A few questions and answers from the Amish Cook Editor..

    Question: The Friend  Club has been promoted all year, why does the Amish Cook column still need to be "rescued?”
     Answer: Unlike all the government bail-outs of various companies lately, a "reader rescue" of The Amish Cook is far cheaper, more fun, and easier to understand. This has been a tough, transition year for The Amish Cook column as I've struggled to shift away from an economic model that just didn't work to one that does. The future foundation for the column will be based on cookbooks available in bookstores, like our new release, "The Amish Cook at Home." Unfortunately, this takes awhile to get up and running. And in a classic "darkest before the dawn" metaphor we still have extraordinary economic challenges before the stability of 2009 arrives, ones that could endanger the column just before things get much better. The fact that readers have supported the column this year despite the ferocious economic headwinds is extraordinary and Lovina and I will always be grateful.
     Question: Will joining The Friend Club now assure the column's continuity?
     Answer: YES. People who joined earlier this year were making a leap of faith, and we could not have made it this far without them. In the beginning, the column's fate was uncertain. Now we know that it would only take another 250 - 500 Friend Club members to put this column on sound ground in 2009. This is the equivalent to 6 or 7 new members in each participating market.
     Question: Does Lovina benefit directly from the "rescue?"
     Answer: Absolutely. She's paid out of the rescue as are the administrative costs of keeping the column going, such as filling any backorders.
     The main benefit of joining the Amish Cook Friend Club NOW is to ensure the column's continuity, but a few items of appreciation will be sent to readers who join. To join: ONE-YEAR SILVER $25; name card, signed 8 by 10 color photo of the Eicher's horse and buggy or meal-time scene. ONE YEAR GOLD $50; all of the above, plus a quarterly newsletter, "The Amish Cook Extra," with family favorite recipes, color photos of Lovina's home, stories and Amish information. EDITOR'S CIRCLE $75 or more; All of the above, plus a happy birthday card from Lovina sent to the home of one loved one per year . Memberships can be sent to: Oasis Newsfeatures, P.O. Box 2144, Middletown, 45042. Readers can also join with credit card by calling 1-877-571-4112. Please note if your membership is for a Christmas gift.