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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Richard Stevick on Scholars of the Amish

Chances are you’ve read a book or two to try to better understand the Amish. In today’s post, Richard Stevick shares his experiences with the people who write those books, starting with John Hostetler, through some of today’s authors. — Growing up in a working class community and in a family from which nobody had ever gone to college, I never imagined that I would write a book,…

Northern Indiana’s Pumpkinvine Trail

Northern Indiana’s Pumpkinvine Trail

Today’s guest post and feature photo are by David Arment of armentphoto.com. — The Pumpkinvine (one word) Trail is part of a trail system running from Elkhart, Indiana to Shipshewana, Indiana. It is a liner park which is very popular and has many bicyclers and people strolling during the nice times of the year. The trail follows the old rail bed of the Pumpkinvine Railroad (to…

After 168 Years, Mennonites Moving to New Church

If you’ve traveled through northern Lancaster County at any point in the last 168 years, you might have noticed a structure of religious importance lying just feet from the current Route 322. The Pike Mennonite Church is shared by two groups of Mennonites (Stauffer and Weaver), who use it on alternate Sundays. Unlike most Amish, Old Order and Conservative Mennonites worship in church structures. 168 years is how long…

100 Amish Shovel Snow in Blizzard-hit Buffalo

A couple of readers have sent along a link to a short news clip about Amish aiding residents of a mobile home park in Buffalo. As you can see in the video below (unavailable), photos show Amishmen hard at work on the roofs of residents’ homes (I assume this past Friday or Saturday). Buffalo, of course, was hit by a once-in-a-generation snowstorm last week, dumping…

Amish Couple Going to Trial Over Septic Tank? (Video)

Following a look at a zoning conflict in one Amish settlement, a different sort of building issue in Minnesota has one couple banned from their new home. You may have noticed that some Amish seem to have recurring problems with the law, over issues such as safety triangles on buggies, or building requirements for their homes. These are typically the most traditional Amish, like those who…

Amish to Future Neighbors: You’re Not Welcome

A reader living in the Allen County, Indiana settlement shares a pair of rather surprising photos. As you can see in these shots, local Amish are sending a message to any potential new neighbors. Our reader explains what’s going on here: There is a new subdivision going in on a road near us and the Amish that live on that road have been mad that they lost the zoning fight. …

Loren Beachy Answers (Part 2) and Book Winner

Loren Beachy has delivered a second batch of answers to your questions, so we’ll get right into them. Today’s questions include queries about Loren’s favorite writers, how he manages eight grades at once, and how many single Amish ladies he is currently fending off. You asked some good ones. With these and his previous answers, Loren got to over 30 of your questions, so I think he did alright….

How Richard Stevick met the Amish

A lot of you know Richard Stevick from his book Growing Up Amish: The Rumspringa Years, or through comments he has posted on various articles on this site. I’m happy to share that starting today, Rich is going to be writing for us here from time to time. In his first post (below), Rich discusses how he came to know the Amish, a journey that…

Loren Beachy Answers Your Questions (Chasing The Amish Dream)

Loren Beachy Answers Your Questions (Chasing The Amish Dream)

We got your questions over to Loren last week, and on Friday I got a fax back. “This is what I’ve got so far,” Loren writes. “I plan to give the other questions some attention, too.” You’ll find about a dozen-and-a-half responses below. I’ll get the rest up when I get them in from Loren. Until then, I hope you enjoy. Win a copy of Chasing…

Debbie the Amish Taxi Driver

Family Life came in the mail today, and as I was flipping through its pages, one article in particular caught my eye. An Amish taxi driver (that is, an English person who drives Amish people) named Debbie gives a short account of her experiences for this month’s issue. Unlike a lot of the fictional or loosely-based-in-reality teaching tales in the publication, this account is described as “a true story, by…