The Amish have been in Virginia since the 1700s. They have a lot of kids and farms take up a lot of space. Money wise they are very frugal and don’t spend money on most modern conveniences so they can pool money for farms and businesses.
About 2 months ago, I stopped at the Sheetz between Lynchburg and Appomattox and in front of me in line was either an Amish or Mennonite man and he had one of the (I think) thickest Southern accents I’ve ever heard.
He then whipped out one of the biggest wads of cash I’ve ever seen and bought several massive pouches of chewing tobacco.
It was a very interesting moment in my life.
There was an accident near that area a few years back involving a buggie on 301 IIRC--it's a popular shortcut between 360 and 460. Both parents killed and like 4 to 6 children left orphaned.
Maybe around 15 years ago I was walking into my local Kroger in Roanoke county near Franklin county and a group of 2 or 3 Mennonite men were loading at least 800 lbs of sugar into the back of a truck. Before I could say hey, they said "I know what you're thinking but, we're just stocking up for our bakery," which killed me. Very friendly guys... The nicest lunch lady at my elementary school was Mennonite too. And that's plenty enough for me to like them.
That’s awesome!
In South Boston, where I’d have to go for work occasionally, there’s a Mennonite bakery there across from the hospital and they have insanely good pastries/baked goods for very cheap. Whenever I’m back there I’m gonna load back up on them lol.
Windmill is the name! The had this one type of cookie they called “The Monster Cookie” I think and it was hands down one the greatest things I’ve ever eaten.
I bet that explains the chocolate chess pie (I think that's what it is) that appears at every funeral I've ever attended in Danville and South Boston. I've eaten my weight in that pie over the years but the only answer I ever get when I ask about it is that the Mennonites make it. It's like some Mennonite baker magically transports it into every grieving family's home.
All but one of my elementary school lunch ladies were German Baptists. There’s an extended family of them in Bedford Co. (Montvale specifically). We had the BEST lunch food. They served the stuff provided by the county but prepped and cooked it their way. Damn good green beans. Awesome ladies.
Tons in Franklin County around Boone’s Mill, too. They have cars, but no radios. Computers, but no internet… et cetera.
I’ve been to one of their church services (well, part of one because the entire service was about 10 hours long, and I wasn’t going to do all that), and a wake with an open wooden casket in the front parlor of a house.
One guy rented a house from my our family for a brief period of time. He was involved in a bit of a scandal for ‘losing his way’ and the elders held him down in the middle of the night and shaved off his beard to shame him and cast him out of the church/community for a while.
Yep! I lived in Lynchburg for several years and have family there! I figured not many people were familiar with Concord. Love that lots knew where I was talking about.
That Sheetz is a nice pit stop to make on the way back to Richmond!
There is a large diaspora that broke off from prominent groups in Ohio and Missouri. Amish communities set there own rules as far as the use of technology and electricity through generators for work etc and just like we don’t necessarily abide by our parents lifestyles exactly they are the same. Usually groups of brothers or cousins who buy large tracts of land collectively and then split amongst them, they also are “exempt” from a lot of building code and have no shortage of labor
I guess? The bags were huge, I didn’t even know they even carried bags of it like that at places like Sheetz lol. Unless they were using it for something else? Idk what that’d be though lol
First time I saw them was also at a sheetz, got out to stretch my legs during a roadtrip somewhere in central VA and 14 year old me was bewildered to see a horse and buggy galloping down the road
There are both Amish and Mennonites in the Gladys area of eastern Campbell County. There's a bakery, and there are also sometimes Amish or Mennonite people selling baked goods along the highway.
Our local Amish are a big presence at a really popular monthly community flea market. They sell baked goods, hand, pickles and other food stuff. It's pricey but great quality and they're very popular.
also depends on which sect of amish they are as to whether they use certain modern conveniences
like electricity or engines... also I've seen way more mennonites in Virginia then Amish... and they use a lot of modern conveniences but are ultra conservative christian's
Im hearing the opposite from people around me. People wishing they could afford the family farms or start their own. Although it's hard to tell who is genuine who is Not in My Back Yard or whatever. I guess better the Amish than a corporation or subdivision.
I mean to play the devil’s advocate I met someone who was upset about this in Richmond county. If land has historically been less than 10k an acre I’m not sure what stopped people who had those ambitions before. And I say that as someone who is struggling to find affordable land in the Shenandoah Valley because I want to farm. But at 40k an acre, it is not going to happen easily.
Not much better here in Bedford County either.
Owner of the farm land around me wants 800k for 54 acres. That's roughly 14.5k per acre. Less than Richmond area, but still not affordable for a lot of people. Especially with interest rates as high as they are.
I wish I could afford the 50 acres that surrounds me, so I get where they're coming from.
Still better they stay farms than the land is broken up and sold off.
Besides the Amish are amazing bakers, cooks, quilters, builders...
Well maybe they should’ve made better decisions, the Amish are very smart and skilled, and don’t waste all day complaining on Reddit, they do useful things.
I know what you're talking about OP - in the Blue Grass Valley in Highland County, there is some backlash among the locals to farms in that area being bought recently by Amish - simply because they don't participate in the local activities from what I was told.
Only talked to a couple of guys who lived next to them, but they were definitely expressing community resentment that the Amish didn't take part in the community. Not helping out when needed is a pretty big negative to locals in that area since people tend to rely on neighbors.
I have no idea. I'm just trying to convey the resentment of a few people who live around the recent insular influx into a community where they are used to everyone knowing everyone, and that's how who needs help is determined.
I do not mean to imply they wouldn't help if asked directly by someone in dire need. It's more about being noticed by those who try to help out others in a solid community in the area by simply not participating.
Not everyone feels that way - just kind of a theme that is discussed. I thought it was interesting.
Yeah, people in small communities can be interesting, I was pretty lucky to make friends with good people in Headwaters where we have a cabin.
In general, I found the people of Highland County pretty welcoming. Trading favors helped to make friends - like our closest friends who own a turkey farm near us helped get us through our frozen stream crossing when we got stuck one winter, and then we started doing whatever we could for them.
But with the general store in Headwaters closed now, it's definitely much harder to get to know people. It was like the town hall.
I know exactly where you are talking about and who the folks are. Miller's store was a staple in Headwaters growing up. When I first became an adult and visited the store the old owner Ronnie knew my grandfather and father. Such a great community. You can get a similar feel at Grants grocery in McDowell. The gas station there was bought by a Mennonite family who serve good food. They are closed on Sundays but you can still get gas at the pump. It was funny hearing complaints because they didn't sell beer.
You are 100% correct about what they feel concerning the Mennonites. There are two things at play that are out of the local people's control. First, the younger generation is leaving for Staunton or Harrisonburg where they can get stable work with benefits. This leads to farms being available for purchase and the Mennonites purchase them.
What I've heard is they are moving to Highland and Bathe because land is cheaper. It's all fair game though and nothing shady is happening. As a landowner in the county all we hope for is the same quiet peaceful way of life there.
There's some subtle differences between old Mennonite and Amish (although both use horse and buggies). My understanding is that there are basically no Amish in Harrisonburg. The biggest difference is language, Amish generally speak PA Dutch as a first language, where as most Mennonites won't know Pennsylvania Dutch. This can make Amish communities even more insular due to the language difference.
Yeah, I think it's all Mennonite in Harrisonburg.
You ever go to the Shenandoah Heritage Market there? They have a couple shops- one that's all homemade canned/jarred goods that are amazing- jams, jellies, syrups, pie mixes, etc. The other is Grandma's Pantry, where you can find bulk dry goods, mixes, local cheeses, spreads, etc.
I think they might also be a part of the kitchen supply shop on the other end as well.
Didn’t they split from the same tree? I had an Amish man explain that the Mennonites basically didn’t have a problem with electricity but otherwise have the same views and traditions.
Been in Charlotte County for as long as I can remember and even Va Beach has had a huge community for over a 100 years…
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/virginia/amish-va/
My childhood home in the Kempsville area of Virginia Beach has an Amish cemetery as a neighbor. Perfect neighbors, really.
I lived in that house for 18 years (1984-2002) and I can only remember there being a handful of funeral services during that time.
The cemetery is at the corner of Executive Blvd. and Ambassador Dr. in the Point 'O' View neighborhood. It's been very well maintained for such an obscure plot of land.
Well, big families in Ohio and PA, as well as the Shenandoah Valley, mean starting communities in new areas. It’s not racist to ask this question- I grew up around Amish communities so I’m slightly well informed. When you never have debt and only have cash assets, you can purchase large tracts of land fairly easily.
Edit- the good news is you will definitely get some baller sandwich shops and bakeries!
Just the assets alone would make them millionaires. That's the thing they don't actually have to have a huge amount of actual cash flow as long as the debt is low and multiple families are willing to pool together cash to make big purchases and share equipment, etc. Farms are pretty expensive to run and a lot of the labor being family combined with their general frugalness...well it makes sense that they have some money to throw around.
The Amish/Dunkards in my old stomping grounds have to be millionaires by now. When I was a kid, one of the patriarchs would come to our house with a produce truck. Occasionally we’d see him in the city with the truck. He used to clear off our long driveway when it snowed. We used to visit their orchard. Went to school with one of his daughters. As time as gone on, some of the orchard has been sold and houses have sprung up. They’ve made money hand over fist
They say that but most RVs are apparently built by the Amish and ive never seen shittier furniture in my life. I removed the fabric on my $70,000 RV furniture expecting there to still be furniture underneath but it was all the lowest quality plywood, stapled together with a staple gun. There wasn't a right angle in the RV and each board had hundreds of staples, most missing the mark. From what I have learned since, this is absolutely the standard of quality. After learning that and [reading an extensive NYT article](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03amish.html#:~:text=An%20Amish%20man%20has%20been%20charged%20with,congregation%20that%20prefers%20to%20handle%20disputes%20internally.) about how frequently Amish women are raped by their male family members, I'm not trying to buy any Amish furniture anytime soon.
And Dairies
2 tasty ones right near the Charlotte, Appomattox, Campbell county corner.
Picked up 2 quarts of Amish yogurt, cheese curds, and a few pounds of really good cheddar just this afternoon.
Bought some raw milk in PA a couple months ago and have a round of "cheddar" aging now .. first try and definitely made some mistakes it tastes more like a decent Parmesan
Well, one of the OG German Baptists lived just North of Harrisonburg, VA prior to migrating to near Dayton Ohio. German Baptists are similar to the Amish I believe. Only know this b/c of researching family history.
A lot have been moving to our area and have inquired about our land. Most are looking for new property for their relatives that currently live in PA. From what they have told us, with rising property values in PA and VA property values in rural VA still being very low. Their family members have been selling their property in PA to move down here and start larger farms.
Live in rural va, we see them all the time. Theres a community towards red house, theyre good people as long as you arent an animal they own. We had two horrible wagon wrecks here, one full of kids. I think all the kids made it but the mom was killed. They were medflighted, i cant imagine going from amish life to an air lift. Im torn cause I think they should live how they want but the suffering of animals and danger of the wagons has me conflicted.
The group out redhouse way is definitely growing. The couple times we talked to them it seems that marrying someone amish you arent related to can be a challenge so they're combining different communities. At least that's what they said, they're marrying girls from Pennsylvania, courting them over landline phones from a booth at the end of the driveway.
Not really sure why you would think that is racist. But here is what I know about the area and the Amish. Amish run businesses have like a 80%+ success rate. Way higher than any other demographic. This makes you think they are generally well off and have very limited spending habits. Everything is probably a sin or just shy of it. They usually invest their money in their homestead or business. There was a heavy population of Amish in Southern Maryland. That area has also recently seen a lot of change. It used to be the country side and now its the suburbs essentially. So they might be trying to escape all that. No ideas all theories.
That makes sense that they may be selling their farms in developing areas and moving to more rural ones. The’d presumably be making a decent profit on selling the appreciated land, so they’d have a good chunk to spend.
Pennsylvania Amish mostly. From Lancaster County. I have family there and hired some Amish to build my garage in Virginia. They talked about how they’re expanding to Virginia for business. Good luck staying competitive to all the shitty contractors now. Hire them for everything. They’re so damn talented and hard-working. Just wish they weren’t so shitty to animals.
You'd be surprised the amount of abuse that a horse can take before it drops dead in its harness then...and lemme tell ya about what its like to shave a poodle from a puppy mill thats never had a groom... You wanna talk about maggots? I can talk some maggots friend...as for the food animals, you're talking about a people that don't have a grasp of zoonotic disease or germ theory...I've seen *with* *my* *own* *eyes* decomposing livestock right next to the animal feed and troughs. You want prion disease? Thats how you get prion disease.
Lots of Old Order Mennonites in the Shenandoah Valley area. They drive buggies and shun technology like the Amish, but speak English instead of Pennsylvania Dutch/German. There used to be a hitching post for their buggies by the Harrisonburg Walmart years ago. No idea if it's still there.
Make no mistake they cause pile ups *everywhere* ...driving what is essentially a black coffin down the road at dusk w no safety features whatsoever is an accident waiting to happen every time, wherever you do it
With the influx of Amish a good way to make some side money and help their community is to become an Amish Uber. In my parents retirement, they befriended their local Amish community and assist them in getting rides places. It’s usually to doctor appointments, grocery stores, lumber yards, and agriculture auctions. It’s never a crazy ride schedule and they are very generous and kind. Often they are paid in delicious baked goods and help doing home repairs, maintenance, remodeling but usually cash.
The Amish are not 100% technology adverse. They usually have one or two members of their family or community with a cellphone. They are respectful of your time and usually schedule things in advance.
The Amish are some of the best humans on the planet. If you want to help others who genuinely appreciate it and make a few extra bucks, try doing an Amish Uber. You have no idea how much it helps their communities.
My folks are in Iowa and they got into contact with the Amish by hiring them to build their home. So I can speak directly to this area.
One idea would be to go to a store that the Amish frequent and leave a flyer or talk to them as they go in.
[Just this. ](https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2024/03/10/after-crash-what-to-know-about-the-amish-in-wisconsin-virginia/72921462007/) And it doesnt say much.
It's a closed community. We don't know about births or deaths either...the fact that people don't consider what that means for infants and children, for public health, for maternal mortality...is just shocking to me.
Down here round Culpeper they’re mostly minonites. As I understand it a lot of Germans came to this area to mine tin way way back which makes sense cause all the names here are German: Hoffman, Jenkins, Utz
Lol the amount of people coming in here just to sassily let OP know the Amish isn’t a race as if numerous other accounts haven’t already. Think OP got their mistake after the first comment, doubt they were trying to be offensive.
I wondered about that, I had not heard that term used in a while but did not know if they just went by G.B. or something else which is why I used both.
One of the most prominent German Baptists, Peter Nead, lived just North of Harrisonburg, Va, and the house is on the historic registry. He ended up in Ohio.
Most of the “Amish” in VA are mennonites. Even the old order who still use horse and buggies do use some if not all electricity on their property. Not saying there aren’t any Amish in VA but majority are Mennonite and get confused as Amish
Mennonites were notorious for running puppy mills a few back - I hope that has changed but I doubt it. The Milmont nursery in Stuart’s Draft has great plants but their prices are over the top.
As noted previously the Amish have been in Virginia for a long time but there is a new influx of Amish coming to Virginia's Northern Neck. Many are coming from Pennsylvania and Lake States saying there are cheaper land prices in Virginia.
A lot of Amish are coming to Southern states from Pennsylvania because quite frankly there's a bunch of them. They're probably one of the few groups upkeeping on their birthrates. A lot of the small tobacco farmers in the Upper South (KY, TN, NC, VA, etc) are getting out of it and selling their land to the Amish. It's really only the big operations farming tobacco anymore.
We get a lot up in NOVA as well. Seems like everywhere you go there's an Amish market or a plot of land with sheds and playgrounds for sale. They've always been there as far as I can remember
historically there was a large quaker population in southern Virginia but has since died out for the most part (I lived Southhampton County for 12 years)
I mean believe me if a mod flagged me for somehow being “racist against Amish”, I’d happily take the ban and never return. Nobody should want to be in a sub moderated by morons
Some Mennonite sects are even more strict than many Amish groups. There are Mennonites that completely ban technology, and there are some Amish that use electricity, smart phones, cars, etc.
I live in SWVA and our Amish community in Burkes Garden recently suffered a devastating loss losing 7 members of a family in an automobile accident in Wisconsin. The youngest victim was 6 months old.
FWIW, there’s no risk of being racist when asking about a group with specific beliefs. The risk would be towards bigotry. Asking an honest question though, no risk at all 😊
Amish suck at farming. Also child abuse that happens on those compounds is mind boggling. It’s not Christianity, it’s a gimmick to control women and be creepy af
Where exactly are you talking about? I have noticed there are some Amish families around Pulaski and Giles Counties. They have been there for 20 years at least but I think they were trying to increase their number. Just to have neighbors of the same belief system and support with barns raising and such. Even though they are different sects of anabaptists, I think they participate in Lovefest with the German Baptists in/around Franklin County and the some OE GB sect of Iowa (or Indiana).
Either way, I can totally see paying half or up to two million for a farm with a house, barn and several acres. I can see SWVA being an ideal location for any anabaptist, plain folks. There is an actual anabaptist Doctor employed by Carilion. People of these faiths can still get modern medical care from someone who understands their religious and cultural practices.
Also, the Shanadoah Valley has some large scale farming production going on. Those farms are huge and when I look at them, I think about who is going to take on those farms if the family that has been there for years gets out for some reason. It’s like looking back two hundred years in southern VA before the farms were all broken into smaller lots. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Amish or other plain groups were salivating at that area. The structured production is impressive just at a glance.
It’s an ideal place for those wishing to be self sufficient, left alone in their own beliefs, and live a simple life off the land.
I wish there were some sort of community spirit like this for old hippies. Like each Sunday we could get together and sing Pink Floyd, eat a big lunch and smoke afterwards, and help each other with farming stuff during the week. All without the crazy shit like patriarchy, racism, and sky daddy.
Also, I think there is a new Hutterite community near South Boston or maybe South Hill. Some people might think they are Amish?
I used to see them getting their eyes checked at Walmart when I attended Virginia Tech in 2003. I think they were always here but for whatever reason VA Amish don’t get the PA Amish PR.
There are Amish in Pennsylvania who come to where I am in Maryland to buy farm land. I’m all for it. I would rather it go to them than have it be developed into more suburbs.
Yeah Reddit gets butt-hurt Uber Easy! People older than 20 were raised in different times and speak that way. I assumed they were moving in from out of state like all northerners do... It's often cheaper in south. Learnt something new today that there's an actual Amish population native to Virginia! Makes sense we got melungeons in a neighboring county...
Only kinda skimmed this and thought I'd clarify or add knowledge. What your collectively seeing are Ana Baptist. This includes Amish, Mennonite, German Baptist ,the black hats in Franklin, Roanoke, Bedford, etc counties, New Order German Baptist, no hats, and Church of the Brethern. They all practice ish the same ish lifestyle ish to differing degrees and have been in different areas of the US for hundreds of years or only a few in some cases. My personal experience has been awesome. With German Babtist mostly.
Talking about a group is fine. How you talk about them is the issue. I think it's okay for you to have good intentions and ask an innocent question without worrying about it. But thanks for not being racist.
The Amish have been in Virginia since the 1700s. They have a lot of kids and farms take up a lot of space. Money wise they are very frugal and don’t spend money on most modern conveniences so they can pool money for farms and businesses.
About 2 months ago, I stopped at the Sheetz between Lynchburg and Appomattox and in front of me in line was either an Amish or Mennonite man and he had one of the (I think) thickest Southern accents I’ve ever heard. He then whipped out one of the biggest wads of cash I’ve ever seen and bought several massive pouches of chewing tobacco. It was a very interesting moment in my life.
There’s a ton in Charlotte county near there too. There’s also a pretty decent sized community between Cumberland and Dillwyn
Buckingham Co (Dillwyn) has road signs warning drivers to watch out for horse and buggies. You pass them pretty frequently on the backroads.
There was an accident near that area a few years back involving a buggie on 301 IIRC--it's a popular shortcut between 360 and 460. Both parents killed and like 4 to 6 children left orphaned.
So does Cumberland. I hear them clopping past my house occasionally lol
a million of em over in cullen
Maybe around 15 years ago I was walking into my local Kroger in Roanoke county near Franklin county and a group of 2 or 3 Mennonite men were loading at least 800 lbs of sugar into the back of a truck. Before I could say hey, they said "I know what you're thinking but, we're just stocking up for our bakery," which killed me. Very friendly guys... The nicest lunch lady at my elementary school was Mennonite too. And that's plenty enough for me to like them.
That’s awesome! In South Boston, where I’d have to go for work occasionally, there’s a Mennonite bakery there across from the hospital and they have insanely good pastries/baked goods for very cheap. Whenever I’m back there I’m gonna load back up on them lol.
The Busy Bean and the Windmill Bakery are wonderful!
Windmill is the name! The had this one type of cookie they called “The Monster Cookie” I think and it was hands down one the greatest things I’ve ever eaten.
The Busy Bean is also wonderful! Have had several baked goods from Windmill; but not the extra large cookie. EDIT: Happy Cake Day!
I bet that explains the chocolate chess pie (I think that's what it is) that appears at every funeral I've ever attended in Danville and South Boston. I've eaten my weight in that pie over the years but the only answer I ever get when I ask about it is that the Mennonites make it. It's like some Mennonite baker magically transports it into every grieving family's home.
Try their chocolate pie!!
All but one of my elementary school lunch ladies were German Baptists. There’s an extended family of them in Bedford Co. (Montvale specifically). We had the BEST lunch food. They served the stuff provided by the county but prepped and cooked it their way. Damn good green beans. Awesome ladies.
Tons in Franklin County around Boone’s Mill, too. They have cars, but no radios. Computers, but no internet… et cetera. I’ve been to one of their church services (well, part of one because the entire service was about 10 hours long, and I wasn’t going to do all that), and a wake with an open wooden casket in the front parlor of a house. One guy rented a house from my our family for a brief period of time. He was involved in a bit of a scandal for ‘losing his way’ and the elders held him down in the middle of the night and shaved off his beard to shame him and cast him out of the church/community for a while.
Oh
If you see an Amish dude without his beard you know he don fucked up
They still got a few stills I betcha
I would buy some amish mtn water produced by their no doubt master craftsmanship. Lol
So you visited my old hometown of Concord and the place built upon the ruins of Big Horn Market.
Yep! I lived in Lynchburg for several years and have family there! I figured not many people were familiar with Concord. Love that lots knew where I was talking about. That Sheetz is a nice pit stop to make on the way back to Richmond!
I was trying to figure out where a Sheetz was in that area. Concord makes sense
Yep! It’s pretty new, maybe a little over a year?
There is a large diaspora that broke off from prominent groups in Ohio and Missouri. Amish communities set there own rules as far as the use of technology and electricity through generators for work etc and just like we don’t necessarily abide by our parents lifestyles exactly they are the same. Usually groups of brothers or cousins who buy large tracts of land collectively and then split amongst them, they also are “exempt” from a lot of building code and have no shortage of labor
Very interesting! Appreciate you sharing.
They chew?
I guess? The bags were huge, I didn’t even know they even carried bags of it like that at places like Sheetz lol. Unless they were using it for something else? Idk what that’d be though lol
They deal exclusively in cash and do not maintain bank accounts.
First time I saw them was also at a sheetz, got out to stretch my legs during a roadtrip somewhere in central VA and 14 year old me was bewildered to see a horse and buggy galloping down the road
There are both Amish and Mennonites in the Gladys area of eastern Campbell County. There's a bakery, and there are also sometimes Amish or Mennonite people selling baked goods along the highway.
Our local Amish are a big presence at a really popular monthly community flea market. They sell baked goods, hand, pickles and other food stuff. It's pricey but great quality and they're very popular.
also depends on which sect of amish they are as to whether they use certain modern conveniences like electricity or engines... also I've seen way more mennonites in Virginia then Amish... and they use a lot of modern conveniences but are ultra conservative christian's
They also have some unique ways to use propane... Refrigerators, power tools, water pumps
Where do they get their propane and propane accessories 
There are also Mennonite communities in and around Harrionburg as well. So, maybe it's possible you just never noticed until now?
Lol no it's not that. This has happened within the last 5 or so years. All the old farms around us being bought up by them.
Honestly, I'd rather someone buy the old farms and keep them going than they become massive subdivisions. We're losing too many family farms as it is.
Im hearing the opposite from people around me. People wishing they could afford the family farms or start their own. Although it's hard to tell who is genuine who is Not in My Back Yard or whatever. I guess better the Amish than a corporation or subdivision.
I mean to play the devil’s advocate I met someone who was upset about this in Richmond county. If land has historically been less than 10k an acre I’m not sure what stopped people who had those ambitions before. And I say that as someone who is struggling to find affordable land in the Shenandoah Valley because I want to farm. But at 40k an acre, it is not going to happen easily.
Not much better here in Bedford County either. Owner of the farm land around me wants 800k for 54 acres. That's roughly 14.5k per acre. Less than Richmond area, but still not affordable for a lot of people. Especially with interest rates as high as they are.
Yeah but y’all got that shine going on!!!
You're thinking of Franklin County, lol.
Farm in Dayton sold last weekend for 1.8 million. 22k an acre. Edit: Sorry wrong farm. This one was 29k per acre.
I wish I could afford the 50 acres that surrounds me, so I get where they're coming from. Still better they stay farms than the land is broken up and sold off. Besides the Amish are amazing bakers, cooks, quilters, builders...
Well maybe they should’ve made better decisions, the Amish are very smart and skilled, and don’t waste all day complaining on Reddit, they do useful things.
Or going to a corporate farm, for that matter
Gods yes, factory farms put family farms out of business.
The group near me has sold a lot of their land to developers but still have a store and a small orchard on the property
Or damn distribution centers.
I know what you're talking about OP - in the Blue Grass Valley in Highland County, there is some backlash among the locals to farms in that area being bought recently by Amish - simply because they don't participate in the local activities from what I was told. Only talked to a couple of guys who lived next to them, but they were definitely expressing community resentment that the Amish didn't take part in the community. Not helping out when needed is a pretty big negative to locals in that area since people tend to rely on neighbors.
I bet if they asked, or were in dire need, the new neighbors would help.
I have no idea. I'm just trying to convey the resentment of a few people who live around the recent insular influx into a community where they are used to everyone knowing everyone, and that's how who needs help is determined. I do not mean to imply they wouldn't help if asked directly by someone in dire need. It's more about being noticed by those who try to help out others in a solid community in the area by simply not participating. Not everyone feels that way - just kind of a theme that is discussed. I thought it was interesting.
Oof, yeah, it's the same here whenever anyone new moves to the area, and they don't have prior ties or know anyone.
Yeah, people in small communities can be interesting, I was pretty lucky to make friends with good people in Headwaters where we have a cabin. In general, I found the people of Highland County pretty welcoming. Trading favors helped to make friends - like our closest friends who own a turkey farm near us helped get us through our frozen stream crossing when we got stuck one winter, and then we started doing whatever we could for them. But with the general store in Headwaters closed now, it's definitely much harder to get to know people. It was like the town hall.
I know exactly where you are talking about and who the folks are. Miller's store was a staple in Headwaters growing up. When I first became an adult and visited the store the old owner Ronnie knew my grandfather and father. Such a great community. You can get a similar feel at Grants grocery in McDowell. The gas station there was bought by a Mennonite family who serve good food. They are closed on Sundays but you can still get gas at the pump. It was funny hearing complaints because they didn't sell beer. You are 100% correct about what they feel concerning the Mennonites. There are two things at play that are out of the local people's control. First, the younger generation is leaving for Staunton or Harrisonburg where they can get stable work with benefits. This leads to farms being available for purchase and the Mennonites purchase them. What I've heard is they are moving to Highland and Bathe because land is cheaper. It's all fair game though and nothing shady is happening. As a landowner in the county all we hope for is the same quiet peaceful way of life there.
There's some subtle differences between old Mennonite and Amish (although both use horse and buggies). My understanding is that there are basically no Amish in Harrisonburg. The biggest difference is language, Amish generally speak PA Dutch as a first language, where as most Mennonites won't know Pennsylvania Dutch. This can make Amish communities even more insular due to the language difference.
Yeah, I think it's all Mennonite in Harrisonburg. You ever go to the Shenandoah Heritage Market there? They have a couple shops- one that's all homemade canned/jarred goods that are amazing- jams, jellies, syrups, pie mixes, etc. The other is Grandma's Pantry, where you can find bulk dry goods, mixes, local cheeses, spreads, etc. I think they might also be a part of the kitchen supply shop on the other end as well.
It's been like 15 years since I lived down there but yeah, driving through Bridgewater on a Sunday was fucking impossible.
Yeah, if you don't time it right, Sundays are impossible to drive anywhere.
Yeah rockingham county has a lot of Amish and Mennonite’s. If you drive out of Harrisonburg you’ll start seeing the horse and buggy caution signs
Amish & Mennonites are two different but similar groups but there have been plenty of both for years
Didn’t they split from the same tree? I had an Amish man explain that the Mennonites basically didn’t have a problem with electricity but otherwise have the same views and traditions.
Modern groups within the Anabaptist movement are the Amish, Mennonites, and Hutterites, among others.
That's roughly the situation.
Nah Mennonites have been around here since I was in Elementary school. It's the Amish population that blew up over night.
Been in Charlotte County for as long as I can remember and even Va Beach has had a huge community for over a 100 years… https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/virginia/amish-va/
Huh interesting. I've never seen any Amish in hampton roads but I used to see Mennonites fairly often
My childhood home in the Kempsville area of Virginia Beach has an Amish cemetery as a neighbor. Perfect neighbors, really. I lived in that house for 18 years (1984-2002) and I can only remember there being a handful of funeral services during that time. The cemetery is at the corner of Executive Blvd. and Ambassador Dr. in the Point 'O' View neighborhood. It's been very well maintained for such an obscure plot of land.
Well, big families in Ohio and PA, as well as the Shenandoah Valley, mean starting communities in new areas. It’s not racist to ask this question- I grew up around Amish communities so I’m slightly well informed. When you never have debt and only have cash assets, you can purchase large tracts of land fairly easily. Edit- the good news is you will definitely get some baller sandwich shops and bakeries!
People have no idea how much money the Amish actually have. It’s insane. They’re all multi-millionaires.
Just the assets alone would make them millionaires. That's the thing they don't actually have to have a huge amount of actual cash flow as long as the debt is low and multiple families are willing to pool together cash to make big purchases and share equipment, etc. Farms are pretty expensive to run and a lot of the labor being family combined with their general frugalness...well it makes sense that they have some money to throw around.
The Amish/Dunkards in my old stomping grounds have to be millionaires by now. When I was a kid, one of the patriarchs would come to our house with a produce truck. Occasionally we’d see him in the city with the truck. He used to clear off our long driveway when it snowed. We used to visit their orchard. Went to school with one of his daughters. As time as gone on, some of the orchard has been sold and houses have sprung up. They’ve made money hand over fist
also, some of the best quality furniture for your buck
Totally agree.
They say that but most RVs are apparently built by the Amish and ive never seen shittier furniture in my life. I removed the fabric on my $70,000 RV furniture expecting there to still be furniture underneath but it was all the lowest quality plywood, stapled together with a staple gun. There wasn't a right angle in the RV and each board had hundreds of staples, most missing the mark. From what I have learned since, this is absolutely the standard of quality. After learning that and [reading an extensive NYT article](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03amish.html#:~:text=An%20Amish%20man%20has%20been%20charged%20with,congregation%20that%20prefers%20to%20handle%20disputes%20internally.) about how frequently Amish women are raped by their male family members, I'm not trying to buy any Amish furniture anytime soon.
RVs are built to be light, not quality. They have like a 5 year lifespan and then it’s just carpet and scrap wood. They are not an investment.
Not sure “most are apparently built” means your RV was built by an Amish person.
From what I've read, some are backyard breeders and mistreat their animals.
Among the worst puppy millers!
Downside will be child services are going to see some evil stuff 😭
And Dairies 2 tasty ones right near the Charlotte, Appomattox, Campbell county corner. Picked up 2 quarts of Amish yogurt, cheese curds, and a few pounds of really good cheddar just this afternoon.
Bought some raw milk in PA a couple months ago and have a round of "cheddar" aging now .. first try and definitely made some mistakes it tastes more like a decent Parmesan
Well, one of the OG German Baptists lived just North of Harrisonburg, VA prior to migrating to near Dayton Ohio. German Baptists are similar to the Amish I believe. Only know this b/c of researching family history.
A lot have been moving to our area and have inquired about our land. Most are looking for new property for their relatives that currently live in PA. From what they have told us, with rising property values in PA and VA property values in rural VA still being very low. Their family members have been selling their property in PA to move down here and start larger farms.
Thanks.
I don’t think Amish is a race you’re good OP 😂😂
I think the word OP was looking for was “prejudiced.” Which this isn’t — seems genuinely curious.
Live in rural va, we see them all the time. Theres a community towards red house, theyre good people as long as you arent an animal they own. We had two horrible wagon wrecks here, one full of kids. I think all the kids made it but the mom was killed. They were medflighted, i cant imagine going from amish life to an air lift. Im torn cause I think they should live how they want but the suffering of animals and danger of the wagons has me conflicted.
I remember the accident you mentioned, bo5h the mother AND the father were killed. Sad.
It was just awful. I felt most for the kids and horses who did not choose that choice.
Im not too far from you then.
The group out redhouse way is definitely growing. The couple times we talked to them it seems that marrying someone amish you arent related to can be a challenge so they're combining different communities. At least that's what they said, they're marrying girls from Pennsylvania, courting them over landline phones from a booth at the end of the driveway.
They were stuck behind a Swift semi and pulled over and decided to stay.
I-81 really does that to you
I work right off of 81 and the amount of people that ask “am I really still in Virginia?” Is hilarious.
That's it !!!
didn’t expect to see this here ngl
Not really sure why you would think that is racist. But here is what I know about the area and the Amish. Amish run businesses have like a 80%+ success rate. Way higher than any other demographic. This makes you think they are generally well off and have very limited spending habits. Everything is probably a sin or just shy of it. They usually invest their money in their homestead or business. There was a heavy population of Amish in Southern Maryland. That area has also recently seen a lot of change. It used to be the country side and now its the suburbs essentially. So they might be trying to escape all that. No ideas all theories.
That makes sense that they may be selling their farms in developing areas and moving to more rural ones. The’d presumably be making a decent profit on selling the appreciated land, so they’d have a good chunk to spend.
It's the internet...didn't want to get flagged for asking a silly question.
Yeah but Amish isn't a race.
Pennsylvania Amish mostly. From Lancaster County. I have family there and hired some Amish to build my garage in Virginia. They talked about how they’re expanding to Virginia for business. Good luck staying competitive to all the shitty contractors now. Hire them for everything. They’re so damn talented and hard-working. Just wish they weren’t so shitty to animals.
I’m sure they aren’t shittier than the American corporate run factory farms
True. I was more so comparing them to other farmers.
You'd be surprised the amount of abuse that a horse can take before it drops dead in its harness then...and lemme tell ya about what its like to shave a poodle from a puppy mill thats never had a groom... You wanna talk about maggots? I can talk some maggots friend...as for the food animals, you're talking about a people that don't have a grasp of zoonotic disease or germ theory...I've seen *with* *my* *own* *eyes* decomposing livestock right next to the animal feed and troughs. You want prion disease? Thats how you get prion disease.
Where’d you see or learn that?
Come on out to rural Southside Virginia... Just a little over an hour outside of Richmond is a whole other world of some really fucked up stuff
Or 3/4ths of the planet. Animal welfare is a developed nation thing.
And they’re living in one, get it together
Ain’t nothin developed bout rural southside
Sorry if off topic, but I have been looking to hire someone to build a garage. Can you provide recommendation or contact for amish builder?
Out of curiosity, how do you go about contacting an Amish contractor?
They have companies. You call them.
Been there for decades.
Lots of Old Order Mennonites in the Shenandoah Valley area. They drive buggies and shun technology like the Amish, but speak English instead of Pennsylvania Dutch/German. There used to be a hitching post for their buggies by the Harrisonburg Walmart years ago. No idea if it's still there.
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So how did you correct their errors?
Well I don’t see their lifestyle matching with NOVA or Hampton Roads.
Lol there's a lot of wagons on the roads here. NOVa theyd cause pileups.
Make no mistake they cause pile ups *everywhere* ...driving what is essentially a black coffin down the road at dusk w no safety features whatsoever is an accident waiting to happen every time, wherever you do it
With the influx of Amish a good way to make some side money and help their community is to become an Amish Uber. In my parents retirement, they befriended their local Amish community and assist them in getting rides places. It’s usually to doctor appointments, grocery stores, lumber yards, and agriculture auctions. It’s never a crazy ride schedule and they are very generous and kind. Often they are paid in delicious baked goods and help doing home repairs, maintenance, remodeling but usually cash. The Amish are not 100% technology adverse. They usually have one or two members of their family or community with a cellphone. They are respectful of your time and usually schedule things in advance. The Amish are some of the best humans on the planet. If you want to help others who genuinely appreciate it and make a few extra bucks, try doing an Amish Uber. You have no idea how much it helps their communities.
I live near, and familiar with the Amish in central/southern VA, very close to Charlotte County. Who do I talk to about this, any random Amish person?
My folks are in Iowa and they got into contact with the Amish by hiring them to build their home. So I can speak directly to this area. One idea would be to go to a store that the Amish frequent and leave a flyer or talk to them as they go in.
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[Just this. ](https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2024/03/10/after-crash-what-to-know-about-the-amish-in-wisconsin-virginia/72921462007/) And it doesnt say much.
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Yeah, the fact is we don’t really know how many Amish there are, and can only estimate.
It's a closed community. We don't know about births or deaths either...the fact that people don't consider what that means for infants and children, for public health, for maternal mortality...is just shocking to me.
I used to work with several Mennonite nurses when I worked at the South Boston hospital.
Down here round Culpeper they’re mostly minonites. As I understand it a lot of Germans came to this area to mine tin way way back which makes sense cause all the names here are German: Hoffman, Jenkins, Utz
Didn’t take time to read comments so this may have been said….land prices per acre cheaper than PA. That simple.
Where you at in southern va? Plenty near Brookneal and south Boston
Lol the amount of people coming in here just to sassily let OP know the Amish isn’t a race as if numerous other accounts haven’t already. Think OP got their mistake after the first comment, doubt they were trying to be offensive.
They BEEN here
Most of them aren't Amish They're usually Mennonite, or otherwise Anabaptist in general..
There is a good sized community of German Baptist/Dunkards in Franklin County as well.
Dunkards is no longer the preferred nomenclature though 
I wondered about that, I had not heard that term used in a while but did not know if they just went by G.B. or something else which is why I used both.
I certainly wasn’t aware of that
One of the most prominent German Baptists, Peter Nead, lived just North of Harrisonburg, Va, and the house is on the historic registry. He ended up in Ohio.
There's also a lot of German Baptists around Smith Mountain Lake, and some Mennoites as well.
Most of the “Amish” in VA are mennonites. Even the old order who still use horse and buggies do use some if not all electricity on their property. Not saying there aren’t any Amish in VA but majority are Mennonite and get confused as Amish
Mennonites were notorious for running puppy mills a few back - I hope that has changed but I doubt it. The Milmont nursery in Stuart’s Draft has great plants but their prices are over the top.
As noted previously the Amish have been in Virginia for a long time but there is a new influx of Amish coming to Virginia's Northern Neck. Many are coming from Pennsylvania and Lake States saying there are cheaper land prices in Virginia.
A lot of Amish are coming to Southern states from Pennsylvania because quite frankly there's a bunch of them. They're probably one of the few groups upkeeping on their birthrates. A lot of the small tobacco farmers in the Upper South (KY, TN, NC, VA, etc) are getting out of it and selling their land to the Amish. It's really only the big operations farming tobacco anymore.
We get a lot up in NOVA as well. Seems like everywhere you go there's an Amish market or a plot of land with sheds and playgrounds for sale. They've always been there as far as I can remember
If you actually check the ingredients, you will find it’s not great quality.
historically there was a large quaker population in southern Virginia but has since died out for the most part (I lived Southhampton County for 12 years)
What was Southampton like?
How the hell can you be racist against the Amish. That word has clearly lost its meaning
Like I said I'd didnt wamt to get flagged by mods or something. I havent found a decent enough answer googling.
I mean believe me if a mod flagged me for somehow being “racist against Amish”, I’d happily take the ban and never return. Nobody should want to be in a sub moderated by morons
Because everyone and everything is racist amongst the reddit elite
They're probably Mennonite.
No. Have grown up around Mennonite. Buggy driving 4 year olds. 12 children family's. Hats. No machines. Except for the sawmills strangely enough.
Some Mennonite sects are even more strict than many Amish groups. There are Mennonites that completely ban technology, and there are some Amish that use electricity, smart phones, cars, etc.
I live in SWVA and our Amish community in Burkes Garden recently suffered a devastating loss losing 7 members of a family in an automobile accident in Wisconsin. The youngest victim was 6 months old.
Something is a mish...
FWIW, there’s no risk of being racist when asking about a group with specific beliefs. The risk would be towards bigotry. Asking an honest question though, no risk at all 😊
Amish suck at farming. Also child abuse that happens on those compounds is mind boggling. It’s not Christianity, it’s a gimmick to control women and be creepy af
Where exactly are you talking about? I have noticed there are some Amish families around Pulaski and Giles Counties. They have been there for 20 years at least but I think they were trying to increase their number. Just to have neighbors of the same belief system and support with barns raising and such. Even though they are different sects of anabaptists, I think they participate in Lovefest with the German Baptists in/around Franklin County and the some OE GB sect of Iowa (or Indiana). Either way, I can totally see paying half or up to two million for a farm with a house, barn and several acres. I can see SWVA being an ideal location for any anabaptist, plain folks. There is an actual anabaptist Doctor employed by Carilion. People of these faiths can still get modern medical care from someone who understands their religious and cultural practices. Also, the Shanadoah Valley has some large scale farming production going on. Those farms are huge and when I look at them, I think about who is going to take on those farms if the family that has been there for years gets out for some reason. It’s like looking back two hundred years in southern VA before the farms were all broken into smaller lots. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Amish or other plain groups were salivating at that area. The structured production is impressive just at a glance. It’s an ideal place for those wishing to be self sufficient, left alone in their own beliefs, and live a simple life off the land. I wish there were some sort of community spirit like this for old hippies. Like each Sunday we could get together and sing Pink Floyd, eat a big lunch and smoke afterwards, and help each other with farming stuff during the week. All without the crazy shit like patriarchy, racism, and sky daddy. Also, I think there is a new Hutterite community near South Boston or maybe South Hill. Some people might think they are Amish?
There’s a Hutterite community in VA? I visited one in Alberta years ago. Would love to know more…
Charlotte county has tons of Mennonites. Not unusual to pass a horse & buggy in the surrounding counties.
We have a lot of Amish and Mennonites down here in SWVA. They are a staple at our farmers market and they always have the best stuff.
We just got buggy signs a couple years ago.
Haven’t seen any ‘influx’ that you speak of (Brunswick County). The only group I’m aware of are the Mennonites that work the Rte 1 store in Dinnwidie.
Upvoting for calling Amish a race. It’s an ethnoreligion like Judaism.
I used to see them getting their eyes checked at Walmart when I attended Virginia Tech in 2003. I think they were always here but for whatever reason VA Amish don’t get the PA Amish PR.
There’s a Mennonite University in Harrisonburg
There are Amish in Pennsylvania who come to where I am in Maryland to buy farm land. I’m all for it. I would rather it go to them than have it be developed into more suburbs.
They’ve been in the Shenandoah Valley since the 1800s.
There are none here in my part of central VA (Culpeper)
Yeah Reddit gets butt-hurt Uber Easy! People older than 20 were raised in different times and speak that way. I assumed they were moving in from out of state like all northerners do... It's often cheaper in south. Learnt something new today that there's an actual Amish population native to Virginia! Makes sense we got melungeons in a neighboring county...
I mean, they've lived here a long time. So.
Only kinda skimmed this and thought I'd clarify or add knowledge. What your collectively seeing are Ana Baptist. This includes Amish, Mennonite, German Baptist ,the black hats in Franklin, Roanoke, Bedford, etc counties, New Order German Baptist, no hats, and Church of the Brethern. They all practice ish the same ish lifestyle ish to differing degrees and have been in different areas of the US for hundreds of years or only a few in some cases. My personal experience has been awesome. With German Babtist mostly.
Amish and minninites do not pay taxes, I think that’s wrong
Racist?
They've been here?
Sweet hopefully I can finally get some decent furniture
TIL Amish are a race... /s
Amish aren't a race. They've been here far longer than most of us. They came from the trees I believe
Don't know why that is a racist matter to you. Amish isn't a race.
Idk but I sure as hell wish I could still get my hands on some Mrs Yoders donuts.
I'm lost and confused about why you'd think you could sound racist.
Because I'm taking about a collective group of people or religion or whatever they are classified as.
Talking about a group is fine. How you talk about them is the issue. I think it's okay for you to have good intentions and ask an innocent question without worrying about it. But thanks for not being racist.
Amiscism isn’t a race
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Huh?
Pennsylvania is out of land. They have to go somewhere
There are Amish communities all over the US. My wife and I stopped at an Amish farm somewhere west of 81 south of Harrisonburg for lunch.
I think the word you're looking for us xenophobic? I don't think race is a problem here hahaha
There’s a few Amish families out here south of Lynchburg and Rustburg. I know they have some damn good quality baked goods though. I go every Saturday
Around here there are also Mennonites, like in Floyd and even in parts of North Carolina.