Many people visit the Holmes County Amish villages, especially Berlin, Charm, Mount Hope and others. My husband and I are no different. We love to visit Berlin and the surrounding area several times a year. We have always had a fascination with the Amish way of life.
While this area may be the best-known Amish area in Ohio there are many others. In fact, Ohio has the second largest Amish population, only Pennsylvania has more. As well as Holmes County Amish populations are located in Geauga, Wayne, Tuscarawas, Coshocton, Hardin and Logan counties. There are also communities in Ashland, Stark and Knox, Medina, Adams, Union, Defiance, and Trumbull counties.
We enjoy just driving around the countryside where Amish communities are located. We love to see the animals in the field, and to see the horse drawn buggies, always being respectful of the fact that they are slower moving vehicles and have a right to the road also. We enjoy seeing the Amish farms, which employ the old ways using horses for ploughing and harvesting. You may see corn standing in shocks. We have seen Amish schools with children playing in the yards and Amish sawmills and furniture shops. A few years ago, we witnessed an Amish funeral. We had never seen so many buggies in one place before.
Many of these Amish farms have small businesses on their properties. From furniture sales, to baked good, and eggs. Some have larger shops that sell a little bit of everything. One such store is Country Variety and Bulk Food Store located at 6263 State Route 68, Bellefontaine Ohio 43311. I always check out the baked goods first. The Amish are well known for the baked good, bread, cookies, pies etc. I buy my herbs in bulk from this shop often. This shop also sells outdoor furniture and playsets for children. They sell deli meats and cheeses. They also sell a large variety of cast iron cookware, bulk flours, and pastas, and canned sauces. This shop is well worth the visit.
