How do Amish heat their greenhouses?

Amish growers primarily heat their greenhouses using propane or natural gas heaters, wood-burning stoves, and passive solar design — approaches that require minimal electricity and align with plain-community energy practices.

Because most Amish communities limit or avoid grid electricity, Amish greenhouse heating relies on fuel-burning heat sources that run independently of the power grid. Propane unit heaters are the most common choice for commercial-scale Amish greenhouse operations because propane is widely available, controllable, and delivers consistent BTU output regardless of outdoor temperature. Wood-burning stoves are common in smaller family greenhouses, often fed with scrap lumber or cord wood. Passive solar orientation — positioning the greenhouse to capture maximum south-facing winter sun — reduces how hard any backup heat source has to work.

• Propane unit heaters are the most widely used active heat source in commercial Amish greenhouse operations.
• Wood-burning stoves are common in small Amish family greenhouses, typically fueled by cord wood or scrap lumber.
• Passive solar design reduces supplemental heating demand by orienting the greenhouse toward maximum south-facing sun exposure.
• Kerosene heaters are used in some Amish operations as a portable, grid-free backup heat source.
• Most Amish greenhouse heating systems are designed to operate without grid electricity, using manual thermostats or no thermostat at all.