Iowa Is America’s #9 Amish State — Here Are Its 10 Biggest Communities

Iowa Is America’s #9 Amish State — Here Are Its 10 Biggest Communities

ByErik Wesner

Iowa is home to America’s ninth-largest Amish population, spread across about 25 settlements. The oldest dates to 1846; the newest on this list, to 2011. The following communities are the largest in Iowa, based on the most current Amish population estimates. Population numbers via Young Center for Anabaptist & Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College (source link at bottom). 1. Bloomfield Bloomfield (Davis County) Community founded:…

Amish Boy, Age 8, Killed In Farm Equipment Accident (Northwest Pennsylvania)

Amish Boy, Age 8, Killed In Farm Equipment Accident (Northwest Pennsylvania)

ByErik Wesner

I hate to share this news, but it’s being reported that a farm accident claimed the life of another Amish child Friday. An eight-year-old boy was pronounced dead this morning at a home in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. More from the CBS Pittsburgh report: An 8-year-old died after an accident involving farm equipment in Mercer County on Friday morning, authorities said. In a public information release…

This Tricky Amish Buggy Passing Situation Just Put A Woman In The Hospital

This Tricky Amish Buggy Passing Situation Just Put A Woman In The Hospital

ByErik Wesner

An Amish woman has been hospitalized after a wreck yesterday afternoon (Aug. 13) in Stark County, Ohio. This one resulted from a common and potentially dangerous situation that doesn’t get talked about enough. First, the key details from the Canton Repository: Trooper A. Burch said the Amish woman, who lives in the Navarre area, was riding her buggy south on Navarre Road SW. A man…

Amish Acres Owner After Shutdown: “It Was A Paperwork Error” — State Now Finds No Violations

Amish Acres Owner After Shutdown: “It Was A Paperwork Error” — State Now Finds No Violations

ByErik Wesner

Two days after ordering Amish Acres closed, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security has released a new report stating that no violations were found at the Nappanee, Indiana property. The owner, Brad Juneau, says the shutdown came down to missing paperwork rather than anything unsafe at the site. The IDHS abruptly shut down the business on Tuesday, citing violations identified during a reinspection. The violations…

“A Danger To The Public”: Judge Shuts Down Former Amish Man’s Health Facility

“A Danger To The Public”: Judge Shuts Down Former Amish Man’s Health Facility

ByErik Wesner
1 Comment

An Iowa health facility run by a former Amish man has been shut down by court order. A judge has ruled that those operating it are “a danger to the public.” We’ve looked at this case already on two occasions – once when the story of charges against clinic operator Eddie R. Gingerich broke back in May, and later when further details emerged on his…

Lancaster County Man Pleads Guilty In $402 Million ATM Ponzi Scheme That Hit Amish & Mennonites. But His Attorney Says The Loss Could Actually Be…Zero

Lancaster County Man Pleads Guilty In $402 Million ATM Ponzi Scheme That Hit Amish & Mennonites. But His Attorney Says The Loss Could Actually Be…Zero

ByErik Wesner
1 Comment

Daryl Heller, the Lancaster County businessman whose ATM investment network drew money from Amish and Mennonites across the Lancaster County area, among others, pleaded guilty to securities fraud on Monday, August 10. However, no one has yet established how much his investors actually lost – with his attorney even claiming to the court that the figure could be zero. Charged In September 2025 This is…

State Of Indiana Shuts Down Amish Acres For Fire Safety Violations

State Of Indiana Shuts Down Amish Acres For Fire Safety Violations

ByErik Wesner
4 Comments

Amish Acres, an iconic Amish-themed destination in Nappanee, Indiana, has been shut down by the state until fire safety violations are corrected, following a reinspection of the facility. Several safety-related violations, according to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, have led the agency to issue an emergency order requiring all to leave the property and prohibiting anyone from entering. Sold, Rebranded, Then Sold Again Amish…

A Visit To The Amish Of Prince Edward Island, Canada (16 Photos)

A Visit To The Amish Of Prince Edward Island, Canada (16 Photos)

ByErik Wesner
6 Comments

Judy Stavisky, author of In Plain View: The Daily Lives of Amish Women, shares her recent visit to an Amish community on Prince Edward Island, Canada, with us today. All photos in this post by Judy Stavisky. “Would you like to join us for a bowl of ice cream? We churned it ourselves.” A soft voice from behind a thin blue curtain invited us inside—a…

Six Ejected In Rear-End Crash — In Pennsylvania County Where Buggy Ban Failed

Six Ejected In Rear-End Crash — In Pennsylvania County Where Buggy Ban Failed

ByErik Wesner
4 Comments

Six people were ejected from a horse-drawn buggy in Bedford County, Pennsylvania on Sunday evening when a car struck it from behind. This is in the same Pennsylvania county where a proposed steel wheel buggy ban failed just days earlier. The crash happened in the early evening on August 9 along William Penn Road, near the intersection with Younts Road, in East St. Clair Township….

“Authentically Themselves”: Ben & Rose Have Turned Down Record Deals, Never Given An Interview

“Authentically Themselves”: Ben & Rose Have Turned Down Record Deals, Never Given An Interview

ByErik Wesner
1 Comment

Ben & Rose don’t put on too many shows – but they recently played a couple of big ones in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (more on that below). We’ve been following Ben and Rose’s music since late 2024, from their first eye-and-ear-catching viral appearance as an Amish couple playing a classic country music tune to dozens of song releases since. A profile from LancasterOnline published ahead of…

“People Spoke, They Don’t Want It” — Amish Rest Easier After Steel Wheel Buggy Ban Scrapped

“People Spoke, They Don’t Want It” — Amish Rest Easier After Steel Wheel Buggy Ban Scrapped

ByErik Wesner
2 Comments

The Bedford Township ordinance we’ve been following for the past three weeks is not happening. And in contrast to the last township meeting, where residents spoke out passionately against the steel wheel ban and manure ordinance, there was no more drama to it. Supervisors have simply scrapped it. Residents arriving for the August 4th meeting found a sign posted on the door telling them the matter…

An Amish School Auction 7,500 Feet Up In Colorado (16 Photos)

An Amish School Auction 7,500 Feet Up In Colorado (16 Photos)

ByErik Wesner

So here’s something you don’t see every day – an Amish benefit auction held at over 7,500 feet, in country with vast views as far as the eye can see. Reader Alan LaFon checks in from an Amish part of America we don’t often hear too much from. These photos come from the annual La Jara Amish School Consignment Auction, held each July in Conejos…

Michigan Officials: Our Amish Should Be Able To Vote Without Photo ID

Michigan Officials: Our Amish Should Be Able To Vote Without Photo ID

ByErik Wesner
8 Comments

Some in Michigan are concerned that the Amish won’t be able to vote if the state adopts a photo ID requirement. WWMT reports that a bill which “mirrors the federal SAVE America Act” has already been approved by the Michigan House. But it doesn’t currently have the votes to pass in the Michigan Senate. It might get there, though – if the balance of power…

New From Mike & Marty: “Vision of Mother”

New From Mike & Marty: “Vision of Mother”

ByErik Wesner

“Vision of Mother” is one of the sadder songs we’ve seen Mike and Marty do – a tune paying tribute to a beloved mother who has passed away. This one follows their version of “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” from back in June, which was also a song about a mother’s passing. So it’s a theme they’ve gone to twice in a short period now….

18-Wheeler Destroys Amish Buggy On Tennessee Highway — Everyone Survives

18-Wheeler Destroys Amish Buggy On Tennessee Highway — Everyone Survives

ByErik Wesner
2 Comments

One Amish family is counting their blessings after an 18-wheeler hit their buggy on a four-lane highway. This is from the Amish community at Ethridge, Tennessee. WSMV reports on the story – which appears to have been sourced from Lawrence County executive David Morgan, who shared the family’s plight on Facebook yesterday (August 4th). Morgan writes: I need someone with a horse trailer to help…

Amish Retreat Leader Sam Shetler’s Defense Succeeds: Trial Moved To New County — Date Expected This Month

Amish Retreat Leader Sam Shetler’s Defense Succeeds: Trial Moved To New County — Date Expected This Month

ByErik Wesner

Amish retreat leader Sam Shetler will not be tried in Cooper County, Missouri — the county where he ran the Mercy and Truth Retreat, and where he was arrested in March. Prosecutors have agreed to move the case. This is the latest in a case we’ve been following since Shetler’s arrest in late March. If you’re new to the story, he made his first court…

Dirty Buggy? Amish Youth Will Wash It For You — While You Eat Ham Sandwiches

Dirty Buggy? Amish Youth Will Wash It For You — While You Eat Ham Sandwiches

ByErik Wesner

Just like your car, Amish buggies – not to mention their horses – need the occasional wash too. That’s the idea behind an upcoming event in the Shipshewana, Indiana area, passed along to us by Jim Halverson. This is the ad for a benefit buggy wash to be held about two weeks from now, on Saturday August 15: BENEFIT BUGGY WASH to be on Saturday,…

7 Ways Amish Families Keep Grocery Bills Low — Even With 8 Kids

7 Ways Amish Families Keep Grocery Bills Low — Even With 8 Kids

ByErik Wesner
2 Comments

Grocery prices are on a lot of people’s minds lately, and for good reason. The USDA’s moderate-cost food plan has a family of four at around $1,385 a month as of this writing. Scale that up to a household of ten mouths to feed, and you’re well past $2,500. Why do I say ten? Well, that’s an average-sized Amish family – two parents and eight…

Trade The Amish For Data Centers? Residents At Township Meeting Fear Where This Could Lead

Trade The Amish For Data Centers? Residents At Township Meeting Fear Where This Could Lead

ByErik Wesner
5 Comments

The Morrisons Cove Herald has a fuller writeup now of the July 21 Bedford Township (Bedford County, PA) meeting we’ve been following. It’s the one where supervisors were set to vote on the steel wheel and manure ordinance, but in the end – likely responding to the backlash from attendees – didn’t. We first covered the proposed ordinance a couple weeks back, then wrote about…

A Little Amish-Founded Clinic Has Identified More Rare Genetic Disorders Than Any Other. These 2 August Auctions Support It

A Little Amish-Founded Clinic Has Identified More Rare Genetic Disorders Than Any Other. These 2 August Auctions Support It

ByErik Wesner
1 Comment

Auctions To Support The DDC Clinic Are Happening in Spartansburg, Pennsylvania (August 7) and Middlefield, Ohio (August 28) Two benefit auctions this August support the DDC Clinic in Middlefield, Ohio – an Amish-founded nonprofit that has identified more rare genetic disorders than any clinic in the world. In the late 1990s, a group of Amish mothers in Geauga County, Ohio – whose special-needs children met…

Kentucky Is America’s #8 Amish State — Here Are Its 10 Biggest Communities

Kentucky Is America’s #8 Amish State — Here Are Its 10 Biggest Communities

ByErik Wesner

Kentucky is home to America’s eighth-largest Amish population. Over 16,000 Amish live in more than 50 settlements across the state. These ten communities are the largest in Kentucky, based on the most current Amish population estimates. Population numbers via Young Center for Anabaptist & Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College (source link at bottom). 1. Munfordville Munfordville (Hart County) Community founded: 1989 Total Amish population: 2,525…

The Amish “Black Box” Phone: The Device They Built to Keep Big Tech Out

The Amish “Black Box” Phone: The Device They Built to Keep Big Tech Out

ByErik Wesner
2 Comments

Looking at its name alone, the Amish Black Box Phone has an air of secrecy or mystery to it. Is it some sort of clandestine Amish spy-ops device? A tool meant for conveying bad news? Of course, many of us will connect “black box” with the recording devices used to record communication in plane crashes, another morbid association. But it’s none of those things. Rather,…

6 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Ohio’s Largest Amish Community

6 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Ohio’s Largest Amish Community

ByJoe Donnermeyer

A Population Profile of the Greater Holmes County settlement of Northeast Ohio Out of 700-plus Amish settlements, there are four that can be considered super-sized. In previous editions of The Journal of Plain Anabaptist Communities (JPAC), profiles for three already were published. The first of these was by Lawrence Greksa about the Greater Geauga, Ohio settlement, published in volume 1, issue 2. This was followed…

This Idyllic Ohio Amish Homestead Has 3 Barns, an Icehouse, and Its Own Creek (35 Photos)

This Idyllic Ohio Amish Homestead Has 3 Barns, an Icehouse, and Its Own Creek (35 Photos)

ByErik Wesner

This Amish home listing in Frazeysburg, Ohio contains the description “some of the most beautiful farm ground you can imagine.” Hard to argue after seeing these lovely photos. The property is 25 acres with the Wakatomika Creek running right along its western edge (visible in the photo below). The presence of an icehouse building (we’ll see that farther down) suggests this is an Amish group…

The Amish Rarely Settle In This Southern State — Now It’s Getting A Second Community

The Amish Rarely Settle In This Southern State — Now It’s Getting A Second Community

ByErik Wesner

It appears the Amish are putting down roots in a state that they have rarely settled in the past — Mississippi. In fact, for the past three decades, the Magnolia State has had just one small Amish community. But a second is now arising in Prentiss County in northeast Mississippi, according to a new report. At least one family, and possibly more, has already moved…

5 Things You Should Never Say To An Amish Person (Or Should You?)

5 Things You Should Never Say To An Amish Person (Or Should You?)

ByErik Wesner
15 Comments

So I couldn’t resist commenting on this one. You may have come across slideshow-style “listicle” posts on mass media sites like MSN or AOL. I’ve been seeing a lot of them lately about the Amish (sometimes they link to this website as a source, so no complaints there). Things like “10 surprising technologies the Amish use” or “The 15 largest Amish communities”. Often enough, the…

Bread Soup, Oyster Stew & More: Favorite Dishes From My Ohio Amish Community

Bread Soup, Oyster Stew & More: Favorite Dishes From My Ohio Amish Community

ByErik Wesner
10 Comments

Nora Kurtz is a member of a Geauga County, Ohio Amish church. Today she shares some favorite dishes from her childhood – and some she still loves today, including bread soup and more. Anyone who lives in or around a large Amish community is probably going to be at least somewhat familiar with “Amish food”. Fried chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, creamed vegetables, pies and puddings…

The Top 3 Buffet Restaurants in America Are All in Amish Country

The Top 3 Buffet Restaurants in America Are All in Amish Country

ByErik Wesner
5 Comments

That’s according to the latest Top 10 list just released by USA Today, which pegs several Amish Country/PA Dutch-style buffets as the best in the country. The top three, in fact, are all in that category. In order, they are: Shady Maple Smorgasbord (Lancaster County, Pennsylvania) Der Dutchman (Sarasota, Florida) Miller’s Smorgasbord (Lancaster County, Pennsylvania) And not only that, but a fourth Amish Country buffet…

A Return To Virginia’s Oldest Amish Community — And The Woman Who Left Something Beautiful Behind (15 Photos)

A Return To Virginia’s Oldest Amish Community — And The Woman Who Left Something Beautiful Behind (15 Photos)

ByErik Wesner
3 Comments

Reader Shawn has been visiting the Amish community at Pearisburg, Virginia for over a decade now. The first visit of Shawn’s we saw here was back in 2014, followed by a return in 2016 to check on the newly opened Walker Valley Market. I’ve made a couple of visits myself – one on a rainy February day in 2020, and another in December 2020 when…