Amish Store

I was responding to Nonni's question on the last post when I realized it was too long for a comment box.  So, what is an Amish Store?  First I should say that it's not technically called an Amish Store, it's called a Country Store.  A lot of the country stores around here just happen to be run by the Amish.

Almost all (maybe all?) of the Amish farms in the area sell goods or do some sort of paid work to help support their farms. Strangely enough, one farm appears to do engine repair.  Another makes furniture (we once saw a beautiful dresser being moved on the back of a wagon) and yet another does house repair.  Honestly, there are so many Amish farms, I imagine that there is a lot more on offer, but the store is something along those lines - a way to supplement the farm income.

The store we go to is called the Pine Grove Country Store, but the locals refer to it as The Bulk Store.  The store buys in bulk and then packages flours, spices, candies, grains, pastas, and other cooking supplies.  Their spice prices and selection are incredible.  They also sell eggs, cheese, butter, and fresh produce from their greenhouses across the street.  For non-food items, they have kitchen wares, toys, gloves, some kids books, and miscellaneous gifts.  And since they sell goods to other Amish families, they have Amish hats, Bibles, fabric, belts for treadle sewing machines, herbal medicines, etc.  My only complaint is that they don't sell baked goods.  I've been told that some country stores in the area sell Amish doughnuts.