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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Third Amish Teen Dies In Car-Buggy Crash

Sadly, I feel like I’m reading/writing the same story every week. Another Amish teen has died in a car-buggy accident, the third in the past several weeks: A 14-year-old Amish boy died three days after suffering serious injuries when he was thrown from the horse-and-buggy he was riding in along U.S. 11 in Shippensburg on March 3. Pennsylvania State Police spokeswoman Trooper Megan Ammerman confirmed…

Meeting The Amish Of Pinecraft (Video – Parts 1 & 2)

Meeting The Amish Of Pinecraft (Video – Parts 1 & 2)

Since yesterday, several people have reached out to let me know about this new video (including one Amish friend). This is by YouTube filmmaker Peter Santenello (new to me), who makes videos about different cultures in the US and around the world. In this two-part series, Peter walks around Pinecraft speaking with Amish people, as someone knowing relatively little about the Amish. He is given…

Will Amish Get Vaccinated For COVID?

Will Amish Get Vaccinated For COVID?

I notice that people are wondering lately if the Amish are going to vaccinate for COVID-19. A recent study showed that 75% of Amish in one large community would reject the COVID vaccine. So you see why it is a concern for the people paid to worry about these things. Image: David Arment Here’s one report from CBS21 on how that is playing out in…

Justo Smoker Will Stand Trial For Homicide In Linda Stoltzfoos Case; Arraignment March 26th

Justo Smoker Will Stand Trial For Homicide In Linda Stoltzfoos Case; Arraignment March 26th

Justo Smoker’s preliminary hearing was held Friday, to determine if the homicide case against him would go to trial. After an hour-and-twenty minute hearing, District Judge Denise Commins ruled that prosecutors had met the burden to proceed. They needed to provide sufficient evidence that a crime was committed in the case of Linda Stoltzfoos’ disappearance last summer, and that the defendant is likely responsible. These…

This Swartzentruber Amish “Blue Barn” Home Is For Sale (16 Photos)

This Swartzentruber Amish “Blue Barn” Home Is For Sale (16 Photos)

This property is located in Maine, in the Whitefield community which started up several years ago. It’s the first Maine home we’ve looked at here. The home has a pretty unique look for an Amish home. First of all, it is clearly not an Amish-built home. The barn style is one clue to that. Even bigger clues are the satellite dish and neutered electrical meter…

Amish Teen Charged With PA Community’s 2nd Buggy DUI Since 2018

Amish Teen Charged With PA Community’s 2nd Buggy DUI Since 2018

While it’s more often the other way around, in this case an Amish teen made the bad decision to drive his buggy after drinking, leading to an accident. And in fact, this is his community’s second buggy DUI in the past several years. A 17-year-old in the New Wilmington community was involved in an incident which left a buggy with “major damage” in late January….

“Severe Injuries” For 2 Amish Children Thrown In Pennsylvania Crash

“Severe Injuries” For 2 Amish Children Thrown In Pennsylvania Crash

From WGAL: SOUTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Two children were injured in a crash in Cumberland County involving a horse and buggy, according to Pennsylvania State Police. The crash happened around 8:45 a.m. Wednesday along Ritner Highway between 533 and Cramer Road in Southampton Township. State police said three people were thrown from the buggy in a collision with a sedan. Two of them were children…

Inside 118-Year-Old Yoder Hardware & Lumber (16 Photos)

Inside 118-Year-Old Yoder Hardware & Lumber (16 Photos)

The Hutchinson News gives us a look inside Amish-owned 118-year-old Yoder Hardware & Lumber in Yoder, Kansas: Yoder Hardware sits at the center of this town whose population fluctuates at around 200. Like the hardware store’s owner, much of the population in Yoder is Amish. Because of the local presence of both Amish and Old Order Mennonites, the hardware store carries items that cater to…

Anna Schrock: More On Growing Up In The Lancaster County New Order

Anna Schrock: More On Growing Up In The Lancaster County New Order

Anna Schrock continues with part two on her time as part of the Lancaster County New Order Amish. If you missed part 1, you can find that here. Beautiful Farms & Simple(?) Living As you drive through the Lancaster County countryside, you may notice that most of the farms and homesteads are very neat looking. Yards are neatly manicured, and the landscaping is breathtaking. It…

Inside An $85,000 Amish Home & Store (25 Photos)

Inside An $85,000 Amish Home & Store (25 Photos)

We return to Kentucky for this week’s Amish home. This is an interesting set – we get a look at both a plain home, and inside a simple variety/food store. So this is another 2-in-1, so to speak. You get a store building in the deal (though I assume not the contents of it – and not all under one roof, like in the recent…