A day with the Amish in Kentucky

On one of the hottest days of summer of 2010, Ginger, Kaye, and I set off for Kentucky to visit the Amish/Mennonite areas and purchase produce from their farms, visit local towns like Scottsville, and see what we could see.

It was 99 degrees outside.
We started with antique shops and lunch at a friendly meat and three, and then worked our way towards Scottsville, KY. We sat with the locals and a retired couple who had just visited the Bowling Green Corvette museum, a place worth a stop. They were traveling in their yellow Corvette across America. Retirement looks fun.

Our first town, off I 65, Smith Grove, is worth a visit for antiques. Many Kentucky towns like Scottsville have quaint and pretty town squares. We visited a converted dairy farm that now sells produce and antiques, but the weather was so hot they had not picked that day. We saw acres of burly tobacco.

Then we set out for the farms. We first stopped at the Three G farm produce shop where they had all kinds of tomatoes, watermelons, peaches, canned goods, vegetables. They don't use electricity, but it was not too hot inside, and our friendly young man clerk, the son of the owner, gave us a map of local Amish farms.

Then we went to a store that is no longer Amish, but carries many of their products, along with a deli, spices, picnic tables, and more. You can see us sharing a peach slushy out front. Finally, we stopped at the farm where they make "Countryside" jams and relishes. Many Kentucky and Tennessee stores carry their products. This farm has a booming business, and in addition, they make wooden lawn furniture. Again, we were impressed by our clerk. This time we had a young woman of about 18, who answered our questions and gave us a positive impression of the world of the Amish. I admire the simplicity of their lifestyle and their lack of a need for so many worldly possessions.

Home via the back roads, with our jars of preserves and products, sorghums, and a peck of peaches (actually, what is a peck?).

There are so many interesting places to visit nearby. We hope to go back in September when they open the sorghum mills to the public. Sorghum and biscuits--you cannot get more Southern than that. Happy visiting and eating. Happy end of the summer. Squeeze the joy out of every day.