While sitting in my dorm room the other evening, studying (or mostly on Facebook and YouTube), my phone buzzed and it was my manager, Phyllis, from back home saying, “Good afternoon. Will you be home for Thanksgiving break and able to work, let me know the dates. Thanks.” This just got me thinking how much I miss my job back home. When I tell people that back home I worked at an Amish bakery and deli the first thing I hear is, “There are Amish in Florida?!” Yes, there are and when I was growing up, I was down in that part of town with my grandparents just about every other day. From the time I was 16 and old enough to work, I would think working at Yoders would be the perfect job for me. The summer before I left college, I got a job at the place I had dreamed of working at and  grew up around. No, I am not Amish, but I love being right in the middle of the culture and with the last name Hershey I get asked all the time if I am. 

Classic Florida afternoon shower but this is the quaint little Amish Market I worked at. I often thing how it would be now if I decided never to leave my job and hometown and just worked there….probably would be quite different than studying to eventually go to medical school.

Eating in the dining halls can definitely get old and to be honest I did not branch out that much this week and try anything different (although I did find myself at the HUB often and downtown at Panera and Irvings. If you haven’t been to Irvings I would definitely recommend it, their food is amazing!) So, I thought it would be nice to reminisce about my favorite place back home. Amish food does not have a reputation for being healthy by any means. Hearty fried chicken and meatloaf are extremely popular but working in the deli I became a pro at making and selling the kale salad, which people would call ahead in advance for.

But what else is Yoders known for beside artery clogging, wholesome Amish cooking…..PIE! Everyone in Sarasota, Tampa, and even parts of Orland know Yoder’s is all about the pie.

Peanut butter pie, sweet rolls, and one of the infamous and fantastic Amish bakers making pies for the holiday! (P.S. Man Versus Food even came to Yoders in Sarasota for the fried chicken and pie!)

So for everyone wondering, yes, there are Amish in Florida and if these pictures aren’t convincing enough to come down to the sunshine state…here’s one more of one of my favorite views and places from back home.

It is always nice to think about your hometown and I though this week it would be nice to let you all know a little bit about where I grew up. I cannot wait to go back home for Thanksgiving and relax on the beach and get back to working at my favorite place! Maybe I’ll bring everybody back some pie, or warm weather!