O.T. Maybe Anti-Tractor

My land was homesteaded in 1867, by my great-grandfather and is close to holding the record in Nebraska for continuous family ownership. That is irrelevant to my question here, just a little background. I live 8-9 hours away and have given up on ever living there myself. Amish families made an attempt to settle in the county in the early 70’s but pulled up stakes, sold out and moved out because of some unfriendly treatment by the state regarding regulations on the schooling of their children.

A year or two ago they started buying and locating in the county again. I met and talked with the man who seems to be their lead figure and am favorably impressed with him and the Amish. In this small town area of S.E. Nebraska the cost of housing and other living expenses is comparatively low. A result is that in recent decades the quality of the population has been diminished, petty and not so petty crime has increased Meth manufacture and distribution to name one.

The place has been mine now for about 25 years and the arrangement on the land use (200 acres) and tenancy has been very satisfactory but the house, except for my visits has been vacant most of the time and “not for rent”, because of the quality of the applicants. Last evening, I had a phone call from an Amish man, 25 with a wife and two toddlers. His BIL bought ½ of an adjacent 40 and is building a new home there. The caller is interested in renting my house, two story- nine rooms and some out buildings. I told him it had not been for rent but that I might consider an Amish. He told me he was from Crab Orchard, KY; 725 miles away.

My experience with these people is near zero but I am favorably impressed with them. I am a “live and let live” kind of guy, like to avoid hassles but like to help those who deserve it. I welcome any comments or advice on how this should be approached.

I have had some dealings with them. Around some dairy farms in central Texas. Good hard working people and will probably return to you a house in better shape than it is now. I would have no problem renting to them. They take very good care of what they have. The Amish I know are very good and honest people.

I'm not quite sure if I see a question here . We have many Amish in my area of New York, and there are more moving in all the time. Mostly from the state of Maryland.

I've had many dealings with them and all were favorable. Long story short, if I had to trust an Amish person who I did not know personally, I'd be more apt to trust him over a non Amish person I did not know.

Why? Simple. General society used to have bad behavior kept in check by "social control" instead of inane laws. If you did something wrong, people looked down on you for it, i.e. YOU got called on it, publically.

Now? Seems many if not most people do whatever the heck they want and behave as if it's OK because "everybody else" does it too.

The Amish still maintain old-fashioned social control and peer pressure within their communities. So yeah, they're human like anyone else, but the bad ones are more apt to be kept in check, or banned from the community.

Where I grew up there were a ton of them all around and I had good experiences with them still do today. I'd as soon rent to an Amish family as most of any others around here but thats based on my own personal experience, others may differ. Thats something you have to decide for yourself.

I can tell you one thing, know how when you go ito a grocery store many brats are running around screamin n whining n throwing temper tantrums !! Well I HAVE NEVERRRRRRRRRRR SEEN AN AMISH KID CRY OR DOING THAT neiher are they whining or crying because its a cold ride in that buggy in the winter

Your house your call REGARDLESS what anyone here thinks.....

Best wishes

John T

My comment is that you will find a no more quality peoples as the old order Amish if in fact these peoples are of that order. Crab orchard Ky. Amish I believe are what is called Beachy Amish and they do use modern conveniences including automobiles.Their young people tend to want to assimilate into modern society and once there hardly ever return to the way of life they were raised as instead most of them take up the modern Mennonite order and some even become undesirables in my opinion.That said you seem to be aware of this young mans BIL as a desireable addition to the community so why not offer him a sale contract of some sort so the title will remain with you but some day it will be his and i am sure by then you will not be able to take care of the place as you would want.Lots of variables in land control and this is one way you will have an interest in the place and see it cared for the way you would want in your life time.Only the Mountains live forever,we people certainly do not.JH

Sounds to me like an answer to the community's problems. An improvement. I bet they improve the place.

Drive through hometown about anywhere USA and look at the majority of places you see then move up the road a little into the Amish Country... I'd bend over backwards if they wanted to take care of a place for me.

Dave

I've sold a lot of hay and straw to the Amish in our area. Mostly been good experiences, with one notable exception. You will find good and bad in all groups, but they tend to straighten out their own problems. If I was going to rent a house I'd do a little checking, but look favorably at the idea.

I think you should reconsider and rent to a couple of the meth cooks. It would be a much more interesting and emotional experience.

Seriously, I am in similar situation. I live in Northern California and have a farm in North Dakota. The house is empty and I won't rent for the same reasons, the rents would never cover the damage they would do. Not to mention calls from the tennant from jail about the unreasonable SWAT team that kicked in the front door. However, if an Amish family wanted to stay there I would let them for free.

I, like the other responders have nothing but good to say about the Amish. I sold a combine(they wanted the Perkins engine only) to an Amish guy and was impressed with the integrity of the transaction.

Not sure what part of SE Nebraska you're in, but I live just north of Milford. The area immediately south and west of Milford is predominately Mennonite, so I've grown up with them.

Like someone else said, regardless of the venue, the kids are always totally under control and perfectly behaved. The local Mennonites are fairly well assimilated into the general population, with a few exceptions. The ladies always wear a small, lacy head covering, and wear no makeup or jewelry. Ladies also always wear dresses or skirts, no jeans or slacks of any kind. (I once had a Mennonite lady work for me who had no qualms about climbing a ladder, or doing whatever was necessary, wearing a skirt).

They have a very strong family structure. Every year, I have my deer processed by a meat business owned and operated by a Mennonite family. And it IS a family operation. When you walk in the place during non-school hours, everyone in the family from age 10 on up has a job and is doing it. They're the one place locally where you can be guaranteed of getting your own deer meat back, not just "X" number of pounds of somebody elses.

I was once Buildings and Grounds Supervisor for the Milford Public School district, and when there was mischief, you could bet the farm it would not be done by Mennonite kids.

Didn't mean to run on, but we also have a farm house we rent out. Would I rent to a Mennonite? I should be so lucky.

Not sure what part of SE Nebraska you're in, but I live just north of Milford. The area immediately south and west of Milford is predominately Mennonite, so I've grown up with them.

Like someone else said, regardless of the venue, the kids are always totally under control and perfectly behaved. The local Mennonites are fairly well assimilated into the general population, with a few exceptions. The ladies always wear a small, lacy head covering, and wear no makeup or jewelry. Ladies also always wear dresses or skirts, no jeans or slacks of any kind. (I once had a Mennonite lady work for me who had no qualms about climbing a ladder, or doing whatever was necessary, wearing a skirt).

They have a very strong family structure. Every year, I have my deer processed by a meat business owned and operated by a Mennonite family. And it IS a family operation. When you walk in the place during non-school hours, everyone in the family from age 10 on up has a job and is doing it. They're the one place locally where you can be guaranteed of getting your own deer meat back, not just "X" number of pounds of somebody elses.

I was once Buildings and Grounds Supervisor for the Milford Public School district, and when there was mischief, you could bet the farm it would not be done by Mennonite kids.

Didn't mean to run on, but we also have a farm house we rent out. Would I rent to a Mennonite? I should be so lucky.

Consider yourself blessed to have the opportunity. If it was mine (and it isn't), I would tell them to stay there for free if they maintain it and fix it up. Knowing them, you'll have a showcase home in no time.

some Amish will take care of it and some Amish will destroy it because they do not respect "ENGLISH PEOPLE".
Hopefully he is one of the good order's
good luck
Ron

IMHO you would be well off if you were to rent it out to them, but of course it would be smart to check them out first (ask them for some references). Since the house has been vacant from some time, it's going to end up being occupied sooner or later and it would be much smarter if it was occupied by someone you knew instead of someone you didn't know (meth manufacturers, dope heads). Rent it cheap or even free, they will probably leave it nicer and in better condition than it was when they moved in. Just be sure and have a contract drawn up and make it all nice and legal and make it very clear that you have no intention of selling the place (don't want them getting too comfortable).

Really like the site linked below to learn about the Amish, good and bad. Mostly good, but they have one flaw -- they're humans, too.

Connecticut gives a sign to "Bicenntenial Farms" that have been in the same family as active farms for 200 years.

Went to high school with one kid whose family still owns and rents out land they were granted somewhere around 1730 IIRC.

Oldest farm still owned by the same family I know of here was founded in 1741 -- they also figure they're the 12th oldest family owned business in the U.S.
http://amishamerica.typepad.com/amish_america/

Very good point on society in general.

In my area, the standards of personal appearance seem to be somewhere near dirtbag, at least for young men.

What you describe, is DENOMINATION in a Cult Religion, (( and you call it Social Control ))

when your born and raised in that situation, it's really hard to get out, but I have seen some do leave,

Sounds to me, you'd be a good candidate for the Clan....

zeke, don't you have some toys to pick up!!!!!

As for Renting out the House ???First off Just Who Gave you Phone No. to this Caller ??????,2ndSence you have rented it out before and not had good luck??? Why would Think of Renting it now TO SOME ONE YOU HAVE NO IDEA OF THERE BACK GROUND,LAW BREAKERS,DO YOUR SELF A FAVOR ! IF RENTING IS SOME THING YOU WOULD DO ,GO TO A LOCAL REALISTATE BROKER THE HANDELS Rentels ,and let them handel reanting you house out ! They have Solid Contracts thatDeal with them ,[Back ground Checks so you get GOOD Tenents ]!all so will only show & rent ,to the Kind of People you Would APPROVE OF ! I KNOW IT WILL COST YOU SOME OF THE RENT ,BUT THEY WILL CHARGE A LITTLE MORE to cover the cost ! But they Check you property,.so you dont have things going wrong.

Your a funny fellow, seems your having troubles understanding there are always two ways to look at things,

and could be more if you just ask everyone,
as for toys,,, I to toy with weird people,

zeke

Searching for your answers from within again joey?????? I still got your picture.

I have two draft horses that were rescued from the Amish.If they could talk,i'm sure they would give you an ear full about the Amish.

All my life, I've only heard good things about the Amish, but in the last 20 years they have been moving into our area (S. Illinois). We have discovered that they are not quite as "good" as we had always heard.

One Amish neighbor decided he'd make some fence repairs, and drove on the outside of his fence, in the neighbor's alfalfa, in a late winter thaw, without discussing the repair with the neighbor.

Another Amish family lived across the road from my son, and he borrowed my son's tractor - for a month, and drove it all over S. Illinois. I observed him bringing his dog over to my son's home to eat son's cat food after son's family had all gone to work.

Another Amish neighbor, along with a trailer load of family, was caught poaching deer one night a few years ago.

As much as I'd love to believe that the Amish are the best that humanity has to offer, I find that it's like another poster said - they're human too. They have all the frailties that any other group has.

I must mention - these folks around here are "tractor Amish". Maybe that makes them a little more worldly than the buggy Amish.

It appears that they always try to save money for the clan, at the expense of the "English".

Good luck with your rental - I hope your experience is different than ours.

Paul