The profound truth of Amish barn raising

I pulled up to an Amish household this week, only to see a brand new, massive structure they completed in ONE DAY.

I have commissioned a local Amish family to build a chicken coop, chicken run, and an indoor ‘bunny cubby’ for my barn this winter. Having worked with an Amish community to have my property excavated and my barn center built earlier this year, I am no stranger to how these people work.

Instead of buying the chicken coop from a corporation, or having the parts flown in through Amazon.com, I felt I wanted to spread the wealth, locally, to a family that needs it. With 16 children and plenty of animals, trust me, this family could use it.

I placed the chicken coop order early last week with a down payment of $500 I gave to the Amish father in cash. These people are smarter than Americans realize - they don’t fool around with credit card fees.

I returned to the farm this week to check in with the lads and see how everything was going (note: they asked me to check in weekly if they have any questions since they don’t have cellphones or the internet).

When I pulled into their farm today, I was greeted by a massive, gorgeous, newly completed warehouse structure that is going to allow them to continue building all winter long.

With my barn, the company I used, BluRail Excavating, brought their community in for two-days to essentially close in the entire structure from a foundation to a functioning barn. It was something I will never forget.

And yet, when I pulled up to this farm today and was greeted by essentially the same thing, it still blew my mind.

I said to the sons, “Oh my gosh, this structure! This wasn’t here last week?”

They blushed. The Amish are usually people of few words. But when they do choose to speak, it’s playful, funny, and astute.

“Oh yes, we got this here done quickly. That way we can dive into the projects mounting up. Why don’t you come by this way next week? We will begin your coop on Monday,” said one of the sons.

“Sounds perfect! I will see you then,” I said.

I pulled a little bit further down the road to visit their farm stand. And when I say farm stand, I mean their farm market, filled with everything from canned peaches and baked goods, to squashes, knitted items, and pie ordering. I placed an order for two pies, strawberry rhubarb and raspberry, to pick up the day before Thanksgiving.

The kicker? These people charge $10 for each pie. THAT’S IT! It’s usually $19.99 to grab a lousy, chemical-filled pie at corporate grocery store chains during the month of November. This family will be making my pie with ingredients they grew right a their farm. It continues to blow my mind!

When one of the girls came running to check me out at the farm stand, I excitedly greeted her, as we’ve interacted plenty of times now. She was beaming with the biggest smile on her face that made me feel grateful for everything I have in my life.

These people are energy healers, I swear.

I was not in a good mood this morning due to events from this weekend. I am usually a steady-mooded kind of gal. I am typically happy about my work every morning and grateful for another day on God’s green earth. But this morning, I couldn’t help but feel agitated.

Upon seeing this family with the biggest smiles spread across all their faces, I felt all my problems melt away. They have that ability, to make you reflect on what it is that really does have you down. You realize, as you stare out over their clothes drying outside in chilly 42 degree wind and the smoke billowing out of their chimneys, that whatever your problems are, they are temporary. I felt it instantly.

I was overjoyed to see my friend as she skipped into the farm stand. I asked her for her name this time. She said to me, “It’s Lovina,” in her Amish-Dutch accent.

“Wow, that’s a beautiful name! I am Alex or Alexandra,” I said.

“Ok, lovely! What’s your last name?” said Lovina.

“It’s Fasulo! As Italian as it gets,” I said.

She smiled at me.

I said to her, “Wow, that barn structure! It’s stunning. I am so glad you guys have that for your growing business. Did it go up in one day?”

“Yes it did. Our whole community came here one day last week to get it done with the boys,” said Lovina.

“That is so amazing, wow. Everyone came in to make it happen,” I said.

“Yep, they did!” said Lovina, as if it is something normal to them.

I realize that we are the crazy ones here, in American society, finding it incredulous that families selflessly left their chores for a day to help this Amish family erect a structure that will bring in more money for their kids. And surely, the family I visit does the same for the other Amish in the area. It’s like paying it forward - when it’s your turn to ask for help, you ask for it without a second hesitation, because you’ve helped so many of the others in your community.

I could feel Lovina was almost confused that I was so surprised their community had come together to finish that barn for them.

In our American world, people would perceive having that structure built as ‘direct competition’ to the money they can make in their household. I see it all the time! The average American has a major ‘limited mindset’ in that regard (I am not claiming the problem extends to ALL Americans, but it does to A LOT of Americans).

The Amish don’t see it that way. They see the earth as a place filled with unlimited abundance, wealth, and prosperity that is meant to be shared. By helping Henry with his construction barn, the other Amish in the area aren’t worried they are going to ‘lose out on business.’ They coordinate with each other so much that they see it as this… if one of them wins, they ALL win.

Isn’t that how we were meant to live down here? And when Americans want to get online and blame capitalism for the greed we live in today… I take a harder stance. Corporations aren’t forcing you to shop from them. You don’t have to feel like you’re in a competition with your neighbors. We are on AUTOPILOT. All we have to do is WAKE UP to what we’ve mindlessly slid into.

We can choose to shop locally, with cash. We can choose to help our neighbors. We can choose to give extra things away for free (I offer free Amish booklets and seeds at my farm stand right now). We can’t blame the government and corporations for everything (though, they are destroying the environment, don’t get me wrong).

The Amish are living proof that we can choose to live by purposeful design at any time.

(Ignore the rubber duckies - it’s a Jeep thing)

Also while I was pulled into their farm, I saw a shipment of pine boughs being delivered by a neighbor to the Amish boys manning their business that day.

I presume the women are going to make all sorts of wreaths and such at their farm stand with the boughs. While many are boarding up their farm stands right now as the temperatures dip into the 30s at night, these guys are churning right along as the most entrepreneurial people I have ever met. They don’t miss a beat! And you can bet I will be buying some of their handmade wreaths.

The Amish are living proof we can all do more, help each other more, work harder, make fewer excuses, and question how long timelines take for something like a construction project. It’s all BS! If these guys can raise structures in one day, imagine what we are all capable of if we decide to work together?

And to go really out on a limb here, because I know it to be true from the hours upon hours I have spent with these people, when you choose to live with the selfless intention these people do, you quite literally become a vessel of positive energy. Every single time I stand in their presence, I feel their positive divine energy raise my vibration. Most times in our world today, I feel people and places lower my vibration. These people are one of the few individuals/locations that raises my vibration. I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face.

Don’t we all want to become vessels for this kind of good energy?

I can only imagine the positive energy that is going to be in the pies I ordered!

If you are in the Saratoga region, I am happy to share this family’s farm stand address below. I would love to get them more business. They build all sorts of small to medium sized structures, sheds, coops, etc. And their farm stand is incredible!

In the Age of Aquarius that is to come, I believe there is no group that embodies communal living more than the Amish. We have a great deal to learn from them, and learn we must if we want to start bartering with neighbors, helping small towns, preserving farms, and most importantly, safeguarding the environment. I will continue to document my interactions with these incredible people here. I hope you are all enjoying the discourse!

PS. Lovina came into the farm stand today with bare feet as the temperature approached freezing. They are committed to grounding and feeling the electromagnetic waves in the earth… even when it’s freezing.

ALSO PS. Please, for the love of God, refrain from the ‘Amish are animal abuser’ discourse below. I have been to so many of their farms and not seen a single abused animal. I am sure there is a small percent that ruins it for everyone else. Every group has that percent! Let’s broaden our minds here. Go visit one of their farms and see for yourself!