Among the 35 or so people who showed up for a meeting that November day in 2019 were about 15 Amish farmers, many of them angry over $100,000 they said they were owed.<\/p>\n
Aaron Schwartz, an elder member of the rural Western Pennsylvania settlement where those Amish lived, hosted that meeting at his simple frame home, even though he was owed much less than other farmers.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe somebody could salvage this thing,\u201d the 62-year-old Mr. Schwartz remembered thinking.<\/p>\n
It wouldn\u2019t be easy. Those owed money were resolute about dealing with Penn\u2019s Corner. \u201cAll of us farmers said, \u2018No more produce,\u2019 \u201d Mr. Schwartz said. \u201cIt could\u2019ve gotten a little messy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, his wife, Prisciolla, was busy serving the crowd \u2014 chicken, mashed potatoes, homemade maple ice cream with raspberry preserve topping. Mr. Schwartz opened the meeting by reciting from memory a child\u2019s poem from the 19th century.<\/p>\n
Tension in the room eased.<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n Farmers' anger melts thanks to co-op that's bridging Amish, modern worlds in Clarion County https:\/\/t.co\/hAUoXzDZEt<\/a><\/p>\n — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (@PittsburghPG) February 8, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n