Berkshire is suddenly filled with Amish farmers, merchants and craftsmen, and families like the Swaney’s, who recently sold about 50 acres to a family. The families moving into the area are bringing business as well.
The farms alone will lead to an agricultural boom in the area, said April Swaney. An Amish Bakery is also in the works, which will be open through the summer, as well as Amish-crafted sheds, appropriately called Sheds.
While the Amish are bringing business to the area, the farmers are also improving the land with their farming methods. After years of being compacted by the heavy farm equipment on thick rubber tires, the soil can become less fruitful. But after being cut through with their horse-drawn equipment with metal wheels, the soil is being fluffed in a fashion that will improve the growing conditions for the years to come.
While these families are welcomed to the area with open arms, there are new safety concerns along State Route 38. The Amish do not drive cars, which means drivers are seeing more of their buggies on the roads.
April Swaney, who with her husband recently sold their land, brought up the need for safety signs to the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT). Unwilling to spend tax-payer money on slow-moving vehicle signs, Swaney and other community members are putting pressure on the DOT to make this change to make the roads safer.
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