Amish Farming - A Lesson for Longevity

"Amish society emphasizes informal learning- through doing, a life of goodness, rather than a life of intellect; wisdom, rather than technical knowledge; community welfare, rather than competition; and separation, rather than integration with contemporary worldly society." 
-Chief Justice Warren Burger.

It's hard to believe this astute observation came from the highest court in the land.
In 1972 they ruled that the Amish and related groups could limit formal education to the 8th grade.
How could the dominating  society the Amish lived under emphasizing high technology have any chance to survive?
Well, 45 years later pretty well thank you very much.
Spurning the obsession American farmer have with the latest technology at any cost Amish farms still make money.
This is even more amazing considering they don't participate in any government subsidies other than the market prices that are sometimes supported overall.
The reason?  The Amish refuse to receive and government benefits for any reason and therefore don't pay any taxes.
Not only are the "old ways" of farming being recognized for economic reasons there are many personal benefits to the
Here's an insightful quote from Sue Bender, who lived with the Amish and wrote a book entitled "Plain and Simple: A woman's Journey to the Amish".
The Amish prefer farming as a vocation over all others. They see all work as important and of value and they honor what she calls the process and the product. "What I saw among the Amish was the amazing amount of energy available to people who get pleasure from what they are doing and find meaning in the work itself. But they are practical people who want that can of beans at the end of the day and the sixty jars of relish. For them it's all connected."
They honor all work so there is no need to rush to get one thing over so you can move on to more important work. "The Amish understand that it's not rushing through tasks to achieve a series of goals that is satisfying; its experiencing each moment along the way."
They celebrate the "ordinary". Every day events give life its stability and its framework.
We recognize the freedom of choice expressed by the Amish in our featured opening in our most recent Lancaster PA video.

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