It's All Too Beautiful

Vanilla Ice Goes Amish

By Denice Rovira Hazlett

For weeks, they say, he has been chillin’ in Holmes County, Ohio, home to the largest Amish community in the world. Local folks have spotted him at both Jitters Coffee House and Java Jo Coffee Bar. Rumor has it he was crashing at the Berlin Grande Hotel and taking his meals at the Farmstead Restaurant. Snapshots have popped up on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, photos of the star at the Amish Country Theater in Walnut Creek with the show’s star, John Bunn, or grinning widely while pointing to a bright yellow horse and buggy sign by the side of the road, or getting his sweet tooth sated at both Yummy’s Frozen Yogurt in Berlin and the Winesburg Dariette, where their special flavor, advertised on the sign out front, was Vanilla Ice Ice Cream. He paused to pose, bright red barn-building book in hand, for a poster promoting literacy for the Holmes County District Public Library, encouraging others to “Read, Read Baby!” He was even spotted climbing to the top of the Berlin water tower, a helicopter circling above to capture video footage while, down below, curious onlookers stopped to stare.

“I’m just gettin’ in where I’m fittin’ in,” says Rob Van Winkle, also known worldwide as Vanilla Ice, the rapper whose album To the Extreme has, to-date, sold 160 million copies--three million in the past 8 months alone--making it the record-holder for the highest selling rap record of all time. His 1991 hit, “Ice Ice Baby,” written when he was just 16 and originally a b-side for his cover of “Play That Funky Music,” was on the number one spot in the United States for 16 weeks, the first hip hop single to top the Billboard charts. So what was the international music, movie and television icon, who still tours worldwide and has a huge fan base, doing in Holmes County, Ohio?  According to Kathleen Finch, Senior Vice President & General Manager of the HGTV and DIY Networks based in Nashville, TN, Rob Van Winkle is working with some of the finest craftsmen in the world, those right here in the area, to film “Vanilla Ice Goes Amish,” a five-episode building and design series set in Holmes County and scheduled to air on the DIY Network in late 2013 or early 2014. “Rob’s current show, The Vanilla Ice Project, is a huge rating for us on the DIY Network,” says Finch. In fact, nearly three million viewers tuned into the third season of The Vanilla Ice Project in 2013. It’s currently a top 5 program on DIY Network. “It surprises a lot of people. They wouldn’t think of him as a craftsman and homebuilder, but he has been doing it for most of his life, and it’s one of his passions. He’s always interested in learning new things, interested in upping his game, so we decided to send him to the place that has the best craftsmen around.” Bonnie Coblentz, Marketing Coordinator of the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau, said it all started with a phone call.  “We’ve had a higher influx of requests from production companies over the past several months because of the renewed interest in Amish culture,” Coblentz says, adding that the Chamber often refuses requests right off the bat when they know it won’t be a good fit for the community. “When production companies find out what a challenge it will be to work within the limits of the Amish culture, most don’t pursue it.” But in January, the DIY Network authorized Juma Entertainment’s New York producers, headed up by senior producer Scott Robbe, to approach the Chamber with their proposal to film a high-quality, respectful television series focused on remodeling, using for its backdrop the peaceful farmland of Holmes County. Feeling it could benefit the community, the Chamber put Juma in touch with several local building companies and business leaders to discuss details and possibilities. As a result, Juma and the DIY Network decided to move ahead with their project. Coblentz says with the DIY Network’s emphasis on positive programming, this home-improvement series promises to bring good things to the area. “We have the largest concentration of hardwood furniture builders in our community than in the whole nation, with years and years of experience and knowledge to share and amazing products you won’t find anywhere else,” Coblentz says. “This offers a chance for our local craftsmen to be showcased in a positive light.” Finch reinforced that idea, emphasizing that their upscale viewers love to travel to unique locations--a boon for Holmes County tourism. She also made it clear that their productions put a premium on being family-friendly. “We don’t make programming that’s anything but respectful and educational,” Finch says. “We make programs that document what really happens around the area of home improvement and home renovation. “We’re going to portray the community in all of it’s bucolic beauty. We’re going to make an interesting and lovely program out of what you’ve allowed us to do.” On-set along a quiet dirt road in eastern Holmes County, Rob Van Winkle is raking stone and hauling hay bales at an Amish farm. With his flat-brimmed hat, gold-hoop earrings and illustrated skin, he looks every bit the international rap star he is. But make no mistake, Van Winkle knows construction. After all, he has been at it for more than 20 years ago. It’s a passion he stumbled upon as a young adult living in a 15,000 square foot Miami mansion. Van Winkle sits in the cool basement of the family’s home and tells the story.  “I was young, about 19, and had a house on Star Island in Miami. I had spent a lot of money on professional decorators,” he says. “It was neat at first--red rooms, yellow rooms, green rooms, purple rooms, purple carpet, an acrylic staircase with fish swimming around in it--very Art Deco, which is Miami’s kind of style. But after living there for a couple of years, I couldn’t stand it anymore. It felt like living in a nightclub. It didn’t feel like a home, and I hated it.” Van Winkle decided to roll up his sleeves and do something about it. A man who strongly believes in self-education and doing things top-notch, Van Winkle devoured decorating books and pored through Florida Design Magazine. He scrolled through photos online and started to identify what style he loved. He learned to incorporate earth tones, textures and throw pillows into an environment. He learned what it takes to warm up a living space, to make it comfortable and cozy and welcoming. Then he hired a crew, mostly of his own friends, and got to work, tearing down walls and building up for himself a home he could love.  “After I finished, I crossed my arms, and said, ‘Wow, look what I did!’ I was really proud of it, and caught the bug right there. I found another passion completely by accident, and I haven’t stopped since.” Now, more than 20 years later, Van Winkle’s homebuilding company, the Vanilla Ice Project (VIP) has built, remodeled and redecorated hundreds of homes. His real estate company, vanillaicerealestate.com, offers to others his years of experience and knowledge in a complete course on buying short sales, foreclosures, and tax liens for pennies on the dollar. His television series with the DIY Network, now in its third season, gives viewers a glimpse into the hard work it takes to turn neglected homes from zero to hero. His interest in decorating has inspired him to create his own lighting line, complete with custom-designed chandeliers, pendants and wall sconces, sparkling with Swarovski crystals and available in bronze, stainless and, of course, iced nickel.  Before Van Winkle came to Holmes County, he didn’t know much about Amish culture, aside from their reputation for building good furniture and focusing on long-lasting construction.  “With that alone, I knew we were going to get along great,” Van Winkle says, a bright smile spreading across his face. “That’s exactly what I love to do. And it has been awesome.” For several weeks, Van Winkle and his posse partnered with Robert Schlabach and Brad Grose of Winesburg Builders to complete six projects, ranging from kitchen renovation and curb appeal to basement remodeling and barn raising. He has also immersed himself in the Amish culture, helping to bake pies, plant onions, spread manure, wash laundry, and milk cows.  “I wanted to come here and work,” Van Winkle says, “not just be a pampered celebrity, so we do chores. I even sheared a sheep and gave him a cool zigzag haircut. It’s the first Vanilla Ice look-alike sheep ever in the world.” Van Winkle says the Amish way of doing things perplexed him at first. Like how some do laundry, for example--running it through a generator-powered ringer washer and then, regardless of what time of the year it is, hauling it outside and hanging it on a clothesline to dry. Even during the coldest winter days in January, it’s not uncommon to see lines of frozen purple dresses and homemade jeans stiffly marching along a cotton cord.  “I asked, ‘Where’s your electricity to run that washer?’ They told me it was from a generator run by diesel fuel. I said, ‘But isn’t that more expensive?’ They said, ‘Yes, but it’s our tradition.’ I said, ‘If you have electric to run your washer, why don’t you just buy a dryer and throw the clothes in there, too? It’s a lot faster, less process of hanging ‘em up outside, taking ‘em down, bringing ‘em back in, folding ‘em.’ I didn’t understand it until they explained it to me. It’s tradition, yes. But it’s also like therapy. It’s alone time, and they actually enjoy it.” Van Winkle says that process, that idea of slowing down and taking time, has been a welcome surprise for him.  “I thought it was going to be hard not having my iPhone or computer or TV--the things you think you can’t live without. But I haven’t had them, and I haven’t missed them. At all. I’m around such great people here, I’m always entertained. It’s kind of like a break away from all that. I’m on a little adventure, a vacation where my phone just doesn’t work. I don’t want it to, and I don’t miss it. I’m having fun gettin’ in where I’m fittin’ in.” And from all appearances, Van Winkle and the whole crew has been fitting in, and fitting in well. Senior producer Scott Robbe chose a crew and production method specifically to match the nature of the area, from the calm and confident executive producer Len Webber, to the local sound and camera operators,and even down to the in-ear wireless intercom system used by every member of the crew to keep them all quietly connected.  And not only does the DIY Network put an emphasis, when shooting a show, on respecting the community, but they also put a priority on buying materials from local sources--in this case, from local lumberyard like Keim and Yoder Lumber. To top it all off, they also hire local production crews--camera and lighting and sound professionals from Canton and Cleveland and surrounding areas. Most of them, says Robbe, are as good or better than any he has worked with in Los Angeles. And thanks to The Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit, which provides a refundable tax credit that equals 25 percent off in-state spending and non-resident wages and 35 percent in Ohio resident wages on eligible productions. (including reality shows like this one) produced in Ohio, production teams are starting to find the Buckeye state an appealing place to work, wooing crews here for the production of the new Captain America movie and Draft Day, a football movie starring Kevin Costner, both shooting now in Cleveland. For the region where the filming takes place, it brings in revenue and jobs and timely payment of invoices, and for the production company, it makes projects more affordable and often more convenient. It’s a win-win situation. Not that there haven’t been challenges. There always are in projects of this size. But, for the most part, those challenges have been small ones. For instance, as a vegetarian, Van Winkle had a difficult start finding sustenance in this area, known for savory pot roasts and crisp pan-fried chicken, until The Farmstead in Berlin hooked him up with some veggie-laden meals. He laughs about how one of his hosts, Winesburg Builders’ Robert Schlabach’s father, John Schlabach, said to him, “Rob I’m kinda like a vegetarian.” “I said, ‘Whaddya mean kinda?’ I thought he was gonna say, ‘I only eat chicken,’ and that’s not a vegetarian. But that’s not what he said. He said, ‘Well, I feed my cow vegetables, and then I eat the cow.’” Van Winkle busts out laughing. That kind of humor is another aspect Van Winkle has really appreciated while working among the Amish. He has been doing a lot of laughing on the set. “I wasn’t sure how they’d be here, but the local crew has a great sense of humor. We’ve jelled very well. They’re witty and funny and have great stories, just like my guys. When I first came, I had a lot of questions. I didn’t want to be intrusive or offensive or ask the wrong things, but they’ve been very open. They’ve welcomed me. They’re very sweet people, and I’ve met a lot of new friends.” Another fresh experience for Van Winkle, and one he has fully infused the Vanilla flavor into, is the Amish buggy.  “I’d never in my life seen one buggy, and it’s like buggy central here,” laughs Van Winkle, who is more settled on the seat of a dirt bike or jet ski--he was ranked sixth jet skier in the world on the International Jet Sports Association Tour in 1993--than he says he would be on the back of a horse. He even owns a few equine, thanks to his daughters who ride and love them. But he has no intention of following suit. “It just looks uncomfortable,” he says. “If I’m going to go out in the woods, I’m going on a dirt bike. I go faster, I control it, and it doesn’t have a brain of its own. Those horses are tall, they have a brain, and they can take off,” he laughs. But driving a buggy? That’s a different story. “I loved it. The horse did everything. It went left, right, and even had reverse,” he says. “So I had to get one. I bought a buggy and Iced it out.” The iced-out buggy, customized with the help of Ivan Burkholder of Woodlyn Coach in Millersburg, will appear on the show, in all of its white-on-white glory. The interior is lined with white, super-soft simulated rabbit fur and white leather seats with white piping, “like a Ferrari,” Van Winkle says. It’s blinged out with LED lights, a disco ball and a sound system that broadcasts animal noises.  “I’m taking it back to Florida. I’m gonna drive that thing down A1A Beachfront Avenue,” he says, rapping that same line from his song “Ice, Ice Baby.” “I’m gonna roll down Worth Avenue next to Gucci and Louis Vuitton with an Amish buggy right before the show comes out, just for fun.” It’s clear from observing Van Winkle on-set during the filming of the season’s finale, that, while he’s a hard worker and isn’t shy about getting his hands dirty, he definitely loves a good dose of fun. And he loves people, whether it’s rapping “Ice, Ice Baby” with area music favorite, John Schmid, cranking ice cream with one of his local foremen, Albert Miller of Benton, or hovering around a copper kettle popping with sweet kernels, surrounded by a bunch of kids. The man loves making new friends.  “I’m honored to be here,” he says. “It’s a fantastic adventure, not just for the people watching on TV, but for me personally and everyone behind the scenes. This is a magical experience most people don’t get. You can’t buy a ticket for this. Great people, great memories, and smiles for everybody, because they’re contagious.”  As Van Winkle’s time in Holmes County draws to a close, he stands encircled by a cluster of children, taking turns dipping into a big bag of warm kettle corn as he listens intently to one little girl who tugs on his shirt and calls him “Balilla Ice” and tells him how her rabbit had bunnies, and another who announces that her brother is competing in a dirt bike race. All around him, people are bustling, equipment is packed away, the day’s feast of roast pig and rhubarb pie becomes tomorrow’s leftovers, and the production crew carries the rooster out of the newly-built barn. But Rob Van Winkle is riveted and undistracted, taking in every word his young friends are laying down. This, he says, is what it’s all about, and it’s another thing he has really appreciated--the family-focus of the Holmes County community.  “That’s the meaning of life anyway,” he says. “It’s not about material things and sports cars and mansions. It’s about family and friends. It’s about sharing the whole adventure together.” So, the big question is, now that he has explored this unique community, has lived and worked and played here for these last few weeks, will he be back? “Absolutely,” he says without hesitation. “It’s a great spot. I like it. You’ll be seeing Rob around here hanging out. I’ve got lots of new friends, and I plan on keeping that friendship.” To find out more about Van Winkle’s current musical projects and tour dates, visit vanillaice.com. For information on Van Winkle’s real estate seminars, visit vanillaicerealestate.com.  For a great primer dispelling some of the myths behind the man, see whatculture.com/music/6-things-you-didnt-know-about-vanilla-ice-but-were-afraid-to-ask.php.  To keep up-to-date on “Vanilla Ice Goes Amish,” which will premier on the DIY Network on a date to-be-determined, visit diynetwork.com/the-vanilla-ice-project/show/index.html.

I created these cards as advice to writers from some of my favorite word wranglers. These bits always sock me between the eyes when I read them. 

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