GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Amish farming's economic competitiveness rumor

06-03-2004, 11:42 AM

In article ,
(briancady413) writes:

A freind who'd priced farms in upstate New York State (USA) mentioned
that when an Amish parish was known to be moving into an area, the
rockbottom prices for abandoned farms went up.
Doesn't this show that the Amish are outcompeting US ag. school farms
at the bottom line? And that US farmers sold out or went under on land
that Amish know they can use profitably?

Brian Cady

It looks more like the price is being jacked up by the real estate agents when
there is the prospect of a likely sale. As the Amish tend to live within easy
reach of community support, one sale to an Amish farmer may raise the
likelyhood of multiple sales to Amish in the local area. I suppose this is to
the economic disadvantage of the Amish.

As to the Amish making a go of previously failed farms, they have a high work
ethic, low mechanisation and, most likely, organic princples . This is a good
recipe for success, according to permaculture.

David Lloyd