Mr. Rawles:
I saw the response to your link regarding the Amish and I concur. These folks are wonderful and are very good for a community. Where I come from in central Michigan the Amish community makes pallets. Trucks from far and wide go out of their way to come through the area for these high quality pallets. The pallets are just the base of their community. They also run a store that beats everybody, even Wal-Mart, on price. Sure, they don’t sell all that cheap Chinese stuff, but I consider that a plus. I can’t go past the store without picking up a 2 lb chunk of cheese for $2 (not ‘orange’ partially hydrogenated cheese-like-food, but real Pinconning, Mozzarella, Cheddar, and specialty stuff). I also buy their 2 pound, $2 roast beef, turkey, chicken, or pepperoni lunch meats. There is always some high quality item that is under half the price I would see elsewhere.
Then there is the best of all, the carpenters. This falls on the outskirts of the Amish community, but wouldn’t be happening if they were not in the area. There are a handful of ‘ex-Amish’ contractors in the area that do excellent work. They still have connections in the Amish community and can get some of the high-skilled craftsmen to come out and do everything from putting in a new staircase to raising a barn in a day (except electrical & high end plumbing;) I’ve seen these guys refurbish old, run-down 1880s houses and make them look new again, including all the detailed woodwork. And they do all this while being pleasant and truthful. They will not tell you they will be finished tomorrow when its not true, or they will have more roast beef tomorrow if it is not true. They do not come around knocking on your door trying to convert you. When I really think about it, they are the best group of people I know. – A.B.