A big shout out to my Amish neighbors

[jltrent]

A couple months ago a windstorm blew my machinery shed down and done a lot of damage to the barn I have my cattle working facilities in. Finding anybody to do anything is about impossible. I contacted an Amish boy that I had gotten his phone number and a few days later he and another (riding on the fender) came to my house on his tractor and didn't look a day over 15-16 if that. We have 200-300 Amish that have settled here local and more moving in. We talked it over and he said he could get started in about 4 weeks. After they arrived a month later, in 4 days they had me a machinery shed built, a shed on the back of my building and a new roof on my barn (that had a lot of wind damage, leaks, needed rotten wood replace under the metal, rusted roof with holes, and older than me) completed. I rented a 20' reach Telehandler from A1 at Morristown to make their job easier and safer. The guys worked from 7am-7pm and barely took a break, and no lost motion. It would have taken two Englishman 2-3 weeks, and I might have even a lawsuit on my hands the way everybody is looking for one. I paid the guys and gave each one a nice chainsaw when they left (It put a big smile on their face)

 

[coachg]

We have a group that has moved into a community about 7-8 miles from us . They have started selling vegetable plants and flowers in the spring and vegetables and canned stuff after raising it . This group still uses buggies. About a year after they arrived a family was hit by an inattentive driver and 3 were killed . So sad . I've heard nothing but positive comments from the community about the families living there.

 

[jltrent]

We have a group that has moved into a community about 7-8 miles from us . They have started selling vegetable plants and flowers in the spring and vegetables and canned stuff after raising it . This group still uses buggies. About a year after they arrived a family was hit by an inattentive driver and 3 were killed. So sad. I've heard nothing but positive comments from the community about the families living there.

Especially on Sunday there can be around 25-30 buggies on the road around here, each loaded and little kids on bicycles everywhere. Their church/community center is about a mile from me. It can be scary on the road as I sure would hate to hit one. Each have they're on specialty and a lot of big buildings going up for their work.

We also have a large population of Mennonites in the area.

 

[greybeard]

Wait..the Amish boys came riding to your house...... on a tractor....you mean a horse?

 

[jltrent]

Wait..the Amish boys came riding to your house...... on a tractor....you mean a horse?

Were he lives they have 5 horses for pulling buggies I noticed. I have never seen one riding a horse, but they probably do. Tractors are their main form of transportation, it seems, except for the women as I have never seen one of them driving a tractor, only driving a horse drawn buggy.

They have some nice horses too. I have gotten behind them pulling buggies and they can trot along almost 20mph. With the way the electric car business is being pushed off on us with the horror stories so far, those horses are looking pretty attractive. One Amish has a big black horse that is a thing of beaty to watch him go up the road pulling that buggy.

 

[SmokinM]

We he lives they have 5 horses for pulling buggies I noticed. I have never seen one riding a horse, but they probably do. Tractors are their main form of transportation, it seems, except for the women as I have never seen one of them driving a tractor, only driving a horse drawn buggy.

They have some nice horses too. I have gotten behind them pulling buggies and they can trot along almost 20mph. With the way the electric car business is being pushed off on us with the horror stories so far, those horses are looking pretty attractive. One Amish has a big black horse that is a thing of beaty to watch him go up the road pulling that buggy.

I have a lot of clients that I would be happy to be reincarnated as one of their horses. If that is heaven an Amish buggy horse is hell. They are in shape to beat all and broke to death but they are short lived. Those miles of trotting on asphalt, ringbone eats them up.

The rules as to what they can and can't drive, operate or use are pretty interesting and vary a lot by sect. I do have a lot of respect for them as far as their lifestyle and work ethic. They are shrewd business people as a whole and have some interesting ethics in that area. All that being said they make good neighbors and in general are pretty good people to be around.

 

[Travlr]

They are shrewd business people as a whole and have some interesting ethics in that area. All that being said they make good neighbors and in general are pretty good people to be around.

That would apply to many religious sects that segregate themselves from outsiders. To say they have "interesting ethics" in their business practices is putting it politely in many cases...

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

The Amish sure have a strong work ethic. But I have heard about and seen pictures of Amish horses that were skinny, used up and poor. They are kind of famous for that. Trotting horses an pavement like that ruins their feet and legs. Why don't the Amish put those rubber pads under the horse shoes like the mounted police have for riding around in cities?

 

[Travlr]

The Amish sure have a strong work ethic. But I have heard about and seen pictures of Amish horses that were skinny, used up and poor. They are kind of famous for that. Trotting horses an pavement like that ruins their feet and legs. Why don't the Amish put those rubber pads under the horse shoes like the mounted police have for riding around in cities?

I haven't seen them in a long time but someone used to make tire-like rubber shoes that you could put on instead of rubber pads under iron shoes.

Metal shoes on pavement are an accident waiting to happen. They just don't have any grip. I had a horse go down on me with no warning because the slope on the road was just enough that her feet slipped out from under her. Thankfully she got right up and I stuck to her and we were both fine, but I learned something that day. A horse is better off barefoot on asphalt.

 

[Logan52]

Local Amish built our house for us and I have attended their produce and hay sales for over 25 years, both as a seller and a buyer. They are people like anyone else with both good and not so good about them.
Early in the morning their school bell rings and kids come out, down the hollows and along the country lane. They are simply dressed, without smart phones, and laughing as they walk. They seem to radiate healthfulness and good cheer. I wish the typical American child resembled them.

 

[greybeard]

I haven't seen them in a long time but someone used to make tire-like rubber shoes

Oh lardy. Ho chi minh sandals for horses..

It sounds like some of the Amish are the Ferengi of the religious world.
Rules of acquisition and profit
1. A ferengi without profit is no ferengi at all.
2. Once you have their money, you never give it back.
3. Never spend more for an acquisition than you have to.
4. Never allow family to stand in the way of opportunity
5. Small print leads to large risk.
6. Never place friendship above profit.
7. War is good for business
8. Peace is good for business.
9 Don't trust a man wearing a better suit than your own
10. Free advice is seldom cheap.
11. Knowledge equals profit
12. Females and profit don't mix.
13. Dignity and an empty sack is worth the sack.
14. Never have sex with the boss' sister.
15. Wives serve, brothers inherit.
16. New customers are like razor-toothed gree-worms. They can be succulent, but sometimes they bite back.
17. Never be afraid to mislabel a product.
18. A man is only worth the sum of his possessions.
19. Never allow doubt to tarnish your lust for profit.
20. Anything worth doing is worth doing for money.
21. Sometimes the quickest way to find profits is to let them find you.
22. There's nothing more dangerous than an honest businessman.
23. Profit is its own reward.
24 Learn the customer's weaknesses so you can better take advantage of them.
25. If you can't take it with you, don't go.
26. Faith moves mountains… of inventory.
27. Everything is for sale, even friendship.
28. There's nothing wrong with charity… as long as it winds up in your pocket.
29. Possession is eleven-tenths of the law!
30. More is good… All is better.
31. A wealthy man can afford anything except a conscience.

(there are many many more... )

 

[BFE]

An Amish crew built us a pole barn last fall and have a house under construction currently. I priced the same building with Cleary, it was literally double the price quoted and paid to the Amish builder. They don't mess around either, they get a lot done when they're on site.

Also, they do it all, poured the barn floor, poured the basement, and did a good job on both.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Wait..the Amish boys came riding to your house...... on a tractor....you mean a horse?

Sounds stange, doesn't it @greybeard. You have to get to know and understand the Amish as a whole. That 'stereotype' you are thinking of does widely exist within the Amish community as a whole, but the Amish are divided up into, and I forget the division names, parishes, sects, clans......something.........that have slightly different beliefs within them. A few of those beliefs are quite obvious to us as the 'English', and many of them are not. Its the equivalent of the Amish being thought of as 'Baptists' and then within the Baptists there being Southern Baptists. The Amish are much the same in parallel.

 

[greybeard]

 

[Travlr]

An Amish crew built us a pole barn last fall and have a house under construction currently. I priced the same building with Cleary, it was literally double the price quoted and paid to the Amish builder. They don't mess around either, they get a lot done when they're on site.

Also, they do it all, poured the barn floor, poured the basement, and did a good job on both.

I priced a building through Cleary too... What they priced at 20K, just for the structure, I build myself for 12K including cement and complete wiring. They build nice stuff... but HOLY!

 

[Ky hills]

Sounds stange, doesn't it @greybeard. You have to get to know and understand the Amish as a whole. That 'stereotype' you are thinking of does widely exist within the Amish community as a whole, but the Amish are divided up into, and I forget the division names, parishes, sects, clans......something.........that have slightly different beliefs within them. A few of those beliefs are quite obvious to us as the 'English', and many of them are not. Its the equivalent of the Amish being thought of as 'Baptists' and then within the Baptists there being Southern Baptists. The Amish are much the same in parallel.

Yes, lots of differing rules amongst the various Amish communities. Many different beliefs and views among Baptists too.
I'll make a post in the politics and religion section on this subject so as not to take away from the focal point if this thread.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Why don't the Amish put those rubber pads under the horse shoes like the mounted police have for riding around in cities?

travlr "I haven't seen them in a long time but someone used to make tire-like rubber shoes that you could put on instead of rubber pads under iron shoes."

Hoof boots have been around for quite a while. Trail riders use them. I used to put boots on my horses because all I had to do was trim their hooves and ride them with these boots. Shoeing has gotten so expensive and hard to find. My shoer was going to call me back to make an appointment 2 weeks ago. Hoof boots also have traction on pavement and cushion the hoof. But I doubt the Amish would use hoof boots on their horses- too modern.


There are all kinds of rubber pads shoers use under the shoes. The police also have boron chalks in their steel shoes.

 

[4hfarms]

Had a young man show up. Told him what we wanted and where. He was back in a couple days with 4 guys. Did a 20x30 post hay barn and 12 x24 greenhouse in 2 days for the price quoted for just the hay barn, by several other companies. Good workers, quality buildings. He drove his drivers truck up and down our driveway and out to pasture for fun after a couple beers that last evening. The workers apologized for him and told us he is having another baby....his 4th at about 25 years old. He liked to bend the rules, and yes, has been shunt by the church before. Life goes on... obviously not too concerned about it happening again.

 

[Stonewall Joe]

travlr "I haven't seen them in a long time but someone used to make tire-like rubber shoes that you could put on instead of rubber pads under iron shoes."

Hoof boots have been around for quite a while. Trail riders use them. I used to put boots on my horses because all I had to do was trim their hooves and ride them with these boots. Shoeing has gotten so expensive and hard to find. My shoer was going to call me back to make an appointment 2 weeks ago. Hoof boots also have traction on pavement and cushion the hoof. But I doubt the Amish would use hoof boots on their horses- too modern.
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There are all kinds of rubber pads shoers use under the shoes. The police also have boron chalks in their steel shoes.

those boots don't last too long with heavy rad use, a lot of the Amish use boron tipped shoes to prevent sliding on pavement, when I once made the mistake of living in NY state and worked with standard breds we also used boron in the winter to keep them from slipping on snow and ice

 

[cfpinz]

those boots don't last too long with heavy rad use, a lot of the Amish use boron tipped shoes to prevent sliding on pavement, when I once made the mistake of living in NY state and worked with standard breds we also used boron in the winter to keep them from slipping on snow and ice

We use borium on the shoes of our trail horses, the shoes last a minimum of 3 resets now instead of just 1 - and the traction on rocks, etc. is an eye-opener.