Experience Middlefield
Middlefield - of the more than 12,000 Amish who have settled in eastern Geauga County, many call it and the surrounding countryside home.
When combined with the Amish from Mesopotamia in neighboring Trumbull County, they are the second largest Amish population in Ohio.
Due to the size of the Amish population and the limited availability of land, along with the economics of small farms, many Amish are no longer able to farm.
The area is also home to several large industries that readily employ many of the local Amish.
Amish Businesses
Though certainly not as extensive in number as the Holmes County area, there are a large number of shops and home-based businesses run by the Amish and their local craftsmen.
You'll find anything from stores with quality handcrafted furniture to roadside stands featuring baked goods or locally grown produce.
In fact, many of the Amish have come to rely on the growing tourist industry as a means to sell their goods and earn their living. So, be sure to stop at these places and see what they have to offer.
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| Mary Yoder's Amish Kitchen
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There's also an Amish restaurant featuring good, old fashioned, Amish-style, home cooking for when you get hungry.
History
The village's beginning dates back to 1799, when Isaac Thompson and his son James settled in the area.
First called Burton, then Batavia, the village adopted its current name in 1841. It derived this name by being the midpoint between Painesville and Warren.
By 1818, James Thompson had built a hotel that later became the Century Inn. The Inn now houses the local Historical Society. The village was finally incorporated in 1901. One of the first goals of the corporation was to make the village one of Cleveland's most prosperous suburbs.
More Cheese
Middlefield Cheese began making cheese in the area in 1956. Be sure to visit their sales area where you can sample and purchase their cheeses along with bulk and specialty food products.
Though never becoming a suburb of Cleveland, this and the other area industries - coupled with the growing tourist industry - have certainly made this village one of the most prosperous small towns in all of Northeastern Ohio.
If you are really health conscious and are specifically looking for natural and hormone free cheese, then stop by the Original Cheese Co-op where they feature a wide variety of cheeses made from all natural and pesticide free ingredients.
Salvage Stores
Another business that has sprung up in recent years - and is quickly becoming quite popular among Amish and English alike - is the "Salvage Store." These Amish stores specialize mainly in salvage groceries though many also carry an assorted selection of various other items.
If you're looking for cheaper prices and don't mind a few scratches or dents check out the area's several salvage stores.
Middlefield Listings
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Return from Middlefield to Experience Ohio Amish Country
Historical information adapted from The Middlefield Village website History and Beginnings page.

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