Author: Erik Wesner

Erik Wesner is the creator of amishamerica.com, and author of Success Made Simple: An Inside Look At Why Amish Businesses Thrive. Erik began visiting Amish communities in 2004 – eventually meeting thousands of Amish families while selling books.

He began writing about the Amish on this website in 2006, and is often cited in national media, including USA Today, The New York Times, and others on a wide range of Amish topics. A native of North Carolina, Erik has visited dozens of Amish communities across the country, and loves spending time with Amish friends and discovering new Amish places.

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An Amish Winter Trip Gone Wrong (Part 5): The Storm

An Amish Winter Trip Gone Wrong (Part 5): The Storm

Author Haley Straw returns today with part 5 of a new winter-themed series, drawing on one of her more challenging experiences as an Amish taxi driver. Part 1 is here, part 2 here, part 3 here and part 4 here if you missed them. My body knew it before my mind caught up. Face pale. Hands fidgeting. Legs bouncing uncontrollably. I shot nervous glances at Allen,…

Lancaster County Amish Schoolhouse Vandalized, Police Investigating

Lancaster County Amish Schoolhouse Vandalized, Police Investigating

Details are scarce but the Daily Voice is reporting on an Amish school being broken into last month in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: The burglary happened at a schoolhouse on Dry Wells Road in Bart Township on Sunday, Jan. 19 at 8:13 a.m., according to the release. Troopers from the Lancaster Patrol Unit responded to the scene for a report of criminal mischief, police said. Through…

Customers Have to Pull a Rope for Service at This Tiny Amish Farm Stand (22 Photos)

Customers Have to Pull a Rope for Service at This Tiny Amish Farm Stand (22 Photos)

That little beige building in the photo below is West View Acres. It’s a charming Amish-run farm stand located in Springs, Pennsylvania. This is in the venerable Somerset County Amish community. It’s the country’s second-oldest, where the Amish have lived for over 250 years. And on my recent visit here, I was reminded how the Amish retail experience can be a throwback to another time….

New From Ben & Rose: “If I Needed You”

New From Ben & Rose: “If I Needed You”

Ben and Rose return with their first full video in a little while. This one is called “If I Needed You”. In contrast to some of their latest, this is a more contemporary song, written by Townes Van Zandt in 1972. I would call this an “upbeat ballad”. Nice guitar playing and wonderful singing together as usual. Interestingly they are in a different setting here…

Blinding Sun Blamed After Amish Buggy Driver Injured in Missouri Crash

Blinding Sun Blamed After Amish Buggy Driver Injured in Missouri Crash

Many factors can come in to play when cars hit Amish buggies. In a wreck this morning in Schuyler County, Missouri, it appears that the sun was to blame. More details from KTVO: QUEEN CITY, Mo. — A two-vehicle crash in Schuyler County Friday morning injured the driver of a horse-drawn buggy. The Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper who worked the wreck told KTVO it…

Inside An 8-Bedroom Amish Home With Just 1 Bathroom (29 Photos)

Inside An 8-Bedroom Amish Home With Just 1 Bathroom (29 Photos)

This week’s Amish home, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, is a family home sitting on a 10-acre lot. And true to Amish form, the family is a big one – the house has a whopping eight bedrooms –  but just one bathroom. More on that below. Here’s the full description: Discover the perfect blend of craftsmanship, privacy, and land stewardship with this new custom Amish-built home, thoughtfully…

An Amish Winter Trip Gone Wrong (Part 4): Overloaded and Overruled

An Amish Winter Trip Gone Wrong (Part 4): Overloaded and Overruled

Author Haley Straw returns today with part 4 of a new winter-themed series, drawing on one of her more challenging experiences as an Amish taxi driver. Part 1 is here, part 2 here, and part 3 here if you missed them. I was exhausted to the point of feeling loopy. The world felt distant – sounds dulled, everything slightly off. That’s when the talking started behind us….

Building This New Amish School Will Cost $160,000

Building This New Amish School Will Cost $160,000

Amish schools in one Ohio community are all full – so the community is planning a new one. This brief report by Shawn Digity in the Zanesville Times Recorder reveals some details about what goes into building an Amish school – in this case in an Amish community in Muskingum County, OH. For one, the cost of building a new Amish school? In this case,…

Amish 4-Month-Old Hospitalized After Buggy Totaled in Ohio Crash

Amish 4-Month-Old Hospitalized After Buggy Totaled in Ohio Crash

A four-month-old infant was ejected along with its parents in a buggy wreck February 10th in Ashland County, Ohio. Looking at the photos, the buggy can be described as pretty well destroyed. The infant was transported to hospital; the parents suffered only minor injuries. Ashland County Pictures provides reporting and images from the scene: ASHLAND COUNTY, Ohio — The Ashland County Sheriff’s Office, along with…

Detective: Family Knows Who Killed Amish Teen in 1969 — But Were “Sworn to Secrecy”

Detective: Family Knows Who Killed Amish Teen in 1969 — But Were “Sworn to Secrecy”

Less that two weeks ago, we learned that the Indiana State Police were seeking tips in an over 50-year-old case, in which an Amish youth was killed by a rock thrown into his buggy. Since that public call for assistance, tips have “poured in”. Not only that, ISP Detective Jake Quick says “we have some potential suspects at this time,” according to a new report…