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BALTIC, Ohio — A 2-year-old Amish boy plays on the front lawn with a pinwheel, barely noticing as 40 tourists shuffle past and into his grandparents' home. After all, tourists are a common sight at the Hershbergers'.\nAlthough their faith requires a distance from the outside world, a dozen Amish families in northeast Ohio welcome visitors to their homes to give them a taste of their culture. Serving meals to the public has been a way of life for 15 years for the Hershbergers, who like many Amish have left behind farming for more profitable ventures. \nThe Amish are a deeply religious group whose simple clothing and tradition of traveling by horse and buggy symbolize a yielding to a collective order. Sara Hershberger acknowledges there were many skeptics in the tight-knit Amish community when a few families started opening their doors two decades ago.\nBut even among the Amish times change. "We enjoy being around people," she said. "Most people tell us this is the highlight of their trip." \nOn the way to the Hershbergers, the busload of tourists rolled through the rural, hilly region that is home to the largest settlement of Amish in the world. The Hershbergers don't own automobiles but have a wide concrete driveway that can accommodate at least two buses at a time. \nTheir neat, white vinyl-sided house is three stories high with five bedrooms on the top floor. The tourists pass by well-kept flower beds and a well-worn pair of work jeans hanging with the rest of the day's laundry, then enter a dining room big enough for 60. \nCarol Glessner of Country Coach Adventures, who has been bringing tourists to Amish homes for 10 years, warned on the ride over that the roast beef would be the best anyone had ever tasted. Like a busy grandmother at Thanksgiving, Hershberger, helped by the servers, is sending seconds around before the guests have finished their firsts. \n"Do they have a dishwasher?" asked one woman, marveling at the number of plates, glasses and silverware that will need to be cleaned. The Amish are selective about their use of technology. They don't use electricity, which they view as a link to the outside world and therefore a threat to their culture. \nAfter the tourists leave, it's time for the cleanup to the sounds of singing, an important part of Amish culture. All nine of Sara and Valentine Hershberger's children have taken part in the family business while living at home. They're not sure what they'll do when their youngest, Amanda, leaves home. \n"My husband tells me we'll have to quit," Mrs. Hershberger said with a smile.