Wayne County, Indiana

In June 2010, I went to visit my Aunt Ruth and Uncle Quentin, who live in Richmond, Indiana. Richmond is a 45-minute drive west from Dayton, Ohio. They live in town now, but they will always be farmers at heart. We have a tradition when I go up there. Uncle Quentin drives me around Wayne County, showing me all the places of interest, some of them the same as my last visit, and sometimes things have changed.

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The tradition begins with a heavy lunch (dinner, as it's called in those parts, and not all that long after a heavy country breakfast) at the current "greasy spoon" of choice. These days its Greens Fork Family Diner in Economy. That's my 80-year-old uncle--he doesn't look 80, does he?

Farmers love to eat. I guess that's why they went into the food business. That's me on the right (just to prove I was there). The special was Roast Beef Manhattan--big city food. We had the special.

Day lilies were in bloom EVERYWHERE in Wayne County.

Wayne County free-range chickens. These were laying hens.

A wood carving of Joseph Terhaar, the patriarch of this farm. He was killed by a bull in 1967.

Wayne County is Amish country now. Here is a typical example of a modern Amish house.

This is a modern Amish farm operation, bought with money from a buy-out in central Pennsylvania, where the property prices are much higher than in Indiana. That's why the Amish have migrated here.

Here is an Amish man working on his footbridge.

Here is an Amish man working his field.

A closer look. Amish people don't believe in taking pictures of themselves. I hope he wasn't offended. It was just such a great shot--epic.

The tradition continues with a trip to the Amish store in Fountain City.

The Amish store. I purchased cashew butter, almond butter and chocolate peanut butter to augment our supply of peanut butter produced locally here in Lexington (JIF).

Amish candy.

Amish preserves.

Amish bread and pies, rhubarb, peace and blueberry. Angel food cake too.

The Levi Coffin House (not Amish), also in Fountain City, was an important stop on the Underground Railroad. You can read more about it here.)

Here is a little more information.