Amish and Organic
Posted - November 1, 2008
Amish Naturals: Sharing the grain
By Adrian Larose - as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2008
Many would agree most people do not connect with nature these days. We’re separated by walls of technology, away from nature’s rhythm. Yet, you needn’t visit the rainforest to get back in touch. The North American Amish have lived this way since the 18th century.
To say the Amish live in harmony with nature is an understatement. Eschewing modern conveniences like electricity and motor vehicles, the peaceful farming communities are strong in many places across the United States, as well as some parts of Canada.
The Amish’s traditionally organic, hardworking and quality-focused nature leads them to do differently than most. Amish furniture enjoys a quality reputation, and most recently has this extended to another area: food.
This reputation is due mostly to firms such as Amish Naturals. The company brings all-natural and organic products to market while supporting traditional Amish communities.
Amish Naturals began with pasta. Later additions include granola bars, a wheat-derived fibre supplement and microwave popcorn. Some products are organic; others are all-natural; all are kosher. The firm retails through 3,600 US based stores, with Canada and Europe in the works.
Its pasta facility in Holmes County, Ohio is largely operated by Amish. All staff believe firmly in Amish farming traditions.
“Almost 80% of the company’s workforce is Amish or Mennonite, a related denomination with many of the same core values,” says COO and Executive Vice-President Troy Treangen. The company recipes are similar to long-used Amish ones. “We’ve just taken that same process, same ingredients, and made it on a mass scale that they still operate. If you walk in our facility, you’ll see Old Order Amish guys and gals,” says Treangen.
The Amish lifestyle extends to helping others, no matter their faith. When a Holmes County Amish community helped non-Amish neighbour David Skinner recover from severe flood damage, he in turn decided to help them. Feeling there might be a market for the all-natural food the Amish enjoy, he created Amish Naturals and now works as its CEO.
“The Amish take a lot of pride in their work, whether it’s farming, making quilts, or furniture,” says Treangen. “They have the values that bring good quality food to the table. That’s what we’re really about, the wholesomeness.”
Those values have resulted in the firm’s wheat-derived fibre additive, for which Amish Naturals has filed a US patent. “It doesn’t alter taste at all,” says Treangen. “The additive is already in Amish Naturals’ high-fibre products. Other manufacturers could easily replace some flour with this additive.”
Not everything has been smooth sailing. Many Amish prefer to withdraw from the world. This can cause problems with organic certification.
“The Amish are organic farmers by definition,” says Treangen. “Organic is the old, natural farming method. Yet the Amish cultural desire to stay disconnected from the broader world, for independence, security and religious unity, can hamper organic certification.”
It is difficult for some to accept a direct relationship with authorities. Others have nonetheless taken the plunge and are fully certified, including the firm’s egg supplier.
Perhaps combining new and old is the real story. “What we’re doing is taking an ethnic brand, an ethnic culture, an ethnic product, and bringing it to national exposure,” Treangen said. “You do have to apply certain levels of technology to do that.”
The Amish, meanwhile, grow quality crops under organic methods and contribute labour to a company that brings their culture and food to a wider audience.
“We want to be the largest Amish employer in Holmes County,” Treangen said. With 40 employees after only 18 months, Amish Naturals seems to be well on its way.
