{"id":3974,"date":"2026-05-06T23:23:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T23:23:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learningaloud.com\/curmudgeonspeaks\/?p=3974"},"modified":"2026-05-07T01:34:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T01:34:04","slug":"amish-greenhouses-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learningaloud.com\/curmudgeonspeaks\/2026\/05\/06\/amish-greenhouses-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Amish Greenhouses 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We have made a visit to the Amish greenhouses since 2019<\/a> with the exception of the COVID year. As I have noted in a few of my other posts, the original post attracts more posts every other year than any other posts on this blog. My guess is that people are interested in visiting these greenhouses but can’t find much information about them. Recently, a few more local ones have appeared, but the early popularity of my initial post has racked up many Google hits, which prioritize my link over others. My original post has a map, which is still what they give you at the local gas station, and that is also of some value. <\/p>\n\n\n

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St. Charles sits in Winona County, straight south of Minneapolis. Amish communities have established themselves in this part of the state over the past several decades, drawn by the availability of farmland and the opportunity to build tight-knit agricultural communities. Unlike large commercial operations, these farms tend to be family-run, with knowledge passed down through generations. Many of houses on these farms are large and often extended to allow for multiple families under a single roof. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greenhouses have become an important extension of that tradition, allowing Amish farmers to start plants early, extend the growing season, and provide products that are in high demand among gardeners. Prices are somewhat lower than we experience in the Minneapolis\/St. Paul metro area, but the current price of gas would not justify the trip unless you came with a large vehicle and purchased a large number of plants. I like to start my own vegetables, but my wife invests heavily in flowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the biggest reasons people return year after year is simple: quality. Plants from Amish greenhouses seem hardy and and we have always had good luck with both vegetables and flowers. There\u2019s also something intangible at play. The experience is quieter, slower. You are exploring a different culture with different clothing, a religious lifestyle emphasizing contributions to the group, education for children only through 8th grade, and an agriculture-based economy emphasizing hand and horsepower. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First and most importantly: bring cash. Many Amish businesses operate on a cash-only basis. No credit cards or Venmo. In many greenhouses, a teenage girl will list your purchases at checkout on a receipt with a carbon paper generated copy, add the cost of each item by hand, and check the required tax against a sheet specifying the required allocation for totals of different amounts. She may seem shy and many not have much to say. The greenhouses will not be open on Sundays. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have now made this trip to many times I try to find something unique to write about each time. I grew up in a small town in Iowa and have enough background to have had some interesting conversations about the equipment they use and my personal experiences. There is not much difference between a 5-horse hitch pulling a 2 or 3-bottom plow and what I use to pull with our old John Deere B. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As I mentioned, I start my own vegetables and have always been interested in their greenhouses. These structures don’t have the heating sources or thermostats that control modern greenhouses. I tried to do some research on their wood stoves. My online sources suggested that these greenhouses are normally heated with a boiler system that circulates water warmed by the external wood fired furnace. I so now heat source of this type in the greenhouses we visited. In most cases, each structure had two large wood stoves that function as a source for convection heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just for kicks, I submitted the following photo and asked the AI tool I use to provide a description. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a box-style wood-burning stove with a firebox and chimney<\/strong>, designed to produce a lot of radiant and convective heat:<\/p>\n\n\n\n