The Amish Cook from Oasis Newsfeatures

It's ashame that a newspaper as large as the Winnipeg Free Press couldn't try to dig a little deeper.  Apparently a new memoir being released that describes Hutterite life (in the 1960s) is causing some concern.  My questions: who is concerned? (besides the attorney in the article)  What does the book say?  I am assuming that the author is a former Hutterite, but the article doesn't even say that?  The memoir is called "Removing the Hutterite Kerchief" (a reference to the headcoverings Hutterite women wear).  The Winnipeg Free Press piece describes the book as: Removing the Hutterite Kerchief is a biographical story of Rebecca Hofer's experiences moving from an overpopulated colony to start up Greenwald, and the events that led to half the Greenwald Colony deciding to leave in 1966.  Sheesh, leave the Greenwald Colony or leave the Hutterites altogether???  Just an article with way too many unanswered questions.  You can read the article here.  The publisher's webpage answers a few questions the newspaper article didn't.  Click here to see it.   This sounds like an interesting book. 

There was a fascinating column in a small Arizona newspaper today.  The columnist was once a TV producer and he writes about his experience trying to film a documentary about the Amish.  My first reaction when I was read this was "whoa", this guy is a bit patronizing, referring to the the bishop of an Amish community as the "Leader" (in North Korea the totalitarian President is referred to as Dear Leader, this seemed just a step below that).   And there were also references to the Amish "Leader" meeting with this "Council."  Sheesh, I'm thinking, this guy has watched way too many episodes of Survivor.  At the very end of the article the writer reveals when this exchange took place: the 1950s in Indiana.  Amazing what context does, that takes the column from being very hokey to very interesting.  In the 1950s the Amish were still a very agrarian, insular group.   And while I have never heard the term "council" in the Amish church (has anyone else? If so, please share), I can believe that in the 1950s that such an exchange took place concerning a documentary being filmed.   In today's world when the Amish have to worry about the recession, internet, cell phones, experimenting youth, and loss of farmland it almost seems quaint that a documentary would cause such a stir and discussion in an Amish settlement.  I highly doubt that it would today.  Click here to read the very interesting article.

Photo: Berne Madoff, Ponzi king....

Bernie Madoff was the Ponzi schemer who caused so many people to lose their live savings by sweet talking his way into their bank accounts.  And when the economy came crashing down in 2008 so to did Madoff.  Well, an article in the Lancaster paper this morning describes a plain Mennonite who sorta bilked a bunch of trusting Amish and Mennonite investors into losing a lot of money also.  It just goes to show you that there are con artists of every creed.  In this case the antagonist is a man named John Sensing who is a plain Mennonite that encouraged many of his Brethren to invest in his companies.  But it turned out many of his companies were non-existent or existed only on paper.  Typically the Amish are very conservative with their money.  You aren't often going to find an Amish person putting money into the stock market or into mutual funds, but, in this case, it was "one of their own" persuading them to invest and that held more appeal.   In that sense Sensing did resemble Madoff because Madoff preyed the most on his own social circles, people who inherently trusted him.  Click here to read about this complex scheme unfolding in Lancaster County.

How many of you watched the recent Oprah show featuring Michael Pollan, author of Food Inc. and the Omnivore's Dilemma?  It was a great show and I think that is what Oprah does so well: spotlights topics that need to be discussed but often aren't. Our food system is, in my opinion, a mess with mass-produced, hormone-laden animals and "Frankenstein foods".   And, sadly, our capitalist society has made it cheaper to eat unhealthy foods, so many people go that route. The Amish - long before Oprah was talking about it - have embraced the "loco-vore" movement, eating what is local, available, and fresh.  Yes, a tomato in January might taste great and be convenient, but, sheesh, I don't want to know how much fuel, labor, expense it took to get here out of season.  Just this weekend, Lovina and her family have been butchering their own beef and pork.  I am glad the locovore movement is gaining ground among the non-Amish also.  When I was in Canada recently we met a wonderful husband and wife farmer team who are helping to bring local foods to the market in the Toronto area.  Click here to read an article about them.  All the food on the cutting board in the photo was great, I tasted most of it!  We accompanied Toronto Star food editor Jennifer Bain to their house and they were a very interesting, kind couple.