With spring just around the corner, the local Amish community is once again starting up its tradition that dates back to the 1960s: mud sales, writes Mark Scolforo for WHEC. 

Mud sales are country auctions that help finance volunteer fire departments across the Lancaster settlement, as it is referred to by the Amish community. The community is located primarily in Lancaster County, with some of it spilling into Chester County and with smaller numbers in a few surrounding counties. 

The “mud” part of the name refers to early spring, when fields have started to thaw but may not be ready to plow just yet. These sales draw thousands of bidders and are expected to earn around  $100,000 for the fire department. 

Oxford couple Michael and Kristen Dean visited a Gordonville mud sale earlier this month. They enjoyed a fun day of mingling with Amish people while searching for a bargain on used fencing. The couple visits these auctions regularly and had previously bought a greenhouse at the Bart Township Fire Company mud sale in Quarryville. 

“It’s bigger than you think when you’re trying to get it on a truck bed,” said Kristen Dean. 

Read more about the Amish community attending mud sales in the area at WHEC. 

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