Lehman's Country Life

Last week, I blogged about why some people would like to join the Amish. This week, I will admit that I might be one of those people!

Years ago, I worked as a sponsor for our church’s high school youth group. Upon discovering that I knew how to milk goats, build a fence, use an oil lamp and other homesteading skills, the kids took to calling me “Amish-like.”

I was proud of that nickname. I figured it meant that I was fitting in. After all, I had my own street name just like they did.

Years later, my own children brought me back to earth by explaining to me that I was actually being made fun of. To this day, however, I take “Amish-like” as a title of honor.

Last week, I said that people became Amish because of faith or because of culture. There is possibly another reason. Someone recently told me that some
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My name is Sue Steiner.  I am an animal artist and for the last couple years I’ve been painting farm animal murals in the Buggy Barn at Lehman’s.   I also help with scheduling arts and crafts demos at the store.   I wanted to share with you some photos taken at Lehman’s during the second annual Local Artisan Festival on July 11th.   By the looks of the crowd and the smiles on people’s faces this is the beginning of a really interesting and enjoyable regular yearly event!   The visitors to the store not only enjoyed the arts and crafts demos but also lively music, good food, good company and gardening advise !  What’s not to love about that? 

During this event we gathered together local artists and crafters thru the Ohio Arts and Crafts Guild to put on demonstrations and offer hands on activities for all ages.  Our goal is to have demos that are informative as well as entertaining and also tie into the unique flavor of the store. 

 The Art Festival was an extension of what happens every week in the ‘Buggy Barn’ for most of the year.  A few times a week you can see many of these same artists and crafters doing individual demos that range from fiber arts to pottery to farm animal mural painting to gourd birdhouses to wool rug hooking to garden crafts using recycled materials and many more.   

To see what demos are scheduled in the Buggy Barn go to the Events Calendar at the top of this page. 

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This week a friend and I were talking about why people choose to be Amish. This is a complicated question. But, if you simplify it down to the broadest possible terms, there are mainly two reasons.

Our non-Amish friend, Twila, wanted to remember her Amish ancestors by buying this dress. She also owns a digital camera, allowing us to take this photo. It's an ironic image. Many Amish frown on photographs because of Biblical prohibitions against graven images and vanity.

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Last week I did one of the toughest things I have to do all year. I pulled perfectly good fruit from most of my nine fruit trees and threw it out.

The tiny fruits, which are about 1/4 to 1/3 their final size, held the promise of future goodness. Even though they were still small, hard and sour, my mouth watered as I handled each one.

So, why would I do such a hard-hearted, mean-spirited and cruel thing?
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There is a big sign in the entrance of our Kidron store with a picture of my dad. It says, in part, “We believe in offering products made in the United States wherever possible. When we offer imported items, we choose the best quality we can find.”

This is not just something we say to sound good. We spend time every day, sometimes hours every day, hunting down USA-made products.

I will make this claim and stand by it with confidence: We have more USA
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At Lehman’s, we’ve been hearing local folks gossip about how the Indiana Amish have been hurt by the economy. This morning, an article in the Wall Street Journal confirmed our fears.

According to the article, they were drawn into the economic boom by high pay in the RV factories of northern Indiana. Instead of following their Dads into the fields, they followed the money. In the local slang, they became what is known
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Have you ever wondered who, in today’s modern world, creates the products from yesteryear?

This is your chance to find out. We found talented, creative artisans located within a few miles of our store, who are eager to share their wares with you.

Bring the entire family to Kidron for a day of entertainment and education on Saturday, July 11, between 10 and 4 pm for the Lehman’s Local Artisan Festival. It’s free family fun that’s close to home.
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By Allison Ervin, writer, age 10

So you’re in Amish country, looking for something fun to do. Here are some of the great things that I enjoyed when I visited Wayne and Holmes County recently. A good way to start your day in Amish country is by visiting the store Lehman’s, in Kidron. There’s lots of unique and fun things you can buy there that are sure to brighten up any day. If you are a child, or have children with you, there’s a huge toy selection and there are toys you can play with. Lots of their products are non-electric and eco-friendly like their wood burning stoves. The store is very big, which means there is a lot you can look at. You will see many things you thought weren’t made any more.

After you leave Lehman’s, head up the road to the store P. Graham Dunn in Dalton, where they make
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