See our World from a Buggy!
So who was Aaron?
Aaron was Jessica’s first horse!?
Embrace the moment and travel the countryside in our locally made horse drawn Amish carriages!
So who is Jessica?
Born a small town girl, it was Jessica’s dream to own a horse and carriage where she could
share our lifestyle with others. She and her siblings attended a one-room schoolhouse
and experienced the rigors of winter and hot summers. At the young age of 14 when her
eighth grade education ended, Jessica had the opportunity to select the interior color
of her buggy, choosing which style wood dashboard she wanted, and items such as a
speedometer versus hand-powered windshield wiper! YES, even 30 years ago every family
custom ordered the interior design of their Amish carriage. An opportunity presented at
Plain & Fancy Farm to open a carriage business for visitors. In the next moment, Jessica
found her favorite horse and named him Aaron, and soon began offering a carriage ride
experience to travelers who were seeking to learn more about the Amish, Mennonites, and
Old Order Brethren of Pennsylvania. Tracing our heritage back through Pennsylvania
Dutch trails, to the Dutch Brethren of the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland, Jessica
and her dad had a new found joy of telling others about our way of life.
Today, Jessica’s family lives in one of the oldest known standing homes in Lancaster
County. It’s now been over 31 years that the family has maintained the passion to share the
Christian faith and “reasons” for living a Plain lifestyle. Within those years, Jessica and her
five siblings are now parents to a combined 15+ children! Every few years another one of
the children got to start learning how to drive a horse. In Lancaster County, you will see
children as young as 6 or 7 years old driving their miniature pony to town!
Just as we continue to grow and develop, our communities continue to adapt to newer
technology that may be permissible to utilize within the home or at work. It is important
to understand that Amish and other Plain community members do not have a specific
religious belief against technology. Their faith in the New Testament teaches them
to follow verses such as John 15:19, to be in the world, but not of the world. No matter
the progression, the simplistic lifestyle still holds strong! On our ride you’ll have the
opportunity to ask questions about day to day life, Don’t forget to ask about the electrical
sources in our homes (electrical wires are still non-existent).
In Jessica’s home, and in a select few of the Plain churches, children are permitted to go to
school beyond eighth grade. When Jessica had the opportunity to do local farm calls with a
veterinarian, she found a love of medicine and caring for our horses.
Once she obtained her vet technician degrees, she worked five years in a horse operating room. She quickly discovered her true passion was caring for not just animals but humans also. Being the eldest sibling, she led by example and soon her next four siblings followed suit in pursuing healthcare degrees. Jessica’s sisters remain in Lancaster County practicing nursing within the local communities. Today, you may see Jessica or her youngest sister Miriam offering buggy rides. This is your full opportunity to learn first hand about our childhood and the Christian beliefs that still hold true to us. A Family Tradition that Never Disappoints No matter the stage in life or agenda of the day, guests, locals (and even our drivers) find riding in a horse drawn carriage to be very relaxing! Even after thousands of carriage rides, Jessica, Sarah, Rachel, Miriam and their two brothers still love taking an evening joy ride in the carriage. When you come to our buggy ride, every ride begins with a ride through our covered bridge! As Jessica and Miriam continue to expand our rides, we now offer many public, private and “themed” buggy rides. Inquire about scheduling your next special moment and create memories to last a lifetime!