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By Sharon Strouse,
Ohio State University
Extension Educator

Directed by faith and family, the Amish have tried to remain apart, yet, a part of the communities they move to.

So, what exactly draws these people to where they live?

Ever since followers of Jacob Ammann came from Europe in 1737, those calling themselves Amish have been on the move in North America. Demographers have established there are approximately 350 Amish communities in the U.S. and Canada. This is a two-fold increase from 176 communities in 1990. Although they live in 22 states and Ontario, the largest Amish settlements remain to be Holmes County Ohio, Northern Indiana and Lancaster County Pennsylvania.

High birth rates and the decreased rate of Amish leaving in the latter half of the 20th century have now resulted in the Amish population doubling approximately every 20 years. It is this rapid growth that has made it difficult for members to adhere to their value and belief that the immediate and extended family should live in a local geographic area together.

Attracted to North America by the opportunities to own land, today's Amish are on the move to obtain land in communities that fits with their economic and religious culture. In recent years it is the high price of land in increasingly dense rural Amish settlements, high taxes or both that are motivating the Amish to migrate to new geographic areas. For centuries, the Amish have migrated to form 'daughter and sister' communities based on the factors necessary to sustain successful Amish church districts.

So what are the factors that determine desirable Amish communities? First and foremost is the access to land which could be dedicated to agricultural production or what we romantically term farmland. Amish leaders that form a group to seek new community sites are referred to as 'land parties.' Though most Amish families today do not make their primary living from farming, the main factors for selecting a new Amish community site still centers on available farmland at a reasonable price and good water.

Dairy and broiler farm sites need available land for waste management besides grazing fields and livestock housing. Home sites are considered with the availability to establish a small horse barn for the buggy horses at a minimum. The size of the average farm needed can vary based on the geography, the weather, type of farm to be established and availability of off farm income sources. Related economic factors such as state and local tax rates and regulations, need for specialty skilled labor and the small business atmosphere rank second only to access to farmland as desirable attraction factors.

The location and formation of new Amish settlements are not simply decided upon due to the scarcity of farmland. Migration attraction factors as identified by Amish leaders take into consideration community economic and infrastructure factors at many levels. Consideration is given to a potential community's physical infrastructure such as roads safe for horse/buggy travel, number of miles from town and other Amish farms, access to farm markets and cooperative agricultural enterprises. Service industry needs noted by Amish leaders when ranking these community attraction factors include access to education, health care and transportation alternatives.

Amish leaders from two states, representing dozens of communities were asked to identify and prioritize factors considered when new Amish communities are established. Through interviews and on site visits, settlement attraction factors were grouped according to the Peterson/Rohrer development paradigm.

Migration Factors for Amish Community Establishment (Strouse, 2002)


Economic Base:

Agriculture
• Availability of farms within driving distance with horse and buggy transportation (a radius of 5 or 6 miles)
• Topography
• Type of soil
• Average rainfall
• Average temperature winter and summer
• Length of growing season

Alternative Employment Opportunities
• Atmosphere for entrepreneurship
• Small business environment (state laws; ie: inventory tax; EPA; OSHA)
• Work for young people, particularly off-farm work
• Manufacturing employment oppor- tunities, rates of pay
•Niche markets for skill based employment; carpentry, roofing, welding, small engine repairs, etc.


Physical Infrastructure:

Agriculture and home
• Water table: depth of the average wells
• The quality and taste of the water
• Safety of horse and buggy travel

Agriculture service industry
• Availability of feed mills
• Availability of auction barn
• Availability of a milk market
• Co-op marketing opportunities
• Real estate taxes

Health Care/Services
•Availability of emergency room services (within buggy distance)
• Access to doctor and dental services
• Banks; availability of financing
• Availability of grocery store within horse and buggy driving distance
• Access to nearest Amtrack or Greyhound station
Education*
• Availability of private schools/support of private schools
• Extension Service support/willingness to work with the local (Amish) farmers

Other Factors
• Distance from home community
Want to attract Amish to your community? Maybe there is a lesson to be learned from four counties in Northern New York state engaged in an ongoing economic development initiative called 'Come Farm with Us.' This program is designed to encourage farmers from outside the region to buy and operate farms in Northern New York. Land and farm buildings are available due to changing demographics more than agricultural economic factors.

'Come Farm with Us' involves outside marketing of their region's farming strengths and opportunities, as well as listing services and other support for farmers wishing to buy or sell farms in the four county region and beyond. The Watertown Daily News reported that during the first two years of this multi-county (re)development effort, 32 farms were sold, worth an estimated total value of $6 million dollars. This message is aimed at farmers in other regions where development, industrialization, government resistance, or a collapsing farm support system have made farming economically difficult.

Like the region in Northern New York, individual communities can certainly benefit from assessing their farm availability and focusing on the 'Amish Migration Attraction Factors' if they wish to be appealing to Amish families.

Will the Amish continue to live in their original North American settlements? Only time will provide the answer to this question. Given that the Amish were willing to migrate to North America through WWII, until no more Amish lived in their European homelands, is a good indication of the perseverance and resolve needed to endure family migration and establishment of new communities. The Amish have a great respect and loyalty to the land that some have been farming in this country for more than five generations. I do believe that the Amish will strive to maintain their established settlements at the same time establishing new communities as a beacon of hope to all cultures that share the tenet of religious freedom.