Since temperatures have fallen, Mike and I know the ice harvest is soon upon us.

For centuries, the Amish and some Mennonite groups, have been harvesting ice in the winter to fill ice houses that will keep their food cold the following spring, summer and fall.

It’s the way it was done for all our ancestors once upon a time and a way of life still for the Amish.

The ice harvest isn’t a simple chore and can be dangerous. Last year Mike helped out many of the local men with the harvest and ended up falling through. Thankfully, my husband who cannot swim, held firm to the push pole keeping him afloat until a few of the fellas fished him out!

You may have seen photos of Amish men harvesting ice, or possible seen it in-person, but did you know there is an important job before the harvest, that few give proper attention to?

The Pond Sweep.

The Pond sweeper has an important job. Not only will he regularly monitor the thickness of the ice, but he will often sweep fresh snow off of the ice.

Sweeping snow off of the ice before harvesting is crucial for encouraging thicker, faster freezing, and better quality ice. It’s also safer to work with. When snow melts and refreezes on top of existing ice, it creates what is called, “white ice, which is full of air bubbles. It’s weak and dense, and not safe for walking on. Snow is an excellent insulator, trapping heat. Removing the snow, exposes the ice directly to cold air. This, under the right environmental temperatures, allows for a deeper freeze and thicker blocks of ice to harvest.

Now, not every community has a large pond or lake access to harvest their own ice. Some families even pay for blocks from a local dealer. Others build their own plastic lined wooden frames, filling them with water to freeze and then harvest from their own backyards.

Our former neighbors actually used rectangle shaped buckets and lined them along their driveway to freeze. It was brilliant and lasted well into the next winter.

Most ice houses these days are thick styrofoam or an enclosed container or shed, with styrofoam sprayed all over the walls and roof for better insulation. But it is not unusual to find an ice house in the basement of a home. In fact, many are turning to that option and even including drain holes to handle the melt off.

What’s important to know is that the ice cut from now through February will, under proper management, last the whole year!

I hope you enjoyed this tiny peek into a different way of life.