A Note From JP: One of the many lessons I learned by traveling to all 50 states is that people often take for granted the treasures in their own backyards. You don’t need to travel to the other side of the country to have new and meaningful experiences. In my “Field Trip!” series, I highlight nearby adventures for local wanderers.
The United States is a uniquely diverse place. All around us are people who practice different religions, preserve different customs, eat different foods, and speak different languages. Just one hour’s drive up Interstate 376 from the Beaver County Courthouse lives one of the most unique communities in our nation, the Old Order Amish.
New Wilmington was founded in 1847, and is home to one of the oldest and largest settlements in the state, somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,000 residents spread across generations of family farms. It is August as I write this, and the natural bounty of that beautiful land is now on full display.
The Amish famously reject modern conveniences like cars and public utility electricity, and that can make the thought of visiting them an intimidating prospect for the uninitiated. They obviously don’t maintain their own social media profiles or websites, so even knowing where to begin can seem overwhelming.
The key to visiting the Amish is to have the right mindset: being neighborly, friendly, and respectful will easily open many doors for you (often very literally).
It is Saturday, and I just finished a little trip to visit the Amish. I came home with bags and boxes of beautiful food, and was just brainstorming meals to make from it all this coming week. Saturday is always the best day of the week to swing by their community, as many families open their homes to sell baked goods and their produce stands are full of freshly harvested crops.
You will often be forced to slow down on their roads to safely pass the many horse-drawn buggies you will come across, but it’s equally important to maintain a leisurely speed to look for signs at the ends of long driveways. Brown eggs, donuts, pies, peaches, fresh cut flowers, corn, tomatoes, rhubarb, honey… you can never really know what will be on offer any given Saturday, so look for the signs and be willing to follow them.
While some may assume the Amish live in a closed society hostile to the outside world, you will find them to be most welcoming. You are not a stranger to their land, you are a guest, and can expect to be warmly treated as such.
Think of this trip as a treasure hunt. Make sure you have a full tank of gas, cash money in your pocket, and a cooler with some ice in your trunk just in case. Start heading north from Beaver County early Saturday morning, say about 6:30.
Here is just a small sampling of places I have found over time to help get your Saturday morning adventure started. When you find a good spot, be sure to ask what else is offered around them and you’ll have your next stop.
Brennemen’s Farm Buffet
How does an all-you-can-eat breakfast on an Amish farm sound? The Brennemen family offer a variety to choose from including bacon, sausage, eggs, hashbrowns, home fries, pancakes, homemade drop biscuits and sawmill gravy, along with fresh baked goods. Oh! And their delicious Dutch honey! Yes, yes, the Dutch honey!
Visit their farm located at 967 Hamburg Rd, Fredonia, PA 16124, every Saturday from 7 a.m. until about 11.
Pull into the gravel driveway by one of their barns — you’ll see plenty of cars from other guests parked by the Brennemen’s buggies (their farm dog is usually the first to greet you). The buffet has no set cost, you’ll find a donation box when you walk into their table-filled hall. Drop in what you feel is appropriate, take a plate, and fill it with food. Find your seat and a kind Amish woman will be by shortly with a cart of beverages like hot coffee, milk, and orange juice.
This is one of the few places you will find that’s illuminated with electric bulbs, although they’re run off-grid by a generator out back.
Hillside Bakery
Donuts, fry pies, breads and other baked goods wait for you in this small bakery situated next to the family’s home. On a nice day you’ll see a long row of clothes drying on a line between the two. The head-sized glazed Amish donut is a must, and it won’t be the only one you’ll be buying today!
Lit by just the light that comes through the windows, the display case quickly empties the later it gets, so head here right after breakfast at Brennemen’s to be sure there are still treats available.
Located at 782 Pulaski-Mercer Road, New Wilmington, PA, keep a lookout on your way there for driveway signs offering other opportunities!
New Wilmington Bakery & Home Goods
Not far from the Hillside Bakery, this small Amish shop offers various home goods to the community. But we’re not interested in those. On Saturdays their display cases become filled with local baked goods. Yes, they too have large glazed Amish donuts! Each family’s donuts are different, and you’d be doing yourself a grave injustice if you didn’t try several to see which style you like the best. Think of it as a “donut tasting” or maybe a “donut flight.” Yes, yes!
They also offer custom-made patio furniture with the quality, care, and pride in construction that you would expect.
Located at 41 Rogan Ln, New Wilmington, PA 16142, it is usually open until 5. You’ll likely find some other signs pointing you to places to stop on your way. If not, be sure to ask the friendly folk you encounter while there.
Orchard Road Produce
Today I bought jalapeño peppers, some Roma tomatoes, and I still had some giant onions left from last week, so I think I see some pico de gallo in my future. Potatoes, berries, fresh herbs, melons, peaches, corn, assorted peppers — you’ll find whatever is in season, as fresh and natural as it possibly gets. Along with the fresh produce, you’ll also find preserved and pickled goods. When I visited today the Amish were turning the field across the way with their horse-drawn plows. That’s where the food you just bought came from!
If you’ve been wondering about pricing, unlike “organic produce” you get in grocery stores, you’ll likely find most of the food you purchase in Amish country to be much cheaper than what’s offered in commercial retail outlets.
Located at 285 Orchard Rd, Mercer, PA 16137, it’s usually open from 9 a.m. until 6.
Byler’s Grocery Store
This is a local neighborhood grocery store serving the Amish community. Located on the first floor of the family’s meticulously maintained home, the shop is dimly lit with gas lanterns. You’ll find a small selection of common commercial products that are considered a treat to the locals, but also bulk grains and goods. If you’ve never made anything from Einkorn flour (the oldest unhybridized ancient wheat), get a small bag to experiment with — it has a unique flavor that I really enjoy.
Located at 581 Fayette Neshannock Falls Rd, Volant, PA 16156, it is usually open until 5.
Volant Mills
Established in 1812, this historic gristmill is an eclectic home to multiple vendors selling furniture, antiques, and other merchandise, including both bric-a-brac and Amish-made items.
Located at 550 Main St, Volant, PA 16156, it is usually open until 5.
Palumbo’s Meat Market
This place is a must-visit in my book. Although run by fifth-generation Italian immigrants rather than Amish, this traditional old-world butcher shop sources its animals from the nearby New Wilmington farm auction. I say “animals” intentionally, because the Palumbo family does all of their own slaughtering, butchering, and processing of meat. Live animals in, steaks and cold cuts out.
Along with the freshest beef and pork one can possibly get (you can watch them break down sides of beef and hog through a window), they also make all of their own sausages, lunchmeats, and aged charcuterie (if you get bored of watching grass grow, you can watch their charcuterie age through a different window). If you’ve never cooked with freshly rendered lard or tallow before, they make that too.
Their facilities are USDA-inspected and certified for humane handling, and they pride themselves in using every part of the animals they harvest (think cow tongue, smoked ham hocks, chicken feet, and natural casings).
Buy a 10-inch chunk of their homemade pepperoni and be sure to tell them not to slice it. Take it home, cut off some nice thick chunks, and then write me to express your undying gratitude (you may want to grab one of their enormous tomahawk ribeyes too).
Located at 3600 Hubbard-Middlesex Rd, West Middlesex, PA 16159, this family-run butchery closes early at 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
The Tavern On The Square
Even though you had a big breakfast, all of this shopping for fresh food may have made you hungry. You may even be in the need of an early afternoon cocktail. Head over to The Tavern On The Square, located in the heart of New Wilmington.
This wonderful casual upscale dining establishment takes full advantage of the fresh local produce you’ve been seeing during your adventures.
Located at 108 N Market St, New Wilmington, PA 16142, the restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 on Saturday. Their backstory and current menus are available at TheTavernOnTheSquare.com.
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See Also: Visiting All 50 States Renewed My Faith In Our Nation
