A Visit To The Ways Of By-Gone Era

Name The Type Of FLour You Want Stocking Shelves

Candy, Soft, Hard, And Sanded Bulk Spices And Soup Mix Jams, Jellies, etc. and Maple Syrup The Meat And Cheese Counter Kutztown Flavored Beer The Refrigerated Produce Farmers And Citizens Bank Mother With Children Returning From The Auction. Photo taken With Permission

 Auction Of Local Produce

Barb And Lois With New Chapeaus

On Friday I invited three friends to visit an Amish area of Ohio. We started our day at the market which has expanded into a regular supermarket. The meat and cheese counter is probably 60 ft. in length with fourteen clerks (and all are busy) to assist the customers. Counters with six shelves are 30 ft in length. Refrigerated coolers hold fresh vegetables and most are locally grown. One has no idea there are as many types of flours available as those sold in the store. It is a real education. Surprising to me was the fact that there is a bank in the store. I did not ask details but I did see a lady doing her banking. Name a household item and it is for sale here.

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Our next stop was the Auction House. This allows the locals to bring the produce from their gardens to be sold. I saw elderberries, blackberries, peaches, along with every garden vegetable one could grow in the area. Two auctioneers kept auctions going at both ends of the building.

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Our third and final stop was Country Fabrics. Once a livestock barn, the sons of the owner dismantled the barn. With the structural timbers, the new barn was erected. I was a customer of the owner when she had a fabric shop in a small room in her home. It was renovated with additions several times and now it is a new very huge barn designed retail store complete with a classroom. I am sure Rachael has room to grow for many years until changes will have to be made again.

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What the area lacks is an restaurant. That would be a very nice addition for the many who come to the area as tourists or consumers. We stopped by the local diner for our lunch. We realized the locals knew some new people were in town when we entered. Everyone stopped talking and turned to look who had walked in the door. As we sat at our table, we enjoyed listening to the "catching up" on the local folk!

A trip to this area is a good reminder of how women lived before homes had electricity and conveniences! What is that saying? Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home!