Toad Lake Amish Country
I debated about writing on how to find the Amish farms, because I don’t know if this is a secret or not. The more I think about it, the more I realize its not, yet somehow, it still feels like a secret. For the longest time, you couldn’t find this information on the internet. I guess the Amish don’t spend too much time on Facebook. Recently, a co-worker was asking how to get here so I pulled it up on google maps and there it was- A little dot on the map! (Country Road General Store)
Anyway, now that the general store is on the map, I feel better about sharing this information.
First up: The general store-though the vegetable stand is probably my favorite!
Have you ever thought maybe you needed 30 pounds of Fruit Loops? No? Me neither, but in case you needed to know where to get that in 30 pound bags, look no further!
Also a great source for pretty much any type of flour or grain you need, and they are so inexpensive. It will make you realize how much the standard grocery stores up charge.
The number one reason we make this stop every week though, is the bake sale. I didn’t take a picture of that table, so sadly, you’ll just have to follow along with me on it. If you are able to go on a Thursday- you will get the best and freshest selection. Everything from pies, to cookies, breads, bars, donuts, hand pies, caramel corn, egg noodles, the list goes on and it changes every week. The must haves: donuts, if you’re lucky enough to get there before they are out, molasses cookies, and zucchini bars. Yes, I know I was dismissive of them just a few posts ago, but the Amish make a great zucchini bar! We tend to buy a pie almost every week too because they are like eight bucks and pies are not strongest item.
Once in awhile the general store will have fresh veggies, but for usually the best place to scoop those up is another couple miles down the road. When you leave the general store, you will head south on 39. I’ve never timed out how far between the two they are, but I’d estimate around three miles. You will see a sign on the east side of the road that says “Fresh Vegetables and night crawlers.” You will pull into the drive there and drive all the way into the yard. There is a sign that says “parking,” and the vegetable stand is tucked right next to the house.
The types of vegetables depends on the season, but if you have the opportunity to get potatoes, onions or green beans, you should!
Side note: I learned something new about potatoes this last week. It seemed weird to be that fresh potatoes, straight out of the ground, could be SO much better than the ones in the store. They are so creamy, with a slight sweetness when they’re fresh. Compared to regular grocery story potatoes, which taste like nothingness, unless they are covered in butter. Turns out, potatoes are treated with a chemical that prevents sprouting after they are harvested, which takes away their natural texture and taste. I’m not here to debate preservatives, at least not in this post, but I will tell you, fresh will always be better.
I snapped this picture quick, earlier in the summer. These days, everything is taller and more lush, but either way, I can’t help reminiscent when I look at this. It reminds me of the garden my grandparents had when I was a kid.
In hindsight- I maybe should have taken this picture before I basically emptied all the baskets. They were full- you can see the veggies in my first picture on this post. Also, a note for the first picture- all that produce cost $15!
If you’ve ever considered making this trip to lakes country to the Amish farms, do it soon. We are in the heart of vegetable season, which comes in as swiftly as its over. We are hoping this week will be the first of the sweet corn.
In just a couple weeks, there will be only zucchini left…