Features

Come see what's going on in Amish Heartland  Read Story.

At first glance, the store is filled with shelves of white, nearly identical Amish head coverings. -- The key word is "nearly." Either an Amish woman or a person with a very discerning eye for pleats and creases will note the differences between the types of coverings found at The Cap Shack just outside Mount Eaton.  Read Story.

The sweet, creamy smell of cinnamon buns hangs above all the rustic home decor in Audrey's Attic and it seems even more like a home with three in-house cats that blend into the scenery. One particular fluffy orange cat named Blaze will walk across the checkout computer, marking a generous line of "f's" across the screen. Blaze is joined by his.  Read Story.

Rita Shisler is the second-generation owner of Shisler's Cheese House, begun in 1958 by her father-in law, John Shisler, she said, had a dream that the business "would be around for many generations, as a small family store, attracting the U.S. Route 30 travelers to a piece of good swiss cheese and a cold drink."  Read Story.

With 53 countries to choose from, it's not difficult for the Mennonite Central Committee to find somewhere to lend help. The devastating earthquakes that struck Haiti this year, however, have given MCC a new focal point for its ministry. "Haiti was one of our big ones this past year and although everyone was doing Haiti, we were quite involved with that.  Read Story.

Help from the locals isn't just reserved for the needy overseas. The Rainbow of Hope Foundation will take care of the local community with proceeds made from its 23rd auction at Mount Hope Auctions on July 24 and 25. Proceeds will aid families struggling to cover their children's medical expenses.  Read Story.

His desk (an ornate, cement picnic table) sits just below an overgrown shade tree between the greenhouse and his home. Excited birds muffle the din of nearby fast-passing traffic, providing a pleasant alternative to generic corporate Muzak. A painted-purple dinosaur guards one side of his "office" while a few other random statues scattered between the roots of the tree behind the.  Read Story.

As she points to items in her downtown Berlin store Harvest Moon, Cathy Coe can talk about many of the vendors who fill her store with handmade goods. Some have become close friends and others are much closer. Her husband, Dale, provides antique window mirrors and caramels sold at the front counter while her mother sells Amish dolls and crocheted doilies..  Read Story.

Find all there is to do in the Amish Heartland!  Read Story.

Elmer Yoder stays busy. He works 35 hours a week at a local leather shop in downtown Berlin; he keeps up with his chores at the house; he calls private auctions when he can; he frames and mats commissioned work; and he paints watercolor landscapes. It sounds like a lot of work for anyone, but especially so for 15-years-old.  Read Story.

Anywhere else, finding clothes for small breed dogs, country western decor, leather wares, custom-painted landscape wall-hangings and horse bits might not make a lot of sense. At Berlin Leather & Shoe at Shrock's Amish Farm, it all comes together. Store manager Firman Hershberger explained that when the store opened five years ago, inventory primarily spanned belts and tack for horses.  Read Story.

When Ole Mill Furniture opened 24 years ago, the Amish Heartland wasn't known for furniture yet. Now, with furniture shops in nearly every small town, the store stakes its claim in offering one-of-a-kind designs. Since owner Leon Mast started in the furniture industry in the mid-1980s, his role in the business has changed with the times.  Read Story.

Amish Heartland Contributor Before planting their gardens, flower and vegetable enthusiasts may want to check out the renovated The Greenhouse Shoppe on Cleveland Road, Wooster. With its large columns, the store's front closely resembles a southern-style plantation house, while its interior features wood trim and light fixtures similar to what customers might find in their own homes.  Read Story.

Find out upcoming events in the Amish Heartland  Read Story.

Traveling the back roads of the Holmes County Amish settlement, it's hard to miss the signs of a thriving entrepreneurial community. Long known for their skills on the farm, in recent years Amish have opened small businesses by the bushel, easily recognized by simple signs proclaiming "No Sunday Sales."  Read Story.

More than 1,800 buyers filled the Mount Hope auction barns in lat March at the annual exotic animal sale, which sold at least 3,500 caged animals, 900 sheep and goats and a large amount of livestock. "We had more people than usual for an April sale," said auction manager Thurman Mullet, commenting many sale attendees stayed for the entire weekend.  Read Story.

Making ice cream has been anything but plain vanilla for Keith and Bev Schloneger of Mt. Eaton, Ohio. Keith Schloneger worked as a logger in Wisconsin and a farmer there and in Ohio for a short while.  Read Story.

Mel Wacker Signs began with an adventurous spirit -- the kind of entrepreneurial gusto that concerned Bonnie Maier's mother, Jewel Wacker.  Read Story.

After 60 years of cheese making, Guiggisberg Cheese, Inc. will be celebrating a heritage of innovative craftsmanship and building community relationships this June. The company's headquarters lie on state Route 557 just three miles outside Charm.  Read Story.

Find things to do in the Amish Heartland.  Read Story.