{"id":5545,"date":"2017-07-27T10:33:00","date_gmt":"2017-07-27T14:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/?p=5545"},"modified":"2024-08-13T09:27:50","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T13:27:50","slug":"traveling-amish-country-scenes-behind-the-solid-furniture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dutchcrafters.com\/blog\/traveling-amish-country-scenes-behind-the-solid-furniture\/","title":{"rendered":"Traveling Amish Country: Scenes Behind the Furniture"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve spent years finding talented woodworkers, and getting to know them and their work.\u00a0Trips to Amish Country<\/a> take us to Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio where the day usually starts before the sun rises.<\/p>\n

There are no warehouses with rows of pre-made chairs and tables waiting to be selected and shipped. Solid wood furniture of this magnitude begins with the ideas of Amish woodworkers who have been perfecting their skills since they were children.<\/p>\n

Take a trip with us through our home-away-from-home as we share some of our favorite sights and memories, and where the essence of DutchCrafters Amish furniture<\/a> was born.<\/p>\n

From Milca: Marketing Assistant<\/h3>\n

\u201cI attended a trade show in Indiana. It was refreshing to see hills and miles of green grass and expanse, and it was really neat to share the road with buggies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Amish<\/p>\n

An early morning in Indiana.<\/h5>\n

\u201cAll of the furniture was beautiful, and since we sell online, it was nice to see the product in person. You can tell that the vendors take pride in what they do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Vice<\/p>\n

Linse, Mary, and Milca at a show in Indiana.<\/h5>\n

From Mary: Product Portfolio Manager<\/h3>\n

\u201cThe reason I love visiting the woodshops is the human connection. Woodshops are truly a family affair, whether its children running around, sons and daughters in the shop, or wives in the office designing products.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Woodworker<\/p>\n

Woodworker in Ohio, with grandchildren joining in.<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\u201cI remember visiting Rustic Barn Wood\u00a0in Pennsylvania. There were only three woodworkers in the shop, but upstairs they had all these pieces in progress that were absolutely stunning. For most of the woodworkers I\u2019ve met, it started out as a hobby but they fell in love with the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Room<\/p>\n

Upstairs at Rustic Barn Wood in Pennsylvania.<\/h5>\n

From Ross: Product Portfolio Manager<\/h3>\n

\u201cThe pace of life is different in Amish communities. Large farms everywhere, acres of yard, and tons of corn fields. Amish Country just has that quiet, family-oriented feel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ohio<\/p>\n

Farmland in Ohio.<\/h5>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve visited Berlin Gardens<\/a>. Although there is technology in the shop, each piece is still touched by hand and inspected for superb quality. The Amish woodworkers give so much attention to detail. The technology helps provide the highest quality on a consistent basis. It was cool to see the mix of technology and Amish workers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Woodworker<\/p>\n

Berlin Gardens woodshop.<\/h5>\n

\u201cAt the shows, I think the biggest thing that stands out is the attention to detail and how much sweat, blood, and tears these woodworkers\u00a0put into their products. Herman Miller, who crafts the Innovative Designs Collection<\/a>, is so passionate about producing high quality products. They\u2019re products he believes in, and stands behind fully. You can hear the passion in his voice and it\u2019s contagious.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"woodworkers<\/p>\n

Amish woodworkers hard at work in Ohio.<\/h5>\n

From Debra: Marketing Manager<\/h3>\n

\u201cOur woodworkers get up early and so do we when we are visiting their shops. Here is one image of a woodworker shop in early morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Woodworking shop in Indiana.<\/h5>\n

\u201cThese are leftovers of poly<\/a> pieces that will be recycled. Scrap pieces are melted down and recycled. Any shavings on the floor are swept up and reused in an Amish woodshop.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Scraps<\/p>\n

Berlin Gardens woodshop.<\/h5>\n

\u201cThis is some high corn and another example of how the Amish do things to the best of their abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"High<\/p>\n

Corn Field in Pennsylvania.<\/strong><\/h5>\n

From Jennifer: Customer Service Specialist<\/h3>\n

“One interesting fact that I learned while visiting one of our hickory woodshops is that\u00a0hickory<\/a> is harvested just a couple of times a year, so woodworkers have to order enough to cover their orders for a year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Woodworker<\/p>\n

Hickory woodshop in Indiana.<\/h5>\n

\u201cWoodshops are often located on the owner\u2019s home property. When you pull up you see bikes and horse and buggy parking for the workers. You\u2019ll see children in the shop that are the owner\u2019s children. There is a feeling of family everywhere you go.”<\/p>\n

\"Horse<\/p>\n

Horses waiting\u00a0outside a woodshop in Ohio.<\/h5>\n

From Linse: Vice-President<\/h3>\n

\u201cI love seeing all the color around an Amish house. Dresses are hanging out on the clothesline, and beautiful flowers are always planted in the yard.”<\/p>\n

\"Clothing<\/p>\n

\"Flowers<\/p>\n

Amish homes in Ohio.<\/h5>\n

From Jake: Multimedia Producer\/Graphic Designer<\/h3>\n

\u201cThe shops I visited were situated on and around farmland in the rolling hills of northern Indiana. Over the course of two days, I visited nine shops and one store. The men and women I met were all friendly, welcoming, and genuine. It never felt as if they had anything important to hurry off to besides being hospitable to those of us visiting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The view from the front door of a woodshop in Indiana.<\/h5>\n

\u201cWe visited Blue Mountain Hickory<\/a>\u00a0the first day, starting around 5:30 a.m. and the workers had already been in the shop for some time. I learned about their process of baking wood to kill insects and steam bending to form it to the necessary shape for their furniture. After a tour, we were offered homemade baked goods and fruit. We enjoyed the same hospitality at almost every shop.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Pie\"<\/p>\n

Enjoying some Amish made pie.<\/h5>\n

\u201cI expected the hard work ethic and commitment to their work, but what surprised me was their interest in process improvement. Every shop wanted to know if we had any advice for them — not to finish quickly and send out more product — but to really get it done right <\/em>and achieve the most impressive product to please a customer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"woodworker<\/p>\n

Amish woodworker inspecting his work.<\/strong><\/h5>\n

As we continue to grow, we are sure to be on the road, visiting\u00a0woodshops<\/a> in Amish Country\u00a0and learning about the best and newest in Amish made furniture in order to offer the most authentic products online and in our Saraosota, Florida showroom<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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