This is the normal view of my new Amish neighbors farm from my kitchen window.
This morning when I looked out, I could see Mrs. Fisher on top of the mound of top soil holding the reins of six horses on this side of the mound and an overturned piece of equipment on its side behind her. I could not see Mr. Fisher and was afraid he may by under the wreck. I yelled for Mrs. K to call 911 as I grabbed my binoculars. With the binos I was able to see Mr Fisher working under the horses to untangle the harness. It appeared no one was hurt so the 911 call was cancelled and I sprinted the 300 yards to help. It takes about 3 minutes for a 76 YO to cover 300 yards.
They had borrowed two horses to help their four pull a heavy 15 row grain drill that they were going to use to plant grass seed for a pasture. Mr Fisher was between the drill and the horses where he was starting a small engine that powers the hydraulics on the drill. When he started the engine the horses bolted up over the dirt pile and the drill overturned and dug into the back side stopping the horses. Luckily he was able to dive to safety before the drill ran him over. This would certainly have been a fatal accident. We had to cut some of the harness as it was tightly wrapped around some of the horses legs.
After unhitching the six horses and getting them secured, with a fork lift we were able to right the grain drill and pull it off the dirt pile. The only damage was to the cut harness and the 20' long 4x4 channel tongue that had a slight bend.
Thanks for the post.It demonstrates the hazards of farm work no matter how it is performed.It also confirms how valuable Good Neighbors are.
Truly glad that no one was injured.
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Yes thankfully no injuries. We have a lot of farm accidents involving the Amish and Mennonite community around me. Quite often it's children under 10 years old involved. I remeber driving to the Big Show a couple of years ago. A few miles from my house was a farm and a boy who appeared to be about 5 yrs. old , operating a team of draft horses pulling a cultivator. I admire their work ethic but I just shook my head. No adult around that I could see.
I was almost involved with a horse & buggy accident one evening. I'm driving in a 40 mph zone double lane highway. Up ahead I see a horse & buggy in the rt lane. I move over to the left lane. I'm about 50 yrds. from the buggy when it cuts across in front of me across 4 lanes of traffic to go into a grocery store. I had to hit the brakes hard and got stopped about 10 feet from where the buggy was crossing my path. Young girl driving it looked at me like it was my fault!
Ed, I’m glad your neighbors were spared yesterday and you were able to make it there to help!
I mean no disrespect, it’s simply from not being familiar with the ways of Amish life. What is the difference between horses pulling an engine powered implement or pto cart and a tractor pulling a pto implement?
Every community is different. The Decons (I believe,someone correct me if I’m wrong) set what is and isn’t acceptable for their community. You can have a hand crank washer in one and have to use a washboard and tub in another.
Generally there are some more freedoms and leeway when it comes to the operation of a business. The Amish nursery where my grandpa used to buy stuff (Burr Oak Township) has electricity and a phone. The BUSINESS had those things, the house didn’t. I realize this doesn’t give a definitive answer, but there is some inconsistencies(<from the outside looking in) from community to community simply due to leadership and what they allow.
Glad nothing more than some harnesses were hurt, could’ve been a lot worse for everyone involved.
Our community lost a farmer last week . He was working on his manure spreader when he got caught up in the auger. Probably something he did all the time and got to comfortable with and careless. I can think of five farming accident deaths just in my area of the top of my head. Just try to be as safe as you can when you’re working and be aware of your surroundings. I’m also going to add that your comfortable ripped up Carhart jacket you could never be without might be the biggest hazard to you.
A lot of people, me included, question the reasoning behind what is and isn't acceptable for the different sects.
It seems the several things that are not acceptable are pulling a piece of machinery with a tractor although the machine itself may have an engine, and the use of electricity from the power grid, and the driving of an automobile. Although I see a fork lift being used on a regular basis.
The land line phones for business use are located on a pole some distance from the buildings. Most of the stationary equipment and tools are pneumatic and powered by diesel driven air compressors. This includes the water irrigation systems. The wells and water systems are pressurized with air...no pumps. Diesel driven generators are used to provide power for battery charging.
The constant activity between the machinery and the horses is always an accident waiting to happen. A runaway like we had yesterday usually does not happen without injuries.
@Ed Kennell Glad you were there to assist your neighbors and that no one (including horses) were injured!
@Ed Kennell, I’m curious about the fork lift, is it electric?
Because if they're allowed to have electricity for what’s needed for the farm (business), that’s the loop hole for a forklift.
Yep, it's a battery powered fork lift.
Usually you can't use "Modern stuff" for personal use: so the barn can have a refrigerator in the barn to store meds for the animals, but no refrigerator in the house for human use. Rational is: humans may get distracted by using modern stuff & have too much idle time get in trouble, and not appreciate their past (1800 or when they left Europe). But they often can wear Velco-lace shoes to reduce pain so they can then go out to the barn to work. To make a living for the family they can use modern equipment, (even CNC, iPhones) but not to make their personal life easy. At the big Wheel Horse Show you'll see a whole building that just the Amish have, and they are using iPhones to look up parts on & play solitaire on, but can't use a real deck of cards, c o n f u s i n g.
When my new neighbor was moving in, he asked if he could put a freezer in my pole barn. I said no, because I turn off all power when I am not in the shop.
Anyway that would have been a 300 yd hike for his 2yo to get a popsicle.
Unfortunately it isn't just the four legged horses that can get away from you. This afternoon I was driving my GT-14 down my Very Steep driveway when the right axle decided to work its way out of the differential (guess the snap ring came off). With that the began picking up speed rapidly, I lowered the FEL bucket but it didn't help much. I didn't want to hit a tree because the sudden stop would hurt for sure. I rode it out until it crossed the road and headed for the creek. As it approached the ditch I bailed off, when I got up I saw it sitting harmlessly at the edge of the creek. My neighbor and I pulled it back to the barn (had to jack it up and shove the axle in a couple times).
God was watching over me for sure! I will have a little black eye and have a few bruises, but considering how it could have ended I feel blessed.
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@953 nut glad you were able to walk away from that! I’ve heard similar story’s where jumping off alone is what caused the injury, so that’s double lucky.
That hurt parts of me just reading about it.
Let's be careful out there Richard. I need you at the show to pick up a pile of junke. Glad your OK, sounds like it could have been much worse.
There are many questions that we have regarding the Amish way of life and many times what to us seem to be contradictions to that way. From conversations with an elder regarding that same question you posed above, although a bit more complicated,the basic answer is about speed and their way of life. The horse is what dictates their way of life in general. The speed of the horse is how fast they want their pace of life to be if I make any sense.Same reason why a tractor is allowed for some operations by some but it has to have metal wheels. It involves in a way also a sense of humility and a desire not to be too ambitious since that promotes vanity and so on.
Inevitably some of those ways are now being changed due to either necessity or outright influence from outside. I always admired them, for it takes strength and conviction to stick to your believes despite being surrounded by something totally different. They are here because it is here they have the freedom to be who they are and that is something we should all be proud of. Trust me , there is no where else like it.