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You've Had It With the Status Quo
That's why you're here. Instead of just complaining about the mediocrity being imposed on us all, you're blazing a new trail. You're using your buying power to vote for a world with higher values:
- Craft above convenience
- Relationships above balance sheets
- Beauty and performance above cost-cutting
- The priceless experience of owning things made with love
What You'll Find in Spotlight
Rare encounters with a forgotten way of life
Old-Fashioned Wisdom for Modern People
Proven principles for running a business, raising a family, and staying sane in a world that feels crazy.
Fleeting Seasonal Discoveries
Local produce that invites you into the seasonal rhythms of traditional foodways.
Introductions to the Kind of Craftspeople You've Dreamed of Finding
Direct contacts for people who care about each customer and stand behind their promises.
Stories From the Inside
Plain businesspeople reveal the experiences and values that drive their work.
Who Are the "Plain People?"
For centuries, Amish, Mennonites, and other "plain" communities have preserved a distinctive way of life. The details of practice vary, but many are known for their shared values of simplicity, community, diligence, and peaceableness toward neighbors.
In this culture, families pass down practical skills from generation to generation—whether furniture crafting, food production and prep, or the building of homes and outbuildings. Many limit their use of modern technology—not from superstition, but to protect the spiritual, social, and economic patterns that hold their communities together.
The businesses who qualify for Plain Places tend to be refreshingly out of step with the global throwaway economy. When you do business with them, you're taking a concrete action to build a brighter world.
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Looking for Skylight instead? Skylight is the Plain Places newsletter for Anabaptists with email. Contact us to learn more.