Amish Revitalize Rural Community

I was gifted an Acres subscription from my boss and there was a great article in the July ('08) issue on rural development. Here's the blurb from the Acres' website:

Rebuilding Community Through Small Farm Infrastructure
A growing Amish community in rural Ohio is proving that the economic "multiplier effect" works and providing an invaluable model for a renewed, grassroots-driven economy.

A community impoverished by market economics is given new life by the influx of Amish farmers who, buying livestock, feed, and seed, provides a renewed base for the local, rural economy. It is amazing how land, which has agricultural and communal value, can so easily fall by the wayside through neglect and stagnation. It is even more amazing to realize that the health of this land is also an impetus to a healthy community.