Yoder’s Amish Home: showing life as it used to be By Dave Mast
What can you do with a run-down farm, badly in need of major repairs? If you’re Eli and Gloria Yoder, you create one of the most fascinating and widely visited tourist attractions in the Heart of Amish Country in Holmes County.The Yoders purchased the Amish Home in 1972, a run-down farm which had been rented out to Amish families for the previous 10 years.
For several years they continued to rent out the farm to the Swartzentruber Amish, who farmed the land as before.Yet even while renting the farm, the Yoders continued to toy with an idea that they both agreed had huge possibilities.
“We had visited Pennsylvania a number of times, and spent time touring the Amish country there,” said Gloria. “We felt that since Holmes County is the largest Amish settlement anywhere, it would be ideal to have something that would be informative and fun to explain the Amish lifestyle to visitors to our area.”
The idea would not go away, and eventually the two began the process of creating such a place, nestled in the rolling hills between Trail and Walnut Creek. With a lengthy rebuilding and refining project on their hands if they wanted to pursue making something of the farm, Eli and Gloria decided to follow their dreams. After extensive repairs — including major modifications to the little house which was being used as a chicken coop — the couple almost magically transformed the aging 116-acre farm into Yoder’s Amish Home, which opened for visiting in 1983.
“Our first goal was to keep the farm as close to original as possible,” said Gloria. “We did some renovating, but we were able to keep it very close to the same working farm it had always been, only updated.”
The Yoders had one major advantage when it came to creating a farm aimed at allowing visitors to be able to experience the Amish lifestyle: Eli had been part of the Old Order Amish faith until the age of 21. Gloria was raised “English” in an Amish community, having gone to a mostly Amish school until the fifth grade. Having both grown up experiencing the culture and ambiance of the Amish community firsthand was an advantage when it came to founding the area’s first Amish working farm.
“We thought it would be a great idea to share this unique culture with visitors from all over the world,” said Gloria.
Since that time, Yoder’s Amish Home has been striving to give visitors an inside look at the Amish culture and people. Among the farm’s intriguing tours are the barn tour, featuring a 119-year-old barn with some quite unique architecture, including hand hewn beams and pegs — certainly not your modern-built barn.
“If you visit early enough in the season, you’ll be sure to see many newborn farm animals,” said Gloria. “Just recently we had 15 people witness the birth of twin lambs.”
There is also a guided tour of the farm, consisting of one of the knowledgeable guides taking patrons on a 30 to 40 minute tour through both homes on the property and the barn. Your guide will explain a great deal about the history and lifestyle of the Amish people. New to the farm is a rebuilt Amish one-room schoolhouse, which includes authentic Amish teachers explaining how an Amish school operates.
“It’s truly unique, with nothing like it in the area,” said Gloria.
And of course no trip to a real Amish farm would be complete without a buggy ride around the campus. Experience first-hand what it feels like to get behind the reins and slow down and enjoy life in an Amish buggy, driven by local Amish drivers. Later this fall, you can familiarize yourself with two of Amish Country’s finest staples — apple butter stirring and old fashioned butchering.
Apple butter stirring is a time-honored tradition, which has been a part of Amish life for decades, and is passed down from generation to generation. It’s a treat to watch Uncle Andy and Aunt Mattie, with some help from their boys, get the 30 gallon copper kettle on the fire. The dates of apple butter stirring are September 30 and October 7, 14 and 21.
Then, on October 27 and 28, Uncle Mike and the boys will be busy preparing hogs for butchering.
Pork chops, sausage, bacon and all kinds of cuts will be made fresh. Yoder’s Amish Farm offers one of those rare opportunities to not only acquaint yourself to something new and informative, but to also savor a time seemingly long past.
“A lot of people who visit are grandparents bringing their grandchildren so they can see what life used to be like when they were youngsters,” said Gloria, who added, “You never know what you might find when you stop in.”
Yoder’s Amish Home is located at 6050 SR 515, Millersburg, (located between Trail and Walnut Creek). You may contact them by phone at 330-893-2541, e-mail them at: info@yodersamishhome.com, or log on to their Web site at: www.yodersamishhome.com. Farm hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., now through October, every Monday through Saturday. They are also open on Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day.
|
