Harvesting Corn Silage on Amish Farm In Lancaster County, PA with 12 Horses

Three teams of 4 horses/mules each harvest corn using a Lebanon Silage Processor.

[@johnperi1165]

When I watch how they work hard together it warms my heart. Families being together. Men doing what they enjoy. Team work. Planning and job satisfaction. Well done folks. i admire your religious, social and work ethics. Its how the world should be.

[@rebeccabowman6577]

I was in Lancaster last weekend and on Saturday I seen an amish family out cutting corn like this into silage and I seen another family cutting down the corn stalks and stacking them and taking them back to the silo to cut up as silage. Love watching them harvest corn, tobacco and pumpkins.

[@Adam_Poirier]

It's funny to pull a engine powered machine with horses it's like at that point just get a tractor lol

[@LancoAmish]

Depends on the reason one chooses not to use a tractor. Tractors speed up the work, make one less dependent on neighbors, allows for more free time which isn’t necessarily seen as a good thing,…

[@ariedebeuker365]

Butt still. Thats the same for the other times the use tractors isnt it?

[@RollinCoal72]

Their yard was full of tractors? I thinking the same thing, they’re pulling a tractor engine with a team? We don’t have Amish out west here where I live so I don’t really understand their beliefs!

[@LancoAmish]

@@RollinCoal72 tractors can be used for stationery power and to move equipment from farm to farm. It’s not necessarily their beliefs but cultural and traditional norms. Their culture doesn’t want to use the tractor in the field yet.

[@LancoAmish]

@@ariedebeuker365 , oftentimes the tractors,skid steers, etc are used when it’s not safe or practical for animals to be used. Think about moving 4-5 grain carts on the roadways or backing up a silage wagon to the silo for unloading. Sometimes thinks just aren’t possible.

[@steves5666]

Definitely, please give the Amish our sincere thanks for letting this to be filmed. Someday they may no longer do it like this, and it is important to document this way of life. As you mentioned the process even changed since last year.

[@russianwolf1]

Well if all goes south their way of doing things will give way too tomorrow

[@tmzz3609]

Why? They we're not doing it like this 100 years ago....... Those are modern machines....... That silage harvester looks a few years old...... All they did to it was removed the rubber tires and put steel wheels on it...... Wtf does this accomplish? They are literally using skid steer to connect the equipment....... That is ultimately powered by a generator?

[@markgroth4380]

That's a great idea using the skid steer to run the wagons, having hydrostatic drive works great for keeping it aligned with the bagger.

[@charlesbennett6242]

Imagine pulling into one of their fields with a huge 900 hp 12 or 18 row harvester and blowing thru a field in no time. Its nice to see some old ways still today. 🙂

[@Ticky66MN]

What a wonderful video. Very well done. Thank you.

[@davidkimmel4216]

Very interesting video. Thank you. The corn looks very clean

[@klauskarbaumer6302]

I like the mixing of technology, motors there where they make sense, horses and mules where it is appropriate. This cuts down on expenses, adapts the speed to a more human level, and teaches patience. The res.t of society could learn from that

[@klauskarbaumer6302]

I should add it also keeps more people on the farm instead of sending them off to the city.

[@edkingsbury103]

A lot of compaction

[@smidtwarner]

@@edkingsbury103 Horses compact a lot less than tractors.

[@smidtwarner]

The mix of technology…. That’s baloney. The Amish do everything-based on their religious beliefs. I admire their willingness to do things that helps them stay closer to God. They only use engines when it is impossible to do it via horses. In decades past they did not even use engines. Did you notice the steel wheels and lack of brakes. They had to hire a skid steer to change heads on the chopper. And did you notice that there was a tractor powering the blower to put the silage into the silo. The Amish have a completely different economic model than the rest of us. They substitute labor and horsepower for capital. To say the rest of us could learn from them is baloney. Each and everyone of could could walk or bike to work and go to the store; but we don’t! Why? It takes A LOT MORE TIME, few of us what to be exposed to the elements, and carrying groceries home walking or biking is difficult. Get rid of your dishwasher, furnace, clothes dryer, TV, etc. and you will cut down your expense drastically. You will be spending all your time doing these things manually. You will save a lot of money and will not have to earn as much.

[@klauskarbaumer6302]

@@smidtwarner I am aware of the Amish basing their economic model on their religious belief; it's still mixing technology.

[@achimheller7163]

Better than cinema !! Keep them coming Chuck

[@cindysandbeck2447]

Thank you for all you do 🙏❤

[@toddvandyke1023]

Great video. That must be a pretty good sized farm.

[@jamesmorrison1884]

Hello good video of chopping corn. Not silage yet till it is fomented in the bag there. Have a great day.

[@bigchew3149]

A Ton Of Very Hard Work For Sure !

[@juanjaimes1836]

Thank you so much for sharing this with us :D

[@LancoAmish]

Thank you so much for watching and commenting!! Both are so appreciated.

[@BRPFan]

Awesome video! Thanks!

[@robertheinkel6225]

The chopper wagons, when full, are pretty heavy when full. You can tell the horses are straining pretty good.

[@LancoAmish]

Yes they were…because the chopper wasn’t running well because of the slip clutch everything got slowed down and on the uphills starting and stopping the animals under load was difficult for them once the wagon got near full.

[@jinglejosiegal]

@@LancoAmish I've heard the Amish overwork their horses... I look at them in a different light.

[@mllee2008]

@@jinglejosiegal just curious if you've any first hand knowledge or proof of Amish people overworking their horses, or if you've based your opinion of an entire group of people based off of something you've just heard.

[@jinglejosiegal]

@@mllee2008 it was based off a rescue video of a horse that was sent to slaughter from an amish farm. The horse was shared between two brothers who overworked it until it became debilitated. Once it was rescued and rehabbed it was fine.

[@BrightBros570]

I love these videos so much.

[@LancoAmish]

Thanks so much for watching and leaving the kind comment. Both are sincerely appreciated.

[@jazzerbyte]

Interesting to see the Lebanon silage processor at work and how it was adapted to that machine. It had a longer "throw" than I would have guessed, since the usual 718 chute is shorter than that.

[@novakcustomharvesting6930]

What kind of silage bagger are they using in the video?

[@veracruzargeliomexicano2688]

what's the name of that seed. Every thing you doing is so wonderfull. Thank you for the video. Fron Veracruz, Mexico

[@morganottlii2390]

2 Double Teams! Impressive!

[@edkingsbury103]

Tremendous amount of compaction to the soil

[@LancoAmish]

I believe there is much less compaction with horses on soil that is more than a few inches deep compared to heavy tractors. The soil on this farm has not been plowed in 8 years. It’s been no till that long and the soil health is better than it’s ever been comparing crop yield before and after.

[@kimfyffe2dronevideos74]

I like the drone video

[@andrewsmith2591]

How are the rows planted? Looks comparable to most other modern farms in terms of density

[@LancoAmish]

Thanks for watching. This corn was planted with an Esch conventional drill -no till. Pretty much the same density as most corn is planted today. The interesting thing is the chopper being used was manufactured when corn was planted 1/2-2/3 the density population of today but performs quite well under the additional strain. The corn in this part of Lancaster County is grows taller than most corn also due to pretty much ideal growing conditions making the chopper durability that much more impressive.

[@erichaskell]

That is a lot of corn for a two row chopper. I imagine they have done this many times and are not concerned about time. Do the farmers ever get together and cut the corn with multiple teams?

[@LancoAmish]

The 3 men here all own have their own farms and help each other during harvest. Their children are too young to help but working as neighbors and friends is important in their culture.

[@davidbrennan3613]

He cutting that maize silage at some speed ,unreal, class video as always

[@andrelacombe2131]

Very Nice video 👍

[@Hokieredneck]

Glad this Amish family let us a bit into their life. Are they just grinding everything into feed?

[@LancoAmish]

Thank you for watching! About 2/3 of the corn grown on this farm is chopped for silage. The rest will be harvested as shelled corn.

[@Hokieredneck]

@@LancoAmish t/y!

[@khasankhalilov7901]

Ассалому алейкум ака яхшимисиз ишларингиз яхшими. Зурку гап йук ажойиб гап йук. I'm from Uzbekistan Tashkent and Samarcand

[@farmingfishingfamilyontari2814]

It’s really something Side filling and tandem steel wheels. It makes sense though, why not.

[@haweater1555]

I would think it would be difficult to give voice commands to the horses amongst all the machine noise.

[@mikeames440]

So when they start opening up the middle of a field like that, they just run 8 horses wide through the standing corn to chop 2 rows at a time? I'm guessing that would be pretty intense to watch happen...

[@LancoAmish]

The fields are generally opened by a single horse pulling a binder. The stalks are bound and fall to the ground to be picked up later.

[@joshuasmith4547]

How do they decide where horses stop and tractors begin

[@LancoAmish]

They’ve agreed not to use tractors to pull or power field implements. You won’t see a tractor pulling/powering a corn chopper but you might see a tractor pulling a loaded wagon back to the barn if they don’t have enough horses or the pull is too far or dangerous…down or up steep hills. There are Old Order Amish using tractors for field work in Iowa because of the hilly terrain they are farming. It’s too hard on horses.

[@markisb3585]

Real horse and mule power

[@dmoreau100]

you are the best

[@cherylbradbury4875]

This is how all harvesting should still be done nowadays. It's better for the environment and for the crops being cut. Guarantee they dont use chemicals on their farms either. 🐎👍

[@rogerschroeder8905]

You have a gas powered tractors, loaders and processors, why not a truck? Or at least a seat to sit in for the year it is going to take you to cut all that silage two rows at a time. I just don't get it.

[@LancoAmish]

Thanks for watching. It takes about an hour per acre. Since these farms are only about 70 acres total the corn is about a 20 hour job. The horses don’t drive themselves in a situation like this. Keeping a slow pace is hard on the driver…something you couldn’t do in a relaxed position.

[@charlieboy9297]

Hi nice video

[@MsSuz24]

Interesting that the contractor ensiling the material can use tractors.

[@thomasforbes8904]

Why the steel wheels

[@LancoAmish]

Rules and tradition. You’ll notice a mix of steel and rubber. It seems the transition to rubber is progressing albeit slowly.

[@johnhenderson299]

Amazing

[@memesLenda]

what for?

[@LancoAmish]

Thanks for watching. The chopped corn you see here goes into the silo where it is allowed to ferment. It is then fed to the dairy cows.

[@taggunter975]

Awesome job y'all

[@matthewsimunick9604]

Why not at this point just use the tractor? I mean what is the difference between the tractor and using an engine behind the horses

[@LancoAmish]

Change is adopted slowly to see how it affects the family and community. Too much unoccupied time could lead to problems. The northern Indiana Amish communities are experiencing the affects of “too much” time as well as “too much” money.

[@mikeallover]

You give a generic answer to valid questions. Change is adopted slowly, but they are on KZbin.

[@LancoAmish]

@@mikeallover , they are not videoing,editing, or uploading the videos to KZbin. They are graciously allowing me to do that and they don’t mind educating those that want to see their way of life. My answer isn’t “generic”…it is the reason why tractors are not used in the field. Last year and the 20 years previous these farmers used a corn binder during harvest. This year they are using a silage processor. Some day tractor power may be used. Without an understanding of their cultural values it’s hard to understand what seems to be paradoxical values in their communities. A tractor could harvest that field in an hour. Free time isn’t something the Amish desire.

[@klauskarbaumer6302]

Horses are still a cheaper source of energy, since they can be fed with fodder the farm produces. Tractors demand money leaving the farm.

[@klauskarbaumer6302]

By the way, these Amish are using mules, which are even thriftier than horses.

[@berry.tucker]

Why the one wagon have 1 rubber tire

[@LancoAmish]

Thanks for watching. These wagons are all older 60-70’s wagons that are purchased at auctions or other areas. No farmer here owns all the equipment needed to farm. A lot is shared or rented around the neighborhood. Often there are English farmers sharing also. You’ll see in some of my videos 7-10 gravity carts during corn harvesting. These are gathered up around the area and go from farm to farm. Some will have rubber tires, some metal wheels and others a combination. Old equipment isn’t picky.

[@jaybernieschoep3491]

Sharp knives and shear bar set till ticking stops on chopper.

[@johnsteffen2248]

Yep, seems to be pulling really hard, set up is the key.

[@rebelgaming7718]

Sounds like the amish are speaking German to me cool video chuck

[@HolzDennis]

I am German, but I don’t get a Single Word. Only „Ja“ which means „Yes“.

[@respose4all]

where can I buy a horse drawn harvester like this?

[@LancoAmish]

Thanks for watching. The Lancaster area has multiple shops restoring and refurbishing these harvesters. They are not widely advertised but you may be able to get info if you were to call one of the large implement/tractor dealers in the area such as Messick’s or Hoober or better yet Esch manufacturing in Lancaster.

[@derekbueckert7428]

I love horses so to me it’s just awesome to see they are still being kept in physical shape by the work they get on a farm like this one. Most places you see horses they literally just eat and relax all day then when they get shipped to the sale they look all nice and fat so the meat buyers bid higher and off they go to Mexico to be slaughtered. But I’m pretty sure a horse made of muscles and solid iron isn’t so desirable to them lol

[@christianhollauer881]

Why they do not use a tractor for pulling?

[@LancoAmish]

Their community hasn’t agreed to the use of tractors in the field yet.

[@christianhollauer881]

@@LancoAmish Thank you, I see

[@carstenschwertfeger9349]

Sometimes Horses sometimes Diesel Engines sometimes Rubber tieres sometimes Iron. I dont get it. It is a mysterion.

[@jaybernieschoep3491]

What is little machine on blower pipe

[@erichaskell]

I believe it is for directing the discharge.

[@LancoAmish]

Eric Haskel is correct. The cable moves the discharge chute up and down and the little hydraulic motor moves the upper chute left and right.

[@jaybernieschoep3491]

@@LancoAmish do they have a onboard roller mill or kernel cracker

[@mashley444]

Those mules are really struggling. That wagon is way too heavy for them.

[@LancoAmish]

Yes and no. The teams were having to start and stop because of chopper malfunction. As the chopper was bogging down its pulling team had to be slowed down and as a result the silage wagon had to slow meaning momentum was lost. What you are seeing is the beginning of the pull to get the wagon moving again. That’s always the hard part. Later that day the chopper was repaired so it wouldn’t have to be slowed and momentum could be kept once started. These mules are not small animals. They can handle heavy exertion when needed such as this instance.

[@pilotguy1141]

Amish abuse the hell out of animals, they are a big problem in the horrible puppy mills

[@kitt2000car]

Poor mules seemed to be struggling pulling that wagon. The draft horses should be doing it.

[@LancoAmish]

Thanks for watching. Yes, they are exerting effort but it is for a short period of time with rest periods in between. Draft mules are extremely strong and hardy animals.

[@mikejohnson4617]

I don't get it either but to each his own. Enjoy watching how others earn their living.

[@jeffreycurtis3146]

So many different Bishops making the rules. It’s time to start cutting the animals a break at least when it comes to harvesting. A tractor with steel wheels would Be a god sent , I have some Amish friends and have purchased some horses from them in the past

[@LancoAmish]

You’re right, each church district is different. There are certain overarching “rules” all Old Order follow but for many things each district goes their own way. The Lancaster Amish across many states are sometimes unrecognizable to themselves in many aspects of their lives. Heck, within Lancaster county itself the Amish are very, very different from North to South. It would be a culture shock for one to go from the Quarryville area to the New Holland area…a distance of about 20 miles. As far as the horses go they work very few hours even during harvesting. It doesn’t take long to completely harvest 20 acres of corn and make hay 4-5 times a year. If anything they are underworked and tend to get out of shape.

[@markenge9348]

Those horses and mules act like they are proud of the job they do and enjoy demonstrating their strength. They should be shown a lot of appreciation. Machines are fine but these work animals have what the Bible called in Hebrew "nephesh" which is also what departed from Rachel when she died. I love them and love watching them.

[@chaosengine9912]

Crayzy man... There are tractors, cars, Skid steer... and then horse...

[@karljacobson1575]

Guess they would have no flat tires. Sounds like slip clutch is shot on that!!! Not very even cut!! But hey they’re getting r done....

[@ziauddin7948]

nice corn harvesting & chopping #👍🇵🇰

[@jaybernieschoep3491]

They should have a 110 hp engine on chopper

[@LancoAmish]

The engine is a 110 horsepower diesel. Plenty of power. Slip clutch disks were burnt up.

[@Diddley-js6lf]

Here we have a Amish that isn’t really a Amish I guess Diesel Fuel isn’t a Byproduct of Gasoline.

[@LancoAmish]

There’s not an Amish group in North America that doesn’t use gasoline or diesel. Perhaps you should be more educated before trying to sound witty.

[@LancoAmish]

I am awaiting your “witty” response.

[@irishlad8797]

8 horse power

[@jaybernieschoep3491]

Better off using tractor on chopper and put rubber tires back on it. What do the Amish have against using a tractor.

[@LancoAmish]

Change is adopted slowly to see how it affects family and community.

[@marciogoncalves8821]

Cada cavalo 🐎 desses come 5 kilos de milho 🌽 por dia ,,, fora concentrados , sais e feno ... Fica mais caro que trator , 🚜 mas tudo que é de gosto é regalo da vida... 😁

[@jaybernieschoep3491]

Upright silo better for silage of any kind.

[@bobsuszka1159]

Gladly work with bags. Nicer feed comes out of them over an upright(Harvestors are the worst for feed quality)

[@westroyer5251]

Opinion

[@bobsuszka1159]

@@westroyer5251 Ever see feed out of a harvester silo?

[@westroyer5251]

No and I don't plan on it

[@bobsuszka1159]

@@westroyer5251 you'd see mold and rotten central.

[@ipanzerschrecku4732]

Well if you're going to cheat like that then why not just have the horses walk in front of one of those big Class silage choppers? pretty ingenious though and looks like a nice day out

[@LancoAmish]

Who’s cheating?

[@allenlesperance2163]

This doesn't make since. Why work like that. God loves you any way.

[@LancoAmish]

Thanks for watching. They are able to continue farming and support their families farming this way while thousands of other small farmers have sold out. Could it be the way they farm makes more sense?

[@irishlad8797]

Those poor horses must b so tired by the end of the day phew but what's with the iron wheeles on everything Great operation though

[@LancoAmish]

The horses pulling the wagons are being rested as more than one team are hauling wagons. On flat ground like this a team of horses really aren’t being worked very hard. What’s more difficult for them is stopping and starting if the equipment isn’t working as it should. One Belgian draft can roll 8,000 pounds alone and as a team of two that increases to 32,000 pounds. The pulling power is much greater than the sum of each members ability. Amish agree as a community to farm a certain way. Steel wheels is one of them. Just a choice they have made. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.

[@irishlad8797]

@@LancoAmish I'm not knocking the system at all its beautiful to see these unbelievable animals doing what would come naturally to them anyway and I really appreciate it's the amish choice to farm that way Its 100 times nicer than 600hp John deeres ploughing 500 acres a day Apart from the engine running the harvester you can just hear the horses pulling the loads of corn and the steel wheels A wonderful operation and a lovely video God bless from your viewers from Ireland 😎

[@rodneywroten2994]

white mule is limping on wagon

[@florianscheffler2910]

Claas Jaguar für arme 😂😂🎉🎉🎉🙈

[@steveluepke9654]

I dont understand the Amish using all the power equipment and pulling said equipment with horses. Kind of hypocritical if you ask me. What happened to cutting the corn with a corn binder.

[@LancoAmish]

It’s only hypocritical if they stated they don’t use engines. To an outsider it seems hypocritical because Non Amish have a distorted view of the way they believe Amish live.

[@jaybernieschoep3491]

Forage harvestor

[@lisataylor6592]

Looks pretty English to me.

[@LancoAmish]

There aren’t many Amish shocking corn any more…especially the dairy farms. There are some ultra-conservative groups that aren’t using engine driven equipment still but they aren’t running 50-60 cow dairy herds and harvesting 20-30 acres of corn either. The vast majority of Amish in America pretty much farm this way now.

[@Dusty47]

There is so much that most of us will never understand about the Amish ! Part of the reason is that many of their ways are dictated by the local Bishops, who sometimes have their own agendas. Just sayin

[@Dusty47]

For example, some Amish are not allowed to use mules like you see here.

[@jrjr8314]

They should be a shame to make the horses work so hard that's why God had man to make machine's to work that big of equipment maybe small not big

[@devillestephane9340]

Des bourreaux d animaux oui ......

[@mattkaploski7357]

I think they are Mennonite not Amish

[@LancoAmish]

Thanks for watching. They are definitely Amish.

[@mattkaploski7357]

I stand corrected then 🙂

[@Holy-Rus]

Это что то совсем Америка загнивает.Это какой век?😂😂😂😂

[@LancoAmish]

As thousands upon thousands of family owned dairy farms have gone out of business in the past decade the Amish have grown the number involved in dairy production. Hmmmmm

[@vmdairy]

Looks like cruelty to animals as there are sufficient machines to do this work.

[@LancoAmish]

So you’re equating a draft horse doing what it was bred to do for hundreds of years and liking it ( yes, they do get excited when being harnessed) to animal cruelty? So , do you also believe riding horses, pack horses and mules are also mistreated? You live in a lala land. You obviously don’t really know anything about draft animals but you sling accusations on the internet.

[@vmdairy]

@@LancoAmish I am only saying it is cruel to subject those animals to heavy, dangerously mobile machinery in this day and age. I have used that exact machinery to make corn silage for 40 years and know what it does and can do. It would be more authentic, and real, to show the Amish cutting, raking, and putting up loose hay the way they did it with their horse drawn equipment.

[@LancoAmish]

@@vmdairy , authentic? These Amish aren’t real? You expect a dairy that milks 50+ Holsteins and with 25 heifers to put up hay the old way? They couldn’t support their families let alone keep the farms operational. Sometimes the “English” need to get real also.

[@hubertbergen3000]

To Garden Spot Acres. Don't tell me it can't be done the old way. My dad milked 60 cows,raised replacement heifers and a small beef herd plus his horses. Corn was cut and shocked by hand., loaded on a wagon and hauled to the silo and run through a cutting box powered by a steam engine

[@chechnya]

The cognitive dissonance in this video is astounding

[@LancoAmish]

Thanks for watching and commenting. I’d like for you to elaborate a bit before I respond. What looks to you as conflicting may make sense if explained.

[@46rambo49]

Lancaster county , PA Amish farmer under indictment for selling his wares without government influence. another example of weaponizing a government agency against free citizens

[@thorpeacres1232]

amish are evil

[@Showboat_Six]

So you have a motor on your silage cutter, but you don’t wanna use a motor on a tractor because tractors weren’t invented back in the Bible days but you use horses to pull the motor powered silage cutter does not make any bit of sense whatsoever! And you have steel wheels on your silage cutter instead of rubber tires steel and rubber we’re not in the Bible, And you have a bobcat skid steer to help remove that he had to put a corn head on neither of those were used in the Bible either

[@LancoAmish]

Thanks for watching. Why are you equating what they use for equipment with what’s contained in the Bible? Please give me your source for this misinformation other than your own misguided beliefs.

[@bobhunter3050]

Can use a Skid Steer,,, but take Rubber tires off . Yup , makes sense , NOT !!!