About Us
Amish America is an independent publication covering Amish news, life, and communities across North America, publishing original reporting, interviews, and cultural coverage since 2006.
My name is Erik Wesner. No, I’m not Amish. But since 2004 I’ve been visiting Amish communities across America.
Jump to: Who is Erik? | Publications & Media | Contact Info
What you’ll find here:
- Answers to hundreds of questions on the Amish
- Amish communities – where are they? Amish State Guide covering 32 states & Canada
- Amish stores & businesses – where to find them
- Amish books & publications – giveaways & author interviews
- Videos sharing visits to Amish communities, explaining Amish life & beliefs
“If you want to know anything (and everything) about the Amish, this is the website for you.” – Tricia Goyer, USA Today bestselling author
Who is Erik?
I first got to know the Amish in 2004 while selling Bible story books. Over the next several years I visited thousands (literally) of Amish homes, inspiring me to start this website in 2006 to share what I was learning.
In 2008 I was the Snowden Fellow at the Young Center for Anabaptist & Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College, where I researched Amish businesses.
In 2010 my first book, Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive was published.
In 2021 I started the Amish America YouTube channel, which has grown to nearly 80,000 subscribers and includes several videos with over 1 million views..
Over the past two decades I’ve frequently appeared in media on the Amish including The Guardian, Chicago Tribune, CNN Business, New York Times, and more.
I regularly visit Amish communities and stay with Amish friends, attending events like church, driving an “Amish taxi”, and experiencing Amish life.
I love visiting new communities and learning new things about the Amish. With over 600 Amish communities out there, there is always something new to learn!
You can check out my “Amish communities visited” list here (70+ communities in 17 states). Maybe you’ll see some places you know.
Contributors
Amish America features original reporting, photography, and analysis from a team of contributors with deep expertise in Amish life and communities.
Joe Donnermeyer is professor emeritus in Rural Sociology at The Ohio State University, where his research has focused on Amish population growth, settlement expansion, and occupational change. He has co-authored two books on the Amish and approximately two dozen peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. Dr. Donnermeyer is founder and editor of the International Journal of Rural Criminology and co-founder of the Journal of Plain Anabaptist Communities.
Don Burke is a minister and self-taught photographer based in the rural Ozarks of Missouri. Since 2004 he has visited over 50 Amish communities across 11 states, building an original photo library of nearly 8,000 Amish-themed images. His photography has appeared in the landmark book The Amish and in publications by the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College.
Erik Wesner in the media
Select media appearances:
- Salt Lake Tribune – “Who is Ivan Miller, the Iowa man accused of killing 3 women in southern Utah?“, Courtney Tanner, March 13, 2026
- USA Today – Viruses, longevity, autism and the Amish | Fact check, Nate Trela, December 9, 2024
- The Guardian – “‘Our faith will be lost if we adopt technology’: can the Amish resist the modern world?”, Ian Birrell, December 15, 2018
- New York Times – “In Amish Country, the Future Is Calling”, Kevin Granville & Ashley Gilbertson, September 15, 2017
- MLive – “Michigan’s Amish are dying on the roads at an alarming rate this year“, Gus Burns, October 22, 2025
- USA Today – “Yes, there are cases of Amish children with autism, cancer and diabetes | Fact check“, Brieanna J. Frank, July 24, 2023
- Daily Mail – “Retired Ohio science teacher reveals why he joined the Amish at age 51“, Miles Dilworth, December 25, 2023
- Chicago Tribune – “Living frugally and being happy the Amish way”, Gregory Karp, June 24, 2011
- Philadelphia Inquirer – “Bent-and-dent Amish and Mennonite food stores are popular in hard times”, Alfred Lubrano, March 2, 2023
- CBS 15 News – “Expert discusses how the LaGrange County Amish are dealing with the pandemic”, February 25, 2021
- Wall Street Journal – “From Barn Raisings to Home Building”, August 15, 2008
- New York Post – “60 seconds with Erik Wesner”, Brian Moore, March 22, 2010
- Mitchell Republic – “After a decade, South Dakota’s Amish are moving on“, Jason Harward, March 24, 2023
- Daily Mail – “Inside the luxury Amish homes in Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky that are selling for up to $1 Million“, Miles Dilworth, December 3, 2023
- CNN Business – “Why Amish Businesses Succeed” (video), May 4, 2010
- CBS 6 News – “Expert, state police urge caution on roads following deadly buggy crashes”, October 19, 2021
- MSNBC – Live interview w/Contessa Brewer, April 2, 2010
- TIME magazine – “Management, Plain and Simple” by Andrea Sachs, April 8, 2010
Erik’s publications
Books
- Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive (2010), Jossey-Bass
- Who are the Amish? (2012), Verbinum
Journal publications
- “The Amish and COVID-19: A Media Survey.” The Journal of Plain Anabaptist Communities volume 1 no. 2 (2021): 57-81.
- “Amish Enterprise: The Collective Power of Ethnic Entrepreneurship,” with Donald B. Kraybill and Steven M. Nolt. Global Business and Economics Review 12, nos. 1 & 2 (2010): 3-20.
- “Sources of Enterprise Success in Amish Communities,” with Donald B. Kraybill and Steven M. Nolt. The Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy 5, no. 2 (2011): 112-30.
Contact
Email: ewesner@gmail.com (inquiring about something? Please first check what I can’t help with)
- Question on the Amish? Please check the FAQ with 300+ questions answered, or leave it in the comments section. If I can’t answer it there, someone else might be able to!
- Media inquiry? Feel free to drop me an email, I often help with articles on the Amish and other media.
- Want to contribute? We often run guest posts. Please send photos, info, etc. to the email address above.
- Advertising: Advertising and consulting inquiries welcome. We offer website and newsletter ads, and over the years have successfully advertised products including foods, furniture, books, and other products & services.
- Note: If you’re trying to reach Amish readers with your ad, the best option is probably an Amish-read paper publication like the Sugarcreek Budget, Connection magazine, or other publications – not this website. We do have some Amish readers, but our overall readership is 95%+ non-Amish.
What I can’t do:
- I can’t help with Amish pen pal requests (but read this for more)
- I can’t help with Amish lodging requests (but check here for ideas)
- I can’t help market health supplements or other products to Amish communities (try an Amish-read publication like The Budget)
- I can’t help make business connections within the Amish for your business or product
- I can’t provide detailed info on specific Amish businesses in your area like tree removal, carpenters, or other business types (please try the Amish business directory or an online search; Amish places will often be listed in Google)
- I can’t help you join the Amish (but read here for more insights)
Sorry, due to the volume of requests, I’m not able to help with or respond to these inquiries. But please check the linked resources. I hope the info there helps you!
And thanks for reading. Nearly two decades in, the Amish world still has plenty of stories left to tell.
