♪ country music ♪ Good morning, guys. Here in Amish Country where farming is the backbone of life. So today we have the great privilege or more like it, sheer luck. of getting in with an Old Order Amish family. Just to be very clear this is not easy access to get into these situations but we're doing it. We're getting on a farm. So I'm gonna get out there in the fields and see what it's like and learn how they farm and how they live Amish style. ♪ country music ♪ Here we are out in the fields. Should I jump on? -Probably not, this one isn't that safe. -Oh, go on with the kids? -Yeah, we're gonna trade. -Okay. -Ho. That's one thing. See, they stopped.
They heard me say, "Ho." So Ivan, to get this straight Old Order Amish use a hybrid of technology and antiquated means like horses and whatnot, right? -So for this you do horses? -Yeah. -But you're gonna use a baler, right? -Yeah, we use the baler -Who makes that decision? Is that the church? -Yeah, probably elders of the church and the ministry. There's like 140 churches -Okay. -Like in this area. There's more than 140. There's a lot more than 140. -Okay. What's your name buddy? Okay, Kieth you probably
just go back and forth. Leave a space in the center because you probably
can't rake it together with that. It's only when dry. Come. Did you have a ride already? -First time. Do you like school? Not really?
I didn't either. You ever had a blackberry? -Yeah, I've had a blackberry. You got blackberry bushes here? -Yeah, there's some right along here. So your whole property,
everything is organic? -Mm-hmm. -How do you feel about that? Apart from making more money with organic. Do you feel better about doing organic or doesn't really matter? -I definitely do because of the chemicals. Now these are more sweet like a tart. Tart, sweet, tart... Okay, no. These don't have any bugs -So Ivan, could you
imagine living in a city? -I can't imagine. I cannot imagine because you wouldn't get to do this. -What does it look like to you living in Amish world when you look out you see the other parts of the country? What do you think of it? Or you're just in your own world you don't even notice? -Yeah, you notice that. I follow the news some and it's just I can't imagine the stress of just being... I mean what we have here is unbelievable. I mean there’s... Wherever there's people
there's gonna be problems. but it's still neat. The lifestyle we have and it's more laid back and in farming you get that even more. Just for example my neighbor out here over that hill William Miller. He had an accident. He was mowing hay and he had an accident real bad accident. and just this last cutting there were five of us went in and cut all his hay. The next day there were
14 of us raking his hay. -He's just your neighbor? -Yeah. So everybody shows up and does his stuff. He's still hurt. -You guys are really connected? -Yeah, we're really connected. Us farmers in this area We have like a pasture walk We go out through the pastures and we just go over the farms and help each other. That's one thing. In construction... That was a big eye opener to me. In construction you don't tell all the people your secrets. because it might hurt your business and you don't help each other out as much. You have to do your work or somebody else might
come in and do your work. On a farm if you don't do your work it doesn't get done but the farmers are so willing to share. They... Anything... -Is it because no one came come and take your field is your field? There's no competition or what? -No, there's no really competition but as far as just help like one year I was hurt. I had a skid loader accident. I had a broken arm. I had surgery on my knee. -In one year? -Yeah, in one year and I got caught in the PTO. -What's a PTO? -The power take-off on the tractor or a power cart. It was going to the picker. Anyway just for example most of the church and
some of the neighbors showed up one morning and we hauled 80 loads of manure. Stuff like that. People just showed up and did it. -So you're sitting at home on the couch? Yeah, I couldn't... -And everyone came in and helped? That's beautiful. So back the original question. When you look out
to the rest of the world you're not seeing as
much of that going on? -No, I don't see that as much. Neighbors helping each other. So it might be I just might not see it. -Okay, yeah. Yeah, I think it depends. -It really depends. But it takes a certain type. You gotta like hard work. 'Cause I saw you last night at what, 9:00 p.m.? And you probably finished at 10 p.m., right? Yeah, we were done wrapping at 10:00 p.m. Right at 10:00 p.m. I got in the house. And then when were you up this morning? -A little bit before 4:00 p.m. So you guys are going to bed normally at 10:00 p.m. getting up at 4:00 a.m.? -During the winter it's usually 8:00 p.m., 8:30 p.m. -To bed?
-Yeah. -Do you have electricity in the house? -We have kind of like electricity. It's off of a like solar power. -Okay. -And every time our motor runs for to milk it charges a battery. Then we have a big battery pack and that same as creates electricity. -Gotcha. -So yeah, 8:30 p.m. during the winter and then in the summertime it varies. It'll vary from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and if there's a lot of hay it can go later. -You gotta do the hay
when it's here, right? -Yeah. It's really cool, Ivan. I really respect the way you guys have held onto your values. Especially this last year. English world got a little mental. -Ugh. ♪ country music ♪ It was the spring I think
when that went through. Okay, I go like this? -You just point it like that. -Okay. -So what am I doing? I'm just holding it like this? Holding the strap like this? -Yeah, and then you make sure you get... [laughter] I probably didn't get that. -I think you're a natural. I'm not sure if I'm a natural here. -What is it? -Oh okay, okay, great. You have good fishing around here? -We're hoping to go my... -I would. -They have a lot of responsibility but a lot of freedom, right? -Yeah, mm-hmm. -Like they have to do their chores, right? There's no avoiding that. -You read a lot? -You read a lot?
-Yeah. -What do you guys like to read? -Oh, mostly it would be... -What do you like?
What topics? -Yeah. -Okay. What' I'm learning here is whatever is the simplest way. In a way. -Not always, but yeah. -But then again, technology what we did yesterday
would be easier with machines. -Oh yeah. -But it would would be a
totally different experience. -Yeah, it would be a different experience. -Like I see when you're
on there it's almost like maybe it gets boring. I wasn't on there for that long but it's almost like meditation. You're like connected with the land a bit. You get connected
with the land quite a bit you do. Just like look at this you're totally relaxed. Okay, see those lines on the side there? It's always on the left side. Don't know if you can see those. There's only a shade difference and it kind of looks like ripples. -Okay. -You see those ripples? -Yep. They have those, they're relaxed they're happy. You can see a couple
ripples on that one too. So that's... You really believe that? So if they have that do you notice that? Their behavior? -Well, and also they get plenty to eat. They're in good shape. -So a cow that has happy lines are they gonna produce better milk? Probably because it's the salt count would be lower probably. If a cow is relaxed and feeling good and how should I say? They enjoy life... [chuckles] They should have happy lines and they should give good milk. -What about Amish people? Do you guys have happy lines? -We have happy lines here. You don't but I've seen
a lot of guys that do because if you get on
that pie program every day... You know I've been eating pie every day. -Oh, every day? -Yeah. -You'll get happy lines. The boys really love it. -So you all have a close relationship with your cows? -A lot more so and same way with the calves if they're used to you when they're young and they grow up with you it's a big difference. -So say if a cow dies is that a sad thing? -It's a very sad thing, yeah. I should probably go out and... -All right. -She's got it. -Oh, okay, they went off the road. -Yeah. Probably a lot of horses don't like that shack there. -Okay, so every time the
horses go by this shack they get scared, spooked? -Yeah, they smell pig and they hate pig. I don't know why. Did you have a ride on those already? You didn't have any buggy ride yet? You didn't have any buggy ride yet?
-No. -You didn't?
-No. -Well maybe we should hitch up and go for a ride. -Let's do it.
Let's do it. We need bees. That's the main thing that keeps us going. -Bees? Bees and stuff like that to pollinate all our plants. -What's up with bees right now? Is that a healthy ecosystem or are there issues? -I think it's better than it was. -Okay, 'cause I don't know much about bees but... -How should I say? -What, like the cell phone towers? -You know what she's doing right now? [dog barking] -What are they doing just
cruising around for fun? They're making a fence? You guys in Amish country do such a great job with your landscaping. Gardens, flowers. My theory is it comes from Swiss heritage. -Because I've never seen dairy farms where they care this much about their gardens and it's like you're doing
enough work in the field the last thing most people are doing are spending time in the garden. There's a lot of farmers
that stop in and... -So you got a pretty social life out here? -Yeah. There's neighbors, there's farmers but yeah, we don't get out much at all. -You stay within your zone here? -Yeah, mm-hmm. -Like what's your zone? The two mile radius, something like that? -Yeah, two, three. Three, and then there's more... That's my neighbor there. The ones that live right up here. The next house up. -So I notice that a lot of people have battery powered bikes. -Yeah, that really... -Has that changed recently,
like the last few years? -Yeah, in the last couple
years it's really changed. -So before, everyone was pedaling? -Yeah. She probably still needs
to pedal to keep going. -Okay, okay. -They came to get posts. -Oh, they're working on the fence? -Oh, they're working on the fence?
-Yeah. -He waits right here? -Rex?
-Rex, yup. -Okay. -It was kinda neat. I bought him from a friend. He was born in this neighborhood and he's always been here not just on this farm but within three miles probably and he's probably had
four different owners. Those Martin houses... Horses always scared me. I've rode them a couple times. It's like one bee sting and you're done. Ya know? [chuckles] They freak out and what are you gonna do? I think that's where the
most biggest problem is the big farms... Big ag. -That's the big threat? -That's the biggest threat. -How do you compete with those guys with all the machinery?
-There's no way you can. And they get all these
government subsidies and... -The Amish don't? -No. Well, we probably could. We don't, no. -Why not? -I guess we try not to
depend on government. We take care of our own. It's kind of what we go on. Big farms, a couple thousand cows I can't imagine how they do it. As far as what lifestyle that would be and even the cow's lifestyle. Can you imagine? You never get out on pasture and... -It's like a factory, huh? -Yeah, it would be like a factory. -So to compete against that when they have the
machinery and the subsidies how do you do it? Niche market. -Your organic?
-Organic, yeah. They can't do organic? -Not like we do. How can you graze a
couple thousand cows? I'm really curious how many people die in 14 years? Because my grandfather this was his farm. He died in 2006. He got a letter on the mail this year this past election, before the election that like for an absentee ballot. -Come on. -Yeah, 14 years ago, he died. How does that work? You know what I could've done? I could've sent that in. I could've sent it in and voted for him probably. You guys are pretty much
away from politics, right? -Yeah, but I was like, "You know what? In 14 years how many people die? How many people that already died
voted in this past election?" I don't know. -And you guys don't vote typically? -Some of them do. I know some of them do but... -The majority don't though, right? -Yeah, majority don't. -And that's because you're in your own... How do you say it?
You're in your own world? -You connect with your people not so much the state
or the government, right? These days it’s probably a good thing. [horse walking] So the steel on the wheels is ♪ country music ♪ ♪ country music ♪ ♪ country music ♪ -1962?
-Yeah. The old one. Do you like seeing the old stuff going away and the new stuff coming in or what's your thoughts on that? -I don't like it. -'Cause I gotta say this old school has got some style to it. -Yeah, I don't like it but hey, it wasn't safe. The foundation wasn't good. The block were cracking at some points you could see actually
out through the joint. It wasn't good anymore. But yeah, you can take a look in here. -So it was pretty cold in the winter here? -Yeah, but we had a good furnace in here. See all that insulation? -Yeah. -Yeah, we made a mess last night. That was the furnace room in the back. See there's concrete on top? -When did this go up?
This last year? -Oh wow, went up quick. -So do you feel like some of your culture goes away when you go from the old school house to something new? Or not so much? -Not so much on schools I don't think. -Okay. I mean it's a much better zone obviously inside here. -Yeah. Yeah, we were gonna reuse some of this but it's just not working out. This is the flooring
that was in and it's... -Oh, this is the flooring? Look how thick it was back then, huh? -It's not working out as far as what we were hoping. This is the one-room schoolroom? -Yeah -Oh, right. -Because the old school house had like 10 foot ceilings. So this will take something to get used to. -Who paid for this? -The community did. -So how does that work? -The community takes up
money for new schools. You pay like a fund so much every year and then that goes to the schools to get so much and every
school get allowed that much. for a new school house. -Who is paying for the teachers? The district will pay for the teachers. -As in Ohio state? -No. -Government money? -No, it's whoever's sending pupils. -The parents? -The parents, yeah. The average teacher age is probably 18. 18 to 20. -Why so young? It works.
It definitely works. -It works? So they get out of school... It's first through eighth grade, right? -Yeah, mm-hmm. -Nobody is going to high school? -Hmm-mm. -And then eight grade is what age? -They'll be 14 when they get out. -The teacher has kids after that after they teach? -Yeah, a lot of times they get married when they're done teaching. -Okay, so it's like a few years. -Yeah. -Gotcha. -Now there's some that don't marry right away and they might teach for maybe 10 years. Five years is... -About max?
-Yeah. -Oh there's a lot of stuff to do There's games to play there's sitting around a fire there's all kinds of stuff to do. It keeps you happy.
There's... Like tonight there's
practice singing at the church. We go practice some songs and every other Thursday night a lot of the times we play volleyball. -Your ears are tuning
in on all these birds? -Yeah, I love bird watching. So I hear all these birds. Like if they're migrating I see a lot of them but yeah. We pick up that sound. Because that's something we love to do is bird watching and... -So how many different types
of birds are here would you say? If you count the migrating
birds and everything. 237 I'm not even quite sure on the number. -But there are hundreds? -Yeah, mm-hmm. With migrating now just the summer birds it's probably around a hundred. Just the summer birds. -And you know a hundred different noises? You know all their... -Oh yeah. More than that. The horses know where the stop is? -Yeah.
Ho. And they know which way to stop. [clicking] -You just pick one out? [chuckles] -Right, right, right. So even though it's like a modern house, looking house. They don't have... -No. -Do they have electrical
plugs in their house? -Okay. So some are running off solar? This is the hay we'll bale dry. -When, today? -Probably not. I don't think it's gonna dry enough. Now if I wouldn't have
that practice singing with the church tonight and then I probably would bale it today. And we might bale the back part of it. -Your dream to buy that farm, 154 acres? -It's close.
One of the boys could farm it. Oh, it would be so nice. -You want to take on
that much more work? -Oh, I'd do it just so they could farm. I'd do it. -For the kids?
-Yep. And that way they'd
have the chance to farm because I only have one farm and so only one of the boys can farm. -So your farm could not
sustain your three boys? -No. -You need to get more farm? -And that's not possible in this area. -So what are they gonna get
into, construction or something? -Yeah, or if they can somehow it's a running joke with my neighbor. He moved to New York where there's a lot more farms available and I always had this joke with him, "Which one of your boys is gonna farm or are they all gonna marry for a farm?" Is it just gonna be marry for a farm or are they gonna marry because they want to marry this girl or is it just gonna be for the farm? -That happens? I don't think that would happen. -Or it's more of a joke? -Yeah, it was more of a running joke. Because it's not possible to buy any farm like this this got sold this guy over here owns this. I think he paid like $12,000, I'm not even sure $12,000 -$13,000 an acre. Right now this would be $30,000+ $30,000 an acre plus. Two of his children
might put a house in here. Then it's gone. It'll never come back. -Is that happening out
here in Holmes County? Some of the fields turning into homes? -Yeah. -How does that make you feel? -They need a place to build and it's nice that they're close. It's community but we lose the farms. -So renting the field makes sense? -Makes sense, yeah. -This field would be $150, everything...
-A year? -A year an acre.
-It's amazing. So I have this pasture back here and then this field. I rent 15 acres from him. -What advice would have
to give to the outside world? What could they learn from you guys? How about that? -Maybe we should be learning from them. -These days, no. -I think if they go back and base a lot of stuff off the Bible I think a lot of stuff would clear up. How should I say that? As far as morally I think that would help a lot. -So you're saying Christianity is what you need to be on board with? -I guess that's what my idea would be but it's definitely not for everybody. As you know. As you know it's
definitely not for everybody and I respect that as far as if they believe something else that's okay. It's... -But you're saying the outside world could use some of those values maybe? -Yeah, if they'd have those values I think it would really... Because see how some of them would really think quite a bit different. The drug, alcohol, all that. It's that's not good and the Bible clearly states that. It's just... -And you have some of that... That hits everywhere, right? Because humans are humans. -Humans are human and you can have that even in this community. You can have that in this community. -No, I think there's a
lot to learn from you guys 'cause I see what's missing is family values like just doing dinner every night or even once a week. That's sort of gone
away for a lot of people. -That would be tough, only once a week would be tough. -Doing dinner with the family? -That would be tough as far as if you wouldn't get to to be with the family but once a week. I think that would be tough. -How many nights do you do dinner? Every night?
-Every night. -So once a week would be... -Yeah, I mean there might be maybe once a night
that somebody's missing. Once a week I should say. That somebody is missing but most of the time, no everybody's home and... -Doing dinner. -Yeah.
-You think that's important? -Yeah, very important. -What keeps you strong? I understand religion. -And the community, church. I couldn't do without the church. I simply couldn't. -'Cause it's your glue right? It's your bond, it's your community? -Mm-hmm. I don't think I could make it without that. -Some people leave it, right? -Yeah, there's some people but they still probably 99% would still go to a different church and cling to that church. That church relationship is probably big in this area and in other communities too. -You ever feel alone? -No. There's so many people around. -There is and there isn't. Like I don't see anyone but you know everyone, right? -Oh, there's... -You lock your doors on your house? -No. -You're not locking much. You're just not going to lock. You don't lock anything at your barn or people don't do that?
-No. Oh, there's some that do, yeah. -Okay. You know I grew up we didn't lock anything. I grew up in the countryside. But in those times. Now it would be different. -Yeah, it is different and we do lock some but... I guess if they want to get in they'd probably get in anyway. -Yeah, that's how it is. I don't know, I guess respect would go a long way. Why would you want to go
and steal from somebody? Which I guess you said $950, it's not a big deal in San Diego. -San Francisco, it's now a misdemeanor which most aren't getting prosecuted. There's a lot of thievery going on. -What do you think of that? You could walk into a store and take up to 950 bucks of whatever. -Could you even ask
the clerk if it's okay? Am I close to 950? [chuckles] -Well, at the Walgreen's
where I used to live nearby the guy said
people would try to return the products they stole without a receipt. That's how brazen they've become. -Wow. But no, I guess it's not
a laughing matter really. -It's so crazy it's laughable but the fact that it's
reality is a little bit sad. -That is sad.
That is so sad and I think just take that for example. You shouldn't steal but really what are they taught when they're young? Do they have a chance? Are they innocently stealing? -What do you mean innocently stealing? -Were they ever told that
you're not supposed to steal? Or are they taught you're just not supposed to get caught stealing? -So it's all the influences? -Yeah, is that? -Maybe. I mean I would think everyone sort of knows it's the wrong thing to do but if everyone around you is doing it you sort of become
what you're around, right? -And if you're taught just don't get caught stealing other than you should not steal, I don't know. [chuckles] -Everyone's got problems. Your problems here
are completely different than the outside world. -I mean we're human. There's problems in here but I guess... -What are the biggest
problems would you say? -My biggest problem is being
a good father to my children. As far as just trying to be the best I can as far as for my children but I'm human. They get frustrated with me I'm sure. I might be working too much one day. I might be... I might have to be on the phone quite a bit one day,
and I should be working. Stuff like that. And they might have to pitch in
and do a little bit more work because I couldn't be at work
all the time. So we're just human but we have a lot of fun at home. -Looks like it. It's just I can't imagine not having that growing up I had seven sisters and two brothers. So I was in the middle and there was always something happening. You can imagine. -Yeah, I'll bet. You're never bored. -No, all the cousins. We had a lot of fun. Oh, we had a lot of fun. There's so many memories and we had so much fun growing up. -There's so much to learn from you guys I'm telling you. You're worried about being a good father. I don't know you. We met yesterday but I'm seeing the environment
you have with your kids and the work you're doing together and all the time together and I'm like,
"Wow, that's pretty rare these days." -It probably is but then again I had... Okay, back to influence of parents. I had that growing up. -Yeah, so that's what you know. -Yeah. -You thought we were
just going on a nice little ride and I'm asking you these hard questions. [chuckles] Four to five, yeah. -Four to five? -Yeah. Amish is more a way of lifestyle. -My question was do the
Amish look down on the outsiders because they maybe lost their way
or live a different life? And you were saying... -I don't really think they do. -You don't think so much? -I don't think, no. -The feeling I get, you guys
are so in your own world here it's like that's another universe. -That's probably too much so. [chuckles] -Hey seems like you're doing fine here so I wouldn't worry about it. -Your probably right,
that's probably too much. We're too much in our own little world and just wrapped around it. -Ah, look what he's got. He's got three worms and that's gonna be... What are you gonna do with the worms? -He's gonna put 'em in a jar and that's what they eat. -What eats? They eat the milkweed. -One more chance -Oh boy, you want me to hold it? [laughter] Ow. You're fast. Okay it's been nice to meet you. -Really nice to meet you. Thank you for everything showed me. -And hopefully it answered
a lot of questions and it was fun. -Yeah, I learned a lot. -It was fun. You guys are awesome. What a cool guy, Ivan. What an experience. Such beautiful insight to another person's world and I was surprised a bit actually how much he opened up and came out with his struggles and I want to make that point here 'cause I'm talking to a lot of people off-camera too. It's not like... Actually the majority
is probably off-camera. And a lot of people have said that. A lot of Amish people
have said that they're like, "Look, our lawns are perfect and we know our gardens are nice and everything's clean but we have our problems too. We're humans just like everybody else. We have our own set of problems in our culture." And I want you to keep
that in mind while I'm showing all these beautiful and amazing things. I'm not trying to say it's utopia by any stretch of the imagination. I think for some people this is the best place for them for others it's not. I think that can be said for everyone in every part of the globe. Well hope you got something out of that. I think this is one of those day's I'll treasure until the end and how can you not love this? Beautiful Holmes County Ohio.
