30 Most Recent Comments

ByErik Wesner
  • Pamela Baughn October 3, 2026 at 9:51 am on 11 Easy Amish Noodle Recipes for Simple Comfort FoodLooking for Amish casserole with no meat. Can’t find my recipe, but know it calls for Philadelphia cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream set at room temperature. Uses Amish noodles. Layer everything and bake in oven. Do have this recipe?
  • Don Burke October 3, 2026 at 9:28 am on Picturing The Amish – Q&A with Photographer Don Burke (Part 1)Hello again. I am revisiting your question after five years because my wife and I revisited Jamesport last week and noticed a few of your TCT triangles in use. I asked an Amish lady who was at the moment traveling with us and she was unfamiliar with them. But all three of us in the car agreed that they brought the visibility level up significantly compared to the older SMV triangles. You earlier asked if I have pictures of them in use and if I could share them. In answer to that, yes, I now do, and yes if you will share an email address with me.
  • Don Burke October 3, 2026 at 9:21 am on Picturing The Amish – Q&A with Photographer Don Burke (Part 1)Jessica, please accept my apologies for not seeing (and thus, not replying to) your question. I'm not sure the problem, but the website here is often stingy in notifying me about new comments. I used to store my online collection on Flickr, and there may be some artifacts from that period still there under the name of OzarkInspirations. But I have since migrated my 34k+ images to my own website (which is still somewhat under construction). You can find the Amish-related images at this link: https://photography.ozarkinspirations.com/super-collection/amish .
  • Maxine D October 3, 2026 at 2:18 am on 20 Years After The Nickel Mines Amish School Shooting, A Girl’s Parents Still Forgive “Again And Again”Well do I know that forgiveness is a process, and often needs to be a repeated choice - it is something I have had to learn and apply though my life. I say the Amish certainly "have it right" on this Blessings Maxine
  • Jean Bracken October 2, 2026 at 11:20 pm on An Amish Caravan Is On A 30-Mile Journey From Lancaster County To A Historic HomesteadVery interesting and may they have a blessed time together.
  • Jorge Alberto Torres October 2, 2026 at 9:10 pm on So you want to join the Amishmí correo electrónico: jorgealbertotorres250877@gmail.com
  • Jorge Alberto Torres October 2, 2026 at 8:55 pm on So you want to join the Amishmiré un documental de dw acerca de ustedes y maravilloso, bendiciones, sería un gran honor conocerles
  • Erik Wesner October 2, 2026 at 4:05 pm on An Amish Caravan Is On A 30-Mile Journey From Lancaster County To A Historic HomesteadIt is a neat one. I bet these folks are having a blast.
  • Erik Wesner October 2, 2026 at 4:04 pm on Amish “Retro” Publication: 1970s Young CompanionWould love to help you out, but these images were shared with me way back when this was posted, and I don't have the actual issue myself.
  • Erik Wesner October 2, 2026 at 4:02 pm on An Amish Caravan Is On A 30-Mile Journey From Lancaster County To A Historic HomesteadWell actually that is a different Ben Riehl! But the Ben you've heard of is well aware this has been happening though he's not in the caravan itself 🙂
  • HELIO G. October 2, 2026 at 1:43 pm on The Amish in Maine: 2026 Guide (11 Communities)After watching, "Amish Mafia," I'm not sure how much we should trust these people. It is only a matter of time before the crimewave hits our small towns in Maine. Then what? Who will protect us then? I think we need to get ahead of this project before it's too late. The farmland they are buying up so cheaply in Northern Maine would be best used for solar panels. Cheap energy is where it is at. Not men in black busting kneecaps with handmade axe handles.
  • Guy in Ohio October 2, 2026 at 1:36 pm on An Amish Caravan Is On A 30-Mile Journey From Lancaster County To A Historic HomesteadInteresting collection of horse drawn vehicles in that caravan! Super cool story! Erik, was that your friend Ben mentioned in the article or was that a different Ben Riehl? Can’t imagine there are very many Ben Riehls floating around the Lancaster settlement.
  • Joel Herman October 2, 2026 at 10:30 am on German Lutherans to Pennsylvania Amish: The Stoltzfus Family Story (Interview & 2-Book Giveaway)I am researching the Monocacy Lutheran church ( at md /pa boarder) early 1732 and their relationship with the Mormon church. I find this time period of our area/country fascinating and want to express a hearty " thank you for everyone's hard work" on this book, I know how difficult and challenging putting something like this together really is. Joel
  • Regina Mishler October 1, 2026 at 9:33 pm on Amish “Retro” Publication: 1970s Young CompanionHere in Southern Belize, I'm looking for a missing issue of Young Companion, in particular for part 2 of a 7-chapter story. Is there any possibility you could take pictures of this story and send it so I can read the complete story to my daughter? YC January 1975, Chapter 2 of Bevely We'd be delighted to have it, if it's possible. My email is reginamishler@gmail.com Thank you!
  • Denise October 1, 2026 at 7:32 pm on An Amish Caravan Is On A 30-Mile Journey From Lancaster County To A Historic HomesteadWhat a neat story! Thank you for bringing that to our attention.
  • Charles October 1, 2026 at 7:29 pm on Advertise on Amish AmericaI have several buildings for rent in a small town in Kentucky. Several of them are over 100 years old while the newest was built in 1940. I have one building that is 3000 ft.² and is stood up for a restaurant and bakery currently. One is straight warehouse space that could be anything and another would be an ideal location for a farm store with a large lot adjacent to it. There are spaces for two apartments upstairs over the farm store and there is another building. I’m currently remodeling which will have 2400 ft.² of space.
  • mary Bynum September 30, 2026 at 9:07 pm on Amish Foods: 5 Favorites Not To MissI love the way Amish people live because that's the way i was raised on a farm with no electric 0f any kind my mom cooked on a wood stove and open firepit, the food taste so much better
  • Leana September 30, 2026 at 8:59 pm on 6 Amish Habits That Cut $400 a Month From Your BillsSome of these are only possible with a homestead but great ideas of course. I do combine trips to town as much as possible and do errands in that direction or route on one trip. For #1 I do that anyway. I have zero subscriptions. It is a waste of money. I don't take in any worldly entertainment because I don't want it anyway and thus I don't even have a cable bill. I do use internet for many things, none of which are bad. I get plenty of exercise as well and can always do some at home or take a walk. I swim in summer every other week and it is cheaper that way to just pay each time a one person price than to pay a membership fee for the same amount of swimming only to pay ten times as much or more. You have to be dollar wise about these things, I save a lot of money all the time with things like this. Thank you for the tips. : )
  • Erik Wesner September 30, 2026 at 6:03 pm on 6 Amish Habits That Cut $400 a Month From Your BillsI admit I had to use Google Translate here, but what you say makes a lot of sense 🙂
  • Erik Wesner September 30, 2026 at 5:52 pm on Brother & Sister Lost Their Lives In Van Crash Involving Buggies Carrying 9 Amish Children (New York)I hear you. It was not my intention to point blame to the parents - but, I see how it can be taken that way. It was a new detail that I felt was worth pointing out. To be frank, I've probably been reading too many of these crash reports lately, I hate to say. I do think age and qualifications of these young buggy drivers is a safety issue that ought to get a harder look in general, even if it did not come into play in this crash, where not all details are known. I have adjusted the title, though have left that detail within the post, as well as my comments on how prevalent that practice is.
  • Jim Krämer September 30, 2026 at 5:29 pm on 6 Amish Habits That Cut $400 a Month From Your Bills1. Einkaufen ohne eine Liste ist mir undenkbar. 2. Schreib ein Budget! 3. Wenn man weniger ausgibt als man einbringt, wird man nicht arm!
  • Florian Neuhaus September 30, 2026 at 1:12 pm on “Old Fashion Days” Draws Big Amish Crowd In Rentown, Indiana (16 Photos)Da muss ich widersprechen – ich finde die Amish gar nicht so beeindruckend. War nur ein Scherz! Die Amish sind wirklich beeindruckend. ich sehe sie jeden Tag auf dem Weg zur Arbeit. Ich bin erst seit ein paar Jahren in Amerika. Entschuldigung, dass ich nicht auf Englisch schreibe, aber es ist schön, einen Landsmann zu treffen. Ich komme aus Düsseldorf und bin ein großer Fan von Mönchengladbach. Und du?
  • John kaminski September 30, 2026 at 5:47 am on Brother & Sister Lost Their Lives In Van Crash Involving Buggies Carrying 9 Amish Children (New York)Why is there bias against the Amish in these articles? Why did it need to be pointed out that no adults were in the buggy like that might have changed anything? Both buggies were hit from behind, by someone that apparently didn't apply the brakes even after striking the first buggy. Someone local enough to know that Amish buggies occupy the roads, that children are on the roads. Yet you highlight, "No adults in the buggies" guilting the parents of two dead children! Shame on you! When this father and mother feel more compassion towards the driver that you all apparently feel towards them. May the Good Lord Jesus show His compassion towards the Hershberger family.
  • Patricia Stevenson September 29, 2026 at 9:05 pm on Brother & Sister Lost Their Lives In Van Crash Involving Buggies Carrying 9 Amish Children (New York)I see that law enforcement and the writer of article both failed to mention that the van driver hit a mailbox prior to the buggys. Which sits much further off the road then those wagons. Any local knows share the road
  • Charles Stunson September 29, 2026 at 5:46 pm on 10 Interesting Household Items From A North Carolina Swartzentruber Amish AuctionIt is a wall mounted coffee grinder. The one pictured runs for about $150. There are others that can fetch $300 plus.
  • Connie September 29, 2026 at 2:29 pm on 5 Facts On The Amish & BanksI went to my Mom's bank to make a deposit into her account. The bank would not accept it because I did not have her account number, even though I have made deposits before w/o the account number. I found this to be odd since I was depositing and not withdrawing.
  • Nora K September 29, 2026 at 8:52 am on 8 Amish Parenting Habits That Raise Grounded, Hardworking ChildrenI get a lot of questions here at the Geauga Amish History Center and one of the most frequent one is on our education system. This article answers beautifully to the education question as well as the 'grounded and hardworking' bit. Sometimes it is a bit difficult to illustrate the integrated system of our culture in a limited time frame with our visitors. We have a different value system than mainstream America (formal education not being top priority) and I recognize and can even understand the difficulty some folks have at grasping this concept. This is a wonderful article to reference for our visitors, thank you!
  • Erik Wesner September 28, 2026 at 9:42 pm on The Amish Now Live In Mexico: 5 Takeaways From The 2026 Amish Population NumbersI would push back on most, though not all, of this. See my response to your other comment below.
  • Erik Wesner September 28, 2026 at 9:38 pm on The Amish Now Live In Mexico: 5 Takeaways From The 2026 Amish Population NumbersI think they are accounting for the Amish in Cecil County - not the separate Cecilton-area settlement but the "Lancaster spillover" - as part of the Lancaster County settlement. The designations used in this and last year's settlement listing pdf for the Lancaster settlement indicate that (as well as accounting for Amish population in neighboring PA counties), in the descriptor they use: "Lancaster / Berks / Chester / Cecil MD". See: https://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/files/2025/06/Amish-Pop-2025_by-state-and-county.pdf (Or https://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/files/2026/09/Amish-Pop-2026_by-state-and-county.pdf) As far as I know, they are well aware of these Lancaster County-settlement Amish living outside county borders, especially the Chester County people which have long lived in those Lancaster-adjacent areas (but the newer-addition Berks County residents as well). As for the York County people previously attached in these listings to the Lancaster settlement, they started considering that a separate settlement two years ago. And it is listed separately in the county/state listings, noted here: https://amishamerica.com/2024-amish-population-passes-four-hundred-thousand/ *Note - that's not referring to the smaller York County Glen Rock settlement, which has been considere a separate settlement since its founding about a decade ago. So I don't believe your *general* claim is accurate. However, for the state population totals listed at https://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/amish-population-2026/ , it appears that the total figure for Maryland in fact is *not* including the Amish in Maryland you are referencing. That is, those who are considered part of the greater Lancaster County settlement but living across state lines in Maryland (though, the numbers don't quite add up for me when summing what's presented here, though it's close at around 2,000: https://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/files/2026/09/Amish-Pop-2026_by-state-and-county.pdf ) So yes, the total given for Amish technically living within state borders of Maryland appears to be leaving those people out, even if they are included in the greater Lancaster County settlement figure given in the state and county list. My Maryland Amish guide does have a separate section on these Lancaster County-origin Amish living in Cecil County here: https://amishamerica.com/maryland-amish/#lancaster-spillover
  • Ryan Weisenbacher September 28, 2026 at 6:23 pm on The Amish in Ohio: 2026 Guide (78 Communities)Hello, I’m Ryan Weisenbacher. Transitioning over a decade of hands-on coaching experience into a dedicated business model tailored for Amish communities is a uniquely valuable venture. Given the deep cultural norms, distinct values, and traditional approaches to commerce within Plain communities, structuring your services around their specific lifestyle will set your business apart. I decided to go out on my own and would love to help those with health needs. 941-221-2168 Website: biotuneyouthelath.com

Get the Amish in your inbox

Join 15,000 email subscribers. No spam. 100% free