Ingenious Hacks I Learned from the Amish

For hundreds of years the Amish have resisted change and consistently pursued a lifestyle defined by our pioneer ancestors. What’s remarkable is how happy and healthy they continue to be in spite of forsaking things like television, contemporary music, gas or electric powered vehicles – and the list goes on.

Amish communities are spread across the United States. I have had a chance to visit a few of them during Amish festivals and fairs. What’s always apparent is a proud commitment to demonstrate and share the activities that define their lifestyle. In two words, it’s all about simplicity and self-sufficiency.

The Amish are also intensely frugal. They shop flea markets and resale shops and only when they can’t make it themselves. Here are some of the other key things I’ve learned:

Home Heating and Cooling

The Amish are known for having massive stoves, usually surrounded by a thick wall of stone. These masonry stoves hold the heat and continue to radiate it even when the fire dies down.

And they’ve taken that masonry concept to another level. Many of their homes have very thick stone walls. The walls also hold the heat, but better yet they keep the house cool in summer. More about that later.

Another Amish heating hack is the use of kerosene or even lanterns powered by white gas. A lot of that depends on the local church and community rules.

The lanterns are often placed in a drafty corner to circulate the heat generated by the lamp or lantern. This is particularly helpful in second floor rooms that don’t have a stove. But then they had another idea.

They would literally cut vents in the ceiling to those unheated rooms. When the vents were open, the heat rising to the ceiling would emerge from the vent into the unheated rooms.

As far as cooling was concerned, the hack was those same: thick walls. If you’ve ever walked down your basement in summer, you’ve probably noticed it’s cooler than upstairs. That’s because of the soil surrounding the foundation. What the Amish figured out is that thick walls provide the same insulation qualities and hold the cool night temperatures throughout the day.

And when it comes to cooling, they’ve also adopted clever alternatives to modern air conditioning. Using simple, natural methods like a dampened cloth in front of a fan, the Amish use evaporative cooling to chill their homes during the summer heat. It’s a humble solution that draws on time-tested principles to provide relief without electricity or complex machinery, proving that simplicity can be incredibly effective.

Got inspired by the Amish methods of heating and cooling their homes? Now, imagine crafting your own Amish-style air conditioning unit—without using a single bit of electricity. And that’s just one of the many old, simple techniques they’ve used for generations to live more self-sufficiently, many of which have been forgotten by the modern world. Here is the complete list of all these clever, hidden tricks.

Water Harvesting

Most Amish farms and homes depend on hand pumps, but rainwater collection in barrels has always been a popular solution.

Water was also harvested from nearby creeks, streams and ponds. They improvised filters from sand and charcoal, and the water was usually purified by boiling.

An interesting hack was the use of a Ram pump. The pump was placed in a spring, creek or river and the current caused the Ram to pump water up and through pipes, leading to either a water tank or cistern in the basement.

Lighting

A variety of off-grid lighting solutions were used by the Amish. Candles were common and candle making was a well established tradition.

I have already mentioned lanterns that burned white gas, but kerosene lamps continue to be used. However, many Amish have adopted some modern solutions defined as solar.

Solar power satisfies the Amish desire for independence and simplicity. In some instances, solar panels are placed on the roof and the power stored and used from battery banks to power LED lights, tools and even some appliances.

Small solar rechargeable lights are also used as a lighting solution. Here again, a lot depends on the rules of the local church or community – but if an approved solution can be adopted that satisfies the frugal nature of the Amish, it will be used.

Gardening and Farming

The Amish were very close to the land and they still practice excellent farming and gardening methods, including:

Making soil health a priority through compost and planting cover crops on their farmland.
Practicing crop rotation and succession planting to restore soil nutrients after harvesting heavy-feeding crops like corn.
Practicing companion planting, which means placing crops next to each other that provide mutual benefits. A good example is the Three Sisters: corn, pole beans and squash. The corn provides support for the pole beans, the pole beans return nitrogen to the soil to feed the corn and the large squash leaves shade the ground, retaining moisture for all three.
Planting Heirloom varieties that are more nutritious and allow for seed harvesting with high germination rates for the next season’s crop.
Planting medicinal gardens, where they grow and harvest a variety of plants for natural herbal remedies. Plants like echinacea and peppermint are cultivated for teas, tinctures and salves to treat common ailments.

Herbal Medicines

The Amish see a doctor for serious conditions, but they treat many common, non-life-threatening ailments with herbal medicines.This often involves making decoctions or teas, or using poultices to treat various conditions.

Some of the most common herbs in their medicinal gardens include:

Echinacea for colds and flu
Burdock for skin irritation and arthritis
Garlic for cardiovascular issues
Red clover to relieve congestion
Turmeric for a cold
Ginger for a cough
Peppermint for respiratory issues

Inspired by the Amish and their holistic approach to health, I decided to create my own medicinal garden. I loved the idea of using plants to heal, just as they have for generations.

I started with what I knew the most about. Echinacea to boost my immune system during the cold season, and Chamomile to unwind at night. Shortly after, I discovered this Medicinal Garden Kit. It included many more plants I didn’t even know I could use as my very own backyard remedy. The kit introduced me to herbs like Yarrow for inflammation and Chicory for liver health. These were plants I had never thought of growing, but quickly grew to love.

The guide that came with the kit was a game-changer. Instead of just telling me what to do, it explained why each plant was special and how to use them in ways I’d never thought of. I learned how to make tinctures, teas, poultices and decoctions, just like the Amish do. These instructions made it simple to incorporate the plants into my daily needs.

I checked, and the kit is still available as of now. So if you also feel inspired to start your own medicinal garden, it might be just what you need. But, be quick—it tends to sell out fast.

Spinning, Weaving and Knitting

It’s no surprise the Amish make their own clothes. The design of their clothing is simple and practical. But it goes beyond sewing.

The Amish spin their own yarns and threads, usually from wool or cotton. Weaving on looms is a standard practice to make fabrics, and young girls are taught to knit at an early age.

Non-Powered Transportation

The Amish are known for their horse and buggies, but many Amish use bicycles more frequently. They usually have a wheeled cart attached to the back and for a quick trip into town, it’s easier than harnessing the horse.

Blacksmithing

Blacksmithing is a common skill among many Amish men. A consistent practice is recycling metal, and they often create alloys to make tools and other equipment requiring metal. They make their own charcoal to fire their forges and even craft their own blacksmithing tools.

Bartering

Bartering aligns with the frugal nature of the Amish. Their ability to make and grow so many things makes it a natural choice. They also barter skills, as they are highly skilled across many disciplines. As a result, bartering is the most common form of commerce in Amish communities.

Food Preservation

The Amish are highly skilled at food preservation, relying on traditional techniques passed down through generations to ensure their families have sustenance year-round. Their methods include canning fruits, vegetables, and meats; sun-drying produce and herbs; smoking and curing meats for long-term storage; and even powdering meats for easy use in soups and stews.

Beyond that, they make flour not only from common grains like wheat and corn but also from more unconventional sources such as dried beans, root vegetables, and even zucchini. Their resourcefulness allows them to maximize every harvest, reducing waste while maintaining a well-stocked pantry regardless of the season.

Pioneer Cooking

The Amish cook on wood-fired stoves but also use open fires, pots on tripods, and Dutch ovens. They have even been known to simmer a stew in a covered pot within a smoldering compost heap.

Wood Crafting and Furniture Making

One of the most famous skills attributed to the Amish is wood crafting and furniture making. One of the key hacks is their ability with joinery. Furniture is assembled with perfectly crafted joints that fit together and hold tight without glue, screws or nails. They’re almost famous for timber frame construction, where whole buildings the size of barns are raised and built with those perfectly crafted joints.

There’s More

The Amish possess an incredible range of skills, from pottery and beekeeping to soap making. These are classic pioneer skills that the Amish have preserved, mastered, and even improved upon with innovative ideas and solutions—all while embracing a life defined by simplicity and self-sufficiency.

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