A Day in (the Best of Ohio's) Amish Country

A Day in (the Best of Ohio's) Amish Country

By Allison Ervin, writer, age 10

So you're in Amish country, looking for something fun to do. Here are some of the great things that I enjoyed when I visited Wayne and Holmes County recently. A good way to start your day in Amish country is by visiting the store Lehman's, in Kidron. There's lots of unique and fun things you can buy there that are sure to brighten up any day. If you are a child, or have children with you, there's a huge toy selection and there are toys you can play with. Lots of their products are non-electric and eco-friendly like their wood burning stoves. The store is very big, which means there is a lot you can look at. You will see many things you thought weren't made any more.

After you leave Lehman's, head up the road to the store P. Graham Dunn in Dalton, where they make inspirational wood carvings, which are very detailed and beautiful. You can even watch the magnificent items being made with lasers.You can make a homemade puzzle by coloring on a piece of wood, then putting it into a machine where a laser carves it into puzzle pieces. When you walk into their store they have a magnificent lobby with beautiful furniture, and a floor to ceiling mural drawn by a local artist.

As you are walking out of P. Graham Dunn, you realize you are kind of hungry. As you're driving, you see a sign that says Amish Door Restaurant, one mile ahead. So you stop in for some lunch. The fantastic restaurant was awarded the best chicken in the country award. Their food is homemade by the Amish -- such as mashed potatoes, corn, bread and drumsticks. They also have pies, cakes, cookies and other pastries. I even got a free cookie. I ate lunch at the Amish Door in Wooster, but there is also an Amish Door Restaurant and Inn in Wilmot. As you're walking out, you notice the gift shop, so you can stop in and look at the wonderful things like the wallets, quilts and pencils.

The next stop on your day in Amish country is Homestead Furniture in Mt. Hope to purchase some of the beautiful furniture they have there. When I was there recently, a lovely v-shaped couch caught my eye. The store is very eco-friendly because instead of a normal heater, they have a solar-powered heater. To go upstairs there is a larger, curvy staircase that you walk up. They have children's furniture, too, such as a pink girl's bed and a crib. If you see a piece of furniture you like, you can customize it and Homestead will build it for you. They get the trees to make their wooden furniture from close-by states.

After you leave Homestead, you take a trip to Coblentz Chocolates in Walnut Creek, where they make delicious chocolates. Some of the chocolates are very fun shapes, such as golf clubs, motorcycles, or even trains. A lot of them have fun fillings such as fruit or caramel or nuts. There was a little house inside of the store for the young children's entertainment. Coblentz doesn't just have chocolate, they also have wind chimes and stuffed animals. When you walk in a yummy aroma of chocolate and other candies fills the store.

About a minute away is Walnut Creek Cheese, where tasty cheese and meats are sold. A lot of the food there is locally made. We were planning to just buy a little, but when I saw all the delectable choices they had, I couldn't help but buy a lot. Above, on a large shelf, they have decorations set up to look like a market from the olden days. They also have a huge selection of candy and a room designed like a cave filled with cheese. They carry a lot of bulk food and a lot of people buy food from here for parties, like graduations, weddings and other type of events.

The last stop was Keim Lumber in Charm (cute name, huh?). If you're building or adding on to your home, Keim Lumber is the place to be. They have a really big, fancy new room where they can show you their kitchen and bathrooms. I've never seen so much pretty wood. They are the experts in building so they can help you decide what looks nice.

Now your day in Amish country has come to an end. But it certainly was the best day ever! :)

You know you're in Amish Country when...

You have to slow down because you are following a horse and buggy

Clothes are flapping in the breeze on the clothesline

There are silos and barns and white fences in the fields

Cows and horses are grazing in the pasture

Girls in white coverings and light pink or green dresses walk down the road to the neighbor's house

The parking lot at the baseball game is filled with bicycles, not cars

You see a sign that says "eggs for sale -- no Sunday sales" at the end of the driveway

The people are friendly, the food is good and the roads are hilly

New Promo Video of the P. Graham Dunn Factory Store

Ambassador Harry

If you have visited our factory and store in Dalton, Ohio chances are you've run into a gentleman named Harry. If you were to ask me to identify the heart of this company, I could make a very strong case that it's Harry. Harry has been with us for nearly 8 years and has performed in a variety of roles. As of the last few years, Harry has been acting ambassador for P. Graham Dunn. Stop in with a group large or small and Harry will walk you around the shop and tell you all about the place. I can't tell you how many people stop in on a daily basis and ask for Harry by name. It takes a special guy to make such a memorable impact.

P. Graham Dunn talks about the origins of Graham

Click the image to view Peter's vlog about the origins of his middle name.

Made in the USA

I remember a time in which there was a great push to buy American. It seemed like every TV station in the nineteen eighties aired commercials about checking the tag for the Made in America logo. Since then it seems we get nearly everything from overseas. Without treading too far into the debate about the pros and cons of a global economy, I think it is important to focus attention back on those businesses creating products and jobs right here in the USA.

At P. Graham Dunn we employ nearly 100 people. Many of our staff are hard working Amish and Mennonites, though we employ people from nearly every walk of life. When you visit our factory, you will never see someone leaning on a broom, or the shop floor in disarray. We take pride in our jobs and we take pride in the products we make. The 5% of products we do import are laser engraved and packaged in Ohio. The packaging is often done at home by local Amish women. When I walk through the factory it makes me proud to call this community home.

Traveling around this area of the country you'll find domestically made products at places like Homestead Furniture, Lehman's Hardware, Walnut Creek Cheese, and Coblentz Chocolate. Smuckers is headquartered just down the road, and the Cat's Meow just a little further. We have over 1000 shops manufacturing Amish made furniture, and the hills are covered in 100 acre farms making the landscape look more like a quilt. Speaking of quilts, you'll find none better made than right here, and while you're here pick up various food products like Amish Peanut Butter, Eggs, Pastries, Pickled Garlic, Trail Bologna, Bulk Foods, and the world's best cheese (sorry Wisconsin). Stuff it all in a homemade Amish basket.

Whatever you find around here, it's a good chance it was made by the very hands of the person you're purchasing it from. And while you may find some nice prices, you won't get that at Wal-Mart.

Peter Dunn Vlogs About the Factory Store

Runaway Pony

First let me say this is not the horse in question, though he looked similar. This evening I headed in towards Kidron, OH on my way to church league softball practice. My favorite route takes me up, down, and around these curvy two lane roads. I pass by countless small Amish farms and see lots of buggies. What I saw today was a little out of the ordinary. As I crested a hill I see this miniature pony running in my direction down the center of the road. Moments later I notice a couple of kids about a mile further running after him. I did a most English thing (English is what all us non-Amish are), I blocked the road with my car, waved my arms out the window and spooked the pony back in the other direction. Following behind the pony I kept pushing him towards the kids until about 20 feet from capture, the pony jumps a ditch and tears across a field! The kids laughed, waved and headed off after the freedom craving miniature pony. After softball practice about an hour later I am driving the same road home. Those poor kids, walking along the road and looking a little less enthusiastic, continued to chase down this stubborn pony. Just another day in Amish country...