Amish Landscape | Amish Country Pictures

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How to find USA Made Frost Proof Water Hydrants

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Old Fashioned USA Made Garden Sprayers

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New Gas Powered Circular and Miter Saws

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Amish Pneumatic Air Power Tools | Routers | Sanders

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The Whole Foods/Organic Craze

As a new Whole Food store opened in our area I was not at all surprised with the crowd that it attracted. 

Granted it was the grand opening day, but the store was wall to wall with people filling their carts with a look and touch of each selection as if this is something really special for their family.

People are clearly concerned with the recent events in the safety breaches within our food chain.  They are also concerned with the health risk of pesticides and genetics being used to manipulate foods.

Even when the food leaves the farm it still may go through more alterations to preserve and doctor it up so that is looks fresh at the market, even when it may not be so fresh.

These are the reasons why people are going after whole and organic foods.  While both terms are widely used, organic seems to be more and more termed “Whole Foods”.

Both terms have different meanings, and foods sold as Whole Food, is not necessarily organically grown.

Whole Food is such a new term that it is not even regulated, leaving it wide open for marketing association without fact. Whole Food should be grown as naturally as possible without, synthetic chemicals and pesticides.

Organic on the other hand is regulated by the USDA and must meet rigid standards to be sold as organic.

Organic foods certified and displayed with the USDA Organic Green Seal is currently the Gold Standard in Organic Foods.

Probably the most proficient organic growers are Amish farmers.  An early spring trip through the Amish country will be fragrant as they clean out their barns with fresh manure to add to the organic fertilizer base on their fields and gardens.

The Amish Stutzman Family has grown organic grains in the Ohio rolling hills of Holmes County for over 60 years.  Long before organic certification ever existed the Stutzman family has practiced organic soil management to obtain rich fertile soil and high quality grains throughout their Amish heritage.

Stutzman Farms is organic certified through the Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association (OEFFA).  The Stutzman family processes a variety of natural organic grains.

Food processing from the organic grains is completed on the Stutzman Farms.  These facilities are routinely inspected by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Stutzman Farms specializes in growing and harvesting Spelt, Wheat, Oats, Rye, and Corn on Ohio Amish Farms using the old time planting and harvesting methods.

Pictures are courtesy of Cottage Craft Works .com, the only online supplier of the Amish Stutzman Farms grains and flours.    

American Heritage Blue Stripe Stoneware Bowls

New stoneware bowls made in the USA are hard to find, especially the traditional blue stripe.  

The larger bowls such as the popular 16” are even more difficult to find.

Cottage Craft Works .com a back-to-basics online store carries American Heritage Blue Stripe Stoneware bowls  in sizes form 10” all the way up to the popular 16”. 

They are made right here in the USA using the same pottery methods passed down from generations.

These bowls also last for generations and were very common in most kitchens at the turn of the century.

As functional today as they were back then, stoneware is even microwave and dishwasher safe.  As they were used in the olden days, these stoneware bowls can go directly into the oven.

Stoneware bowls is not the only thing available at this online retro emporium.  You will find all types of reproduction stoneware pottery items.

Stoneware bowls, pitchers, crocks and baking dishes are also available as well as all types of cookware in stainless.

Reproduction Treadle Sewing Cabinet | A Customers Story

What Our Customers Say:

This is a moving story from one of our customers who purchased one of our reproduction sewing cabinets.

http://www.cottagecraftworks.com/sewing-cabinets-amish-furniture-singer-reproduction-treadle-sewing-cabinet-p-1656.html

In December 2011 my mother passed away. She was right at 86 years old. She had a massive stroke in 2010. If affected her left side and had lost the ability to speak. When I ordered the treadle I had no idea that my mothers old relic would fit in the cabinet. While I love the Janome it still is not an old machine and while it’s a part of my recent history it lacks the history that the old Universal class 15 clone has. The old girls motor burned up years ago. I am 57 and this is the  machine I learned to sew on.

Frankly I was afraid to fire her up with another motor due to the ages of both the motor. One belonged to my mom and the other was my Ma Maws. My grandfather bought three of these machines in the 40’s. One for my grandma and the other for my mother and her sister.

My father tells the story of how when we moved from Memphis in 1959 he filled the car up with little dresses. It seems that my sister and I never worn the same dress twice. I have had a love of sewing since I was five a love that I got from my mother and my grandmother.

Fast forward to 1964. I made my first dress on that old machine. I actually took my 5th grade picture in it. It is blue with a square neck and even has lace. Not bad for a first attempt. This old girl made most of my clothes as a child and through high school.  

One Easter it made three identical dresses for my mom and my sister. I remember that both my sister and I had to endure three hours with my mom’s beautician getting our hair curled just for the occasion. Pretty sure that perm solution caused brain damage and its why my math skills are so bad.

My mom is gone and the anniversary of her death is coming up. Her death was what us good Southern folks call a blessing. I carry her memory with me. Just being able to touch the old machine and know that this Christmas I will make clothes for my own grandchildren.

It is a wonderful connection that I could not possibly get with the newer machine. Thank you for bringing decent craftsmen to the general public. You have no idea of what it means to me.

C. P.

Mississippi 

Fix Dry Rot Quickly With A Metal Skin Cover

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Stove Top Food Dehydrator | Corn Drying Pan Reproduced

These double layered pans were developed as a necessity to preserve food, as in their origination  drying food was the only method known to preserve food for long hard winters.

The pans were used on wood cooking and heating stoves.  The center layer was left open with a water fill port to maintain sandwich of hot water between the hot stove and the food that was being dried.

The pans were called corn drying pans probably because the most dried food commodity at that time would have been corn.  They were also used to dry other vegetables, fruits and to make all types of meat jerky.

The pan has been redeveloped and re-introduced by Cottage Craft Works .com.  In doing so like most of the reproduced products the pans have been remade using all stainless, and are built just as heavy duty by the Amish as the original pans.

The original pans were made of galvanized metal with lead containing solder used to seal the joints.  The galvanized metal rusted from the inside out making the pans unusable to hold water.

The welded stainless will not present these problems, as these new pans are likely to last for generations.

With the popularity and interest in dehydrating foods and drying sprouted and water soaked nuts, these old time water pans will bring a new dimension on the way food is dehydrated.

The pans work well on electric and gas stoves, and will replace the oven for dehydrating foods.

If you like to make your own pasta and dry it you will need one of these pans, which are favored by the Amish for this use.

Miss Hit Wagon Mounted Old Fashioned Ice Cream Freezers

These old fashioned ice cream freezers powered by a refurbished John Deere Hit Miss engine will bring nostalgic old time memories back to your next gathering.

Featuring a single or double Amish made Ice Cream Freezer these Ice Cream Wagons are equipped just like the original  ones that were used in the old time county fairs and 4th of July celebrations.

The old John Deere Hit and Miss engines were used to power many farm and home appliances before more modern small gas engines were developed and then followed by electric motors.

These wagons are made in an Amish shop and are equipped with the Amish made 20 qt Country Ice Cream Freezer.

Several models are available with rubber or authentic wood spoke wheels.  You can even purchase one using a modern compressor for freezing.  This provides the nostalgic crowd drawing ice cream maker without the mess of the ice and salt.

See link below to learn about product:

https://www.cottagecraftworks.com/wagon-mounted-hit-miss-ice-cream-freezers

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Reproduction Singer Treadle Sewing Cabinets

Cottage Craft Works .com known for their creative way of bringing old time products back into the market place has just introduced a reproduction sewing cabinet for the older Singer Class 15 Sewing machines.

The cabinet is available in a treadle version for the oldest machines or without a treadle for the electric machines Singer machines that were manufactured in the mid 1900s.

Like most of the products the reproduction Singer cabinet is Amish handcrafted, probably better than the original as it uses solid oak or cherry for the top and the drawer fronts.  Most of the old cabinets were covered in veneer, which is one reason not many have survived.

The actual Singer Sewing Machines were built like a tank and many have survived, however without a cabinet for the machine to sit in and be operated by a treadle, up until now they have been mostly decorating items or collected.

Now with this reproduction cabinet the old Singer Class 15 Machines can go back to work.  

Despite all the electronic sewing machines available many still enjoy the control and the singing of an old Singer Treadle.

These stunning cabinet also will add to the nostalgic decor of any sewing room.

Cabinets are also available for the newer and popular Janome 712T Treadle Machine.

Purchase these Amish handcrafted sewing machine cabinets at Cottage Craft Works .com