Leaving technology behind a growing trend - Utica Observer Dispatch

Children are welcome at Iron Stone Acres, the bed-and-breakfast that Sharon Zimmerman has been running for nearly 30 years in rural Narvon, Pennsylvania, but they'll need to entertain themselves. The Mennonite-owned dairy farm has no internet connection and no TVs, and you'll have to head into town to find a newspaper.

The severed connection to technology in favor of the farm's peace and quiet is exactly what draws many of Zimmerman's visitors. "The first day, the kids will beg for the phones or the iPad," Zimmerman said. "But pretty quickly, they start wanting to be out in the pasture or feeding the calves or playing in the creek instead."

Unplugged travel is a fast-growing trend, with start-ups and luxury resorts alike marketing "digital detox" packages.

An authentic cultural experience is one of the biggest drivers of tourism in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, which had an influx of nearly $2 billion from visitors in 2017. The region is home to the country's second-largest Amish population, a community known for rejection of modern conveniences such as cars and electricity, as well as a modest style of dress. Tourists interested in the "plain people" visit stores and farmers markets full of Amish-made furniture and quilts, and pay a premium to ride in horse-drawn buggies.

Dave Hanson, who lives in a nearby suburb of Philadelphia, felt that the average visitor experience was still less than authentic. "So many people come to Lancaster because they're interested in the Amish," he said. "But they end up running into the kitschy stuff, and people go away disappointed."

About three years ago, Hanson was working as a developer, building websites for traditional bed-and-breakfast operations around the country. "I approached an Amish farmer one day who didn't have a website, but who I knew ran a guesthouse on his farm," Hanson said. He created a website that offered bookings at the farmer's guesthouse.

Most Amish families don't have computers, and very few use email, so Hanson fielded the responses. "I ended up getting so many emails that I started looking around for other Amish farms that would welcome visitors," he said. Today, Hanson has six Amish guesthouses listed on his site, amishfarmstay.com. None of the homes has electricity — one doesn't have a single outlet, so forget even charging your phone — but most use solar energy to power lights and propane or natural gas to run refrigerators. Hanson provides a personalized booking service, connecting people looking for an authentic rural experience with lodging options that offer total immersion into this lifestyle.

Lena Stoltzfus said she loves providing her guests with a peaceful getaway, and she hopes they leave with a better understanding of her way of life.

"I like to sit and chat with everybody who comes, get to know them and let them get to know me," she said. "I hope they see we have more in common than they might expect. The Amish choose to do things a certain way, but we share the same joy in sitting on a quiet porch and having a nice long talk."

The Stoltzfuses have been welcoming guests since March, and there have been few days when the guesthouse hasn't been booked.

Hanson said the demand was so great for the Amish farms that he began to look to the nearby Mennonite community. Although their religious practices and conservative style of dress are similar to that of the Amish, modern Mennonite families usually drive cars and have electricity and phones (but no TV or internet) in their homes.

Hanson built a second website, lancasterfarmbnb.com, which lists 11 primarily Mennonite-owned bed-and-breakfasts, among them Zimmerman's Iron Stone Acres.

"Since Dave put us on the web, he's pretty much tripled our guests," Zimmerman said. In the large log home that Zimmerman and her husband share, a guest suite decorated with a forest motif accommodates a family of seven; the aptly named garden room, with its purple and green color scheme, can comfortably fit a couple with a small child. A few steps away in the 18th-century farmhouse occupied by Zimmerman's son and daughter-in-law, a Victorian-themed bedroom and a large loft can sleep up to 10 guests. All of the beds boast Amish-made quilts chosen by Zimmerman.

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