I posted about this last year, but I know we have a lot of new visitors so I thought I’d re-post.  Basket-making is something that has really caught on as a craft among the Amish.  It’s not something I see everywhere, but in certain communities it appears to have caught on.  One such place is the tiny Swartzentruber Amish settlement west of Sinking Spring, Ohio.

Along this stretch of rural road are several Amish-based home businesses.  During the summer some Amish homemakers sell homemade jams or pickles.  Eli and Mattie Stutzman basket shop is located at 11976 Sinking Spring Road just west of the town of Sinking Spring.  I have visited there a couple of times from my Cincinnati area home.  I think one could easily make a day out of a trip to Sinking Spring and nearby Bainbridge, which is home to an Old Order Mennonite community.  Click here to join me on a brief video tour of the Stutzman’s basket shop.  If you stop by, tell them the Amish Cook’s editor sent you:)  If it’s tough to find a good conversation starter when visiting a conservative Amish settlement, a common friend is a good way to break the ice.  Caption for above photo: A tiny basket shop on the property of the Stutzman home outside of Sinking Spring.