It's Only Natural
The birth of Amish Naturals Inc. is part of a journey that began in an unlikely fashion. David Skinner, CEO and founder of Amish Naturals, and his wife Kim lived on a horse farm in North Carolina. They found themselves in search of farm equipment, and learned that the Amish people had set the standards for hand-produced buggy equipment that they needed. Eventually the Skinner's research led them to pastoral Northeastern Ohio, where the Amish people had established a community in the early 1800s that remains the nation's largest. It was there they discovered land and a community untouched by time and industrial progress: a true-to-life Andrew Wyeth landscape of clean and wholesome beauty.
Skinner met farmers who hand-tended their land, free of the chemicals used in typical commercial farms that exceeded the highest organic standards. The Amish people have used their own principles to guide their way of life since the 17th Century, and have been producing organic foods because of their traditions, without influence from the fads of mainstream culture. He became acquainted with, and respected the people who lived and worked honestly and tirelessly producing the finest textiles, crafts, and produce he had ever seen.
At a dinner with his Amish hosts Skinner realized exactly what the Amish care, pride, and skill are really about. The fare included breads, jams, jellies, sauces rich in texture and ripe with delicate flavors. Noodles were offered that were golden and delectable with a complex flavor profile easily rivaling the best pastas he had ever tasted.
As the Skinner's relationship with the Amish people developed, David and Kim invited them to their farm. Soon after their guests arrived, a torrential rain caused a flood that devastated their farm. The Skinner's barn and thousands of feet of fencing were severely damaged. The reaction of their guests was startling. They calmly stepped in to help, calling in reinforcements from Ohio and incredibly, repaired everything.
Soon, visits by the Skinner's to Ohio became regular. They gained an even deeper appreciation for the love and care the Amish invest in everything they produce. David and Kim believed that visitors to their horse farm would as well, so they decided to open an Amish store on their North Carolina property. One specialty item they could not exclude in their store was that pasta they had eaten on their first visit to Ohio. It was in that store that the first seeds for Amish Naturals were sown.
The pasta, originally dubbed "Amish Pasta" became a top seller in the store, and Mr. Skinner started to think seriously about a larger-scale pasta venture. He understood the Amish values, and was committed to the organic production of the pasta. Skinner's early research revealed that it is one thing to make great pasta in small batches, but quite another to replicate that same quality through mass production. That realization let him to Carlo Varesco, a native Italian who emigrated to the United States some 50 years ago. Varesco was the Vice President of Production for Golden Grain, the maker of Rice-A-Roni. Varesco's plants are legendary, Skinner learned, and rival pasta companies would visit them and marvel. When Varesco saw Skinner's commitment to quality pasta production, he came on board for Amish Naturals.
Varesco invited Skinner and other Amish Naturals team members on a culinary tour of Italy to show them pasta-making at its finest. For Varesco, it was a reminder of the way things had to be done, and for Skinner, a master class in the art of pasta production. The group came back convinced that Amish Naturals had a vision that rivaled the world's best pasta producers, and they were committed to establishing a facility in the Amish country to match those ambitions.
Presently Amish Naturals Inc. is no longer a vision, but a company that hand-crafts pasta daily in the heart of Amish country: Holmesville, OH. The facilities that had once be imagined by Skinner and Varesco were built and are now manned almost entirely by local Amish people. The pasta is produced using the USDA's organic regulations, and the high standards set by the surrounding Amish community.
Amish Naturals, Inc. now produces three cuts and six flavors of pasta including: Penne, Spaghetti, and Fettuccine in tomato basil, garlic parsley, spinach, whole wheat, plain, and a fiber rich variety. The pastas are expertly created by Amish craftspeople by rolling the dough out in sheets, cutting the sheets, and then air drying them, not by pressurized extrusion like most pastas. Because of these techniques, the pasta has an ideal texture, is nearly impossible to overcook, and freezes beautifully.
The journey of Amish Naturals is the culmination of Amish values, David Skinner's vision, and the help of a native Italian. We hope you will taste the dedication of the people in our company when Amish Naturals pastas make another journey: from the heartland to your home. Enjoy!