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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Favorite Posts Of 2025

Favorite Posts Of 2025

I have a tradition of doing this favorite posts roundup post on the last day of the year. I’ve done this going back to at least 2014 (though it looks like I missed 2016 for some reason). These are “favorites” – what does that mean? Well, some are those that got the most views – or the biggest stories from a news perspective. Some were…

Inside A Charming Backroad Amish Bakery (28 Photos)

Inside A Charming Backroad Amish Bakery (28 Photos)

The sign you see here welcomes you to Peachey’s Country Store, a place definitely worth stopping if you find yourself in the Somerset County, Pennsylvania Amish community. I had this spot in mind for a re-visit ever since I was here in 2015, and was happy – though not surprised – to see it was still in business when I visited the community earlier this…

New From Ben & Rose: “City Of Gold”

New From Ben & Rose: “City Of Gold”

Ben takes the lead on this bouncy rendition of another gospel classic – “City of Gold”. Like the last song we looked at, this one appeared on the duo’s album, and now gets a video. There was something a bit odd here though – this one was released at the same time as “Lily of the Valley”. I wondered why, as Ben and Rose typically…

New From Ben & Rose: “Lily Of The Valley”

New From Ben & Rose: “Lily Of The Valley”

Ben & Rose are back with their rendition of “Lily of the Valley”, an old gospel classic. This is another track from their album, which they are just releasing a video for now. And it’s another which dates back a good ways – written by Charles William Fry in England in  1881, for the Salvation Army. Here’s more on the interesting back story of the…

Rumspringa Reality: Five Amish Youth “Spill The Beans”

Rumspringa Reality: Five Amish Youth “Spill The Beans”

And by “spill the beans”, that doesn’t exactly mean they share all the juicy details people might imagine. It’s more about sharing the reality that not all Amish youth (or even most of them) have the wild growing-up period that has taken hold in the popular imagination, thanks to TV and other media. Laura Pitcher of the UK’s Dazed magazine interviewed five Amish youth in…

Ben & Rose: We Learn More Of Their Story

Ben & Rose: We Learn More Of Their Story

One year after Ben & Rose were first covered in the publication, Saving Country Music has returned to the musical Amish couple, sharing some behind-the-scenes about their lives and background. I know a lot of people have had some questions about that – including some of the Amish folks in Lancaster County who I talked with recently. I heard a few things here and there,…

This Video of Amish Children Singing Christmas Carols Will Warm Your Heart

This Video of Amish Children Singing Christmas Carols Will Warm Your Heart

Here’s a great video of a group of Amish people – mostly children – stopping by to sing Christmas carols at an English friend’s home. This was filmed in Holmes County, Ohio. The friend is P. Thomas, who you may remember from other singing videos we’ve shared here. The singing true to form is lovely and they have quite a good-sized group here. I had…

Intoxicated Driver Learns Punishment in Crash That Killed Amish Boy; Avoids Life Sentence

Intoxicated Driver Learns Punishment in Crash That Killed Amish Boy; Avoids Life Sentence

An update to a tragic story that is now coming to a close, of sorts. Last December, 10-year-old Amish boy Anthony Miller lost his life when he was hit by 30-year-old Logan Thomas, driving a pickup truck and under the influence of multiple drugs, including meth and fentanyl. This happened in the sizeable Amish community in St. Joseph County, Michigan. Thomas pleaded guilty to the charges…

Truck Hits Amish Family’s Buggy – Sending Three To Hospital Badly Injured (Michigan)

Truck Hits Amish Family’s Buggy – Sending Three To Hospital Badly Injured (Michigan)

After a spate of bad crashes, it’s been a while since we’ve had a report of an Amish buggy wreck in Michigan.* Sadly, the Graber family of Montgomery, Michigan were the victims in a wreck yesterday in Hillsdale County. More from MLive: HILLSDALE COUNTY, MI – An Amish man and two of his children were seriously injured when a pickup crashed into their buggy Sunday…

Four Men Indicted in “Appalling” Assault & Robbery at Amish Home (UPDATE: Could Face Over 50 Years in Prison | UPDATE #2: Ringleader Pleads Guilty)

Four Men Indicted in “Appalling” Assault & Robbery at Amish Home (UPDATE: Could Face Over 50 Years in Prison | UPDATE #2: Ringleader Pleads Guilty)

March 2026 Update: “Ringleader” Bradford Hosler has now pleaded guilty to two counts as part of a plea deal. Full update at bottom of post. October brought news of an “appalling” attack upon an Amish family in Geauga County, Ohio. In it, an Amish man was brutally assaulted, and the culprits even attempted to abduct a young Amish boy (who fortunately somehow escaped. Now the…