[TheForge] Speaking of benders...

[Jeff Harding]

The Amish around here will use any convenience that is necessary for
business, if that means a diesel generator to run the sewing machine
for the Nylon Harness business, they will do it.  They won't "be
dependent" on anything, their basic lifestyle needs no commercially
available power or materials.  They trade among themselves and help
each other when large amounts of labor are needed.  We buy eggs from
an Amish farm, small operation, " Dad & Grandpa"  both work in a
factory.

   There are all "degrees" of following that lifestyle, I used to pick
up milk from Amish farms, some were totally modern operations running
milkers and the whole thing from a small stationary engine, one guy
even owned a car, black of course.   One farm still milks by hand, the
only thing they run with an engine is a freon pump for the bulk tank.
They even burn corn cobs and shucks in a little water heater and pump
the water with wind, only need to heater to be hot when you need hot
water, no need to waste by keeping it hot all the time.

   One thing about those guys is that they can figure out a way to
accomplish something with minimal energy and they are masters of
"re-engineering" things to serve other purposes.  One farm had a
stationary engine running a long shaft, along the shaft he had a
generator for 220V,  a freon compressor, a vacuum pump (for the
milker),  an air compressor that he charged a 1,000 gal. LP tank with.
He'd go out to milk and run that setup for a couple of hours and use
the air to pump his water with a pump jack the rest of the day.  His
milker and bulk tank even cleaned themselves. No commercial power on
the farm, or tractors, all buggies and horses.

   Jeff   ><>



>         Some folks have claimed they use water power, or generators
to
> produce power to run their machines.............. it's not that they
> shouldn't use electricity, I think it is they are not to be
connected to the
> rest of the world or "grid" as it is called.   This theory brings to
> question the purchase of fuel oil, but I don't know enough about
their
> believes or foundations to comment on what they are allowed or not
to do.
>
> Ralph