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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How Do Amish Choose Baby Names?

How Do Amish Choose Baby Names?

Amish Cook Gloria Yoder is expecting, and she is thinking about a name for her boy or girl. How do Amish parents decide on a baby name? Gloria shares her family’s approach – and some common Amish naming conventions – in her latest column: While some Amish communities stick with using only one name, in our community most of us go by two names besides…

What Is Amish Butchering Day Like?

It must be that time of year. After Lovina Eicher gave us an up-close look at pon hoss, Gloria Yoder describes a butchering event in her church. I know some people don’t like to read about these topics. But on the other hand, it’s good to recognize and appreciate that meat doesn’t just come from a grocery store. A reality of life in Amish communities…

Ohio Bill: Flashing Roof Light Required On All Buggies

Ohio Bill: Flashing Roof Light Required On All Buggies

Ohio lawmakers want all 75,000+ Amish in the state to make some changes to their buggies. A proposed law would require a buggy-top flashing light, and a new kind of tape. From the Wooster Daily Record: Rep. Scott Wiggam (R-Wooster) and Rep. Darrell Kick (R-Loudonville) announced a bill Monday designed to make buggies more visible. The bill would require animal-drawn vehicles to display a new…

10 Views Of The Pearisburg, VA Amish Community

10 Views Of The Pearisburg, VA Amish Community

Presented again with minimal comment, here are 10 photos of the Pearisburg, Virginia Amish area. If you’re not familiar, here is more on what makes this community unique. I had wanted to visit this area for some time and finally had a chance yesterday. A misty, rainy day but that only added to the atmosphere of this mountainous community. But first: on the way, I…

What Is Pon Hoss?

What Is Pon Hoss?

Lovina Eicher makes it in this week’s edition of Lovina’s Amish Kitchen. As she describes it, pon hoss is “a fried dish made from leftover hog meat.” It is also another name for scrapple. The dish was first created by German settlers in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries. Here is more on how it gets made: On Saturday, we helped sister Emma and Jacob…

Look Inside A New York Amish Home (12 Photos)

Look Inside A New York Amish Home (12 Photos)

From time to time we see Amish properties up for sale online. Two such homes appeared in Ohio and New York. Comparing those two cases, you can see how different Amish homes can be. The Ohio home is from a New Order Amish church. The New York home is from a Swartzentruber community. They are quite different inside (and outside, for that matter). Now we…

Amish Acres Properties Sold For Over $4 Million; May Continue As Attraction (Updated)

Amish Acres Properties Sold For Over $4 Million; May Continue As Attraction (Updated)

Amish Acres was portioned off and sold at auction yesterday in separate parcels after the owners tried and failed to find a buyer for the entire property. One set of buyers purchased the “entertainment center” containing the famous Round Barn Theatre, restaurant, and other buildings. Another tract containing the hotel was sold to a different buyer. So it looks like there is a chance that…

Community’s Mothers Help Amish Baby After Accident (Updated)

Community’s Mothers Help Amish Baby After Accident (Updated)

I hadn’t seen a story like this before. On Saturday night, a likely-impaired driver struck an Amish buggy in Ethridge, Tennessee. The crash sent a baby and her parents to the hospital. The baby was treated and released. But the parents remain in Nashville. This has left the little girl in a difficult situation. And the community has stepped up. I’m not sure if these…

Mennonites & Amish Victims Of $60 Million Investment Scheme

This is only the latest in a lengthening line of schemes which have taken advantage of Plain community investors. From WSOC: FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. — A Pennsylvania accountant defrauded Amish and Mennonite community members out of $60 million after investing their money in a failing dairy he owned, investigators said. Philip E. Riehl provided accounting services to members in the religious communities. He created an…

Flasher Targeting Amish Women

Flasher Targeting Amish Women

There are sick individuals out there. This man needs to be caught so he will stop traumatizing his victims, and ultimately get some sort of help. A flasher (or “indecent exposure suspect” in official parlance) is targeting Amish women in Juniata County, Pennsylvania: According to police, a Fayette Township woman reported that on Nov. 1, 2019, a man pulled up in front of her home…