The Amish Market Square

The Amish are unlike any other group in the United States. As the world progresses, the Amish are reluctant to adopt any advancements in modern technology. They are known for simple living, close-knit communities, and being deeply religious. They have strong values and don’t easily sway from their beliefs, which are hundreds of years old. Most Americans would barely be able to last one day with an Amish lifestyle, since we spend most of our day staring at a screen. Quentin Fottrell from MarketWatch estimated that American adults spend over eleven hours per day using some sort of media. Looking at the Amish from the outside world is very fascinating because it is so foreign to us. We tend to think they are still living in the past because while the rest of world revolves around technology, the Amish refuse to conform to this way of life.

Minnesota is one of the few states that is home to the Amish people. Many Amish communities settle in North Eastern states, with Pennsylvania being the most popular. According to Amish America, over the last four decades, the population of Amish people in Minnesota has risen to more than 3,000 and is steadily growing. The number of Amish in America continues to rise because they tend to have many kids to maximize the amount of working hands on their farms. The Amish are very family oriented and spend most of their days with each other from birth to their elder years. St. Charles is one of the largest Amish communities in Minnesota and has Amish markets and restaurants that non-Amish people can visit. Recently, my roommate and I visited the Amish Market Square in St. Charles. Before we went, I pictured it to be an old, raggedy house in the middle of the country. To my surprise, the market was located immediately off of the highway. As I exited the highway and pulled into the parking lot, I thought I may have been at the wrong place. One building was small and made of brick, with a sign that read Amish Ovens Restaurant, and the other was a red barn that read Amish Market. In the middle of the two buildings was a gas station, which was shocking to me since the Amish don’t normally use automobiles. My perception of the Amish Market was already not what I had expected, so I couldn’t imagine the surprises that were waiting for me inside.

The Amish Market Square consists of a restaurant, market, bakery, and gas station. What surprised me was that it looked more modern than I was expecting, and was situated right off of a busy highway, but I learned that this is due to Amish workers being forced to abandon some of their normal jobs, like farming, because of the increased cost of land. “Some Amish men now work in construction, and the women sometimes run restaurants, advertising ‘Amish style’ cooking,” according to Allison Foley, writer of the journal, The Amish. It’s common for people to think that the Amish have a traditional and even old-fashioned lifestyle, which is fairly true, but it is becoming much harder for the Amish to keep this lifestyle as the world around them continues to advance.

Walking up to the door you could already smell fresh baked pies and pastries coming from the kitchen. The smell reminded me of my grandma’s house, as well as the look of the inside. There were about a dozen, wooden kitchen tables and booths, draped with pastel, checkered tablecloths. The restaurant was small and cozy, it was exactly how you’d expect an Amish home to look. A variety of pies and Amish desserts were on display, with homemade jams and spreads on shelves behind them. A woman who didn’t appear to be Amish stood behind the counter with a warm smile on her face. She escorted us to a table, where my roommate and I both enjoyed a cup of Amish Corn Rival soup. The Amish Corn Rival soup took me back to my grandma’s home-cooked meals. It was a warm and comforting corn-based soup with dumplings floating on top. It was the perfect meal for a freezing February day.

On the other side of the restaurant was a market selling handmade blankets and cloths, candles, games, hand-carved decorations, stained glass art, and other Amish goods. These items were beautifully made and so interesting to look at. No two pieces were the same, because each one is handmade. They are made with love, thought, and delicate details. Although, the market also sold local items you can find at Target, like J.R. Watkins soaps and lotions. On the wall there was a television broadcasting the news and a computer cash register to pay for your food and items from the market. From what I had gathered, the Amish Market Square wasn’t entirely Amish. The woman who served us answered a few of our questions and said they acquire their recipes and Amish goods from nearby families and communities, but also sell non-Amish items.

The Amish live by firm set of Christian rules and regulations, with most of their teachings coming from the Bible. These teachings are not often updated, so they live with the same values and customs their ancestors did. “They believe worldliness can keep them from being close to God, and can introduce influences that could be destructive to their communities and to their way of life,” it says in The Amish Way of Life and Culture by Kathryn Bax. They are so deeply rooted in their values that most Amish people still speak Pennsylvania Dutch or German, even though they are born and raised in America. The Amish are very family centered and don’t often have less than five children. Children often stop schooling after eight years and start their careers right away. Men are expected to become farmers, and women are expected to be homemakers and mothers. The one thing about the Amish that sticks out most to non-Amish people is the black horse and carriage. The many times I have driven through St. Charles to get to and from home or school, I have seen an Amish man using this kind of transportation. They are often on a dirt road to the side of the highway, since their speeds are much slower. Ultimately, the black horse and carriage is known to be the most Amish part about Amish people.

The Amish Market Square may not have been the best choice if you are looking for authentic Amish goods, since the products weren’t solely Amish, and it wasn’t run by Amish people, but it gave me a taste of what their lifestyle is like. The Amish lifestyle is so foreign to us and almost seems absurd but taking a deeper look into the way they live, I realized the biggest difference is that they do more for themselves than we do, because we find everything we need online or at the store. Everything they do is homemade and handmade, and all of this is what make the Amish so fascinating. The Amish Market Square didn’t have the widest variety of Amish goods, but it was one of the most interesting places I’ve ever visited. It gave me a sense of what the Amish culture is really like, since we don’t have many opportunities see what their lifestyle is like in such depth. They have an extremely opposite lifestyle from most Americans, and it leaves us itching to know about a world that is so different from our own. Realizing that there are people who live differently from you is very important, and it is a wonderful thing when people take the time to submerge themselves into learning about other cultures.