemporary social and religious order. The Amish, like other members of the Anabaptist movement, were persecuted for their religious views. They were tortured, imprisoned, and burned at the stake for their beliefs. This persecution is chronicled in the 1,100 page book Martyr's Mirror, which is still read as part of contemporary Amish tradition. Along with torture and imprisonment, the Amish were driven to areas with poor soils in the valleys of Switzerland, France, and Germany. In order to ensure their survival as a group, the Amish expanded and improved their farming techniques in crop production and livestock management and production. In the 1720's the first ships with Amish passengers began to arrive in the U.S. port of Philadelphia. Among the first Amish settlements was Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. This remains a viable Amish farming community today.

Today the Amish population to the U.S. numbers almost 180,000 in over 25 states. The number of Amish residents in the U.S. doubles every 20 years, with a new settlement being established every 5 weeks.