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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A Look Inside An Amish Furniture Shop

A Look Inside An Amish Furniture Shop

This summer in Ashland County, Ohio, enticed by a sign advertising “Cashew Crunch Candy”, I paid a visit to a random Amish farm.  While, sadly, the candy seller was unavailable, the resident farmer and I ended up having a nice chat. The fellow had just moved on to his new property; the previous owner had left for an Amish settlement in New York.  Ashland County…

Interpreting for Amish in court

News from yet another Kentucky Amish SMV case: defendants will have a PA Dutch interpreter (story no longer online) following difficulties understanding court proceedings. In this latest case (the third this year in KY, in Logan County), four Amish, including one woman, have been cited for not displaying the orange triangle. Even though Amish speak English from a young age, and many very capably, we might…

10 views of the Allen County, Indiana Amish community

It’s been awhile since we’ve done one of these, so I thought I’d share a few shots from an August visit to the Allen County, Indiana Amish settlement.  The Allen County community is the 5th largest in Indiana and one of the two large Swiss Amish settlements in the state.  Hope you enjoy the photos, any observations? View other 10 views photos here.

Halloween Questions

I went trick-or-treating as a kid, as did pretty much all my friends.  It was seen as a harmless chance to dress up as your favorite superhero or ghost or whatever, and bring home a huge haul of sweets.   I rememember how my brother and I would come home at the end of the evening and dump out kilos of candy on the family…

Best Amish Restaurants

Best Amish Restaurants

On a previous post I was lightly chastised for eating at Subway while in the Berne Amish settlement.  Why choose fast food with all that good Swiss fare around? It got me thinking about Amish-style eateries.  Truth be told, when I’m in, say Lancaster County, I eat at Amish restaurants like The King Farm and The Riehl Place and Zook’s, and frequent both Weavers’ and…

Plain & Happy Living: Amish Recipes and Remedies

Plain & Happy Living: Amish Recipes and Remedies

Last week on the Amish quilt shop post I mentioned I picked up a copy of Plain and Happy Living: Amish Recipes and Remedies.  This is a book written by the quilt shop owner’s aunt.  She noted that it isn’t common for an Amish woman to publish something like that (and even less so 20 years ago, when the book first came out). Since the…

Amish Harness Shop (Daviess County, Indiana)

Amish Harness Shop (Daviess County, Indiana)

Knepp’s Collar and Harness Shop 8774 E 400 N Montgomery, IN 47558 Following up Monday’s post, Beth has shared some nice photos of another harness shop. Below you’ll find photos taken at Knepp’s Collar and Harness Shop in the Daviess County, Indiana Amish community (southern Indiana). You’ll find Knepp’s at the address below: Knepp’s Collar and Harness Shop 8774 E 400 N Montgomery, IN 47558 If you’re in…

Amish, and religion, in court

Three high-profile cases involving Amish are happening right now.  When Amish are involved in legal disputes, religious arguments tend to come up.  But is it always valid to invoke religion? To take one example, Sam Mullett, leader of the Bergholz beard-cutting group, claimed authorities shouldn’t be involved in what was a religious issue. Shocking claims about Ohio Bergholz group To follow up on this story,…

Eastside Harness & Tack Shop (Topeka, IN)

Eastside Enterprises Harness and Tack Shop 701 E Lake St. Topeka, Indiana, 46571 Inside an Amish Harness Shop While in the northern Indiana Amish community this summer, I paid a visit to the Eastside Harness and Tack Shop. Eastside is located in bustling little Topeka, a few blocks down from the center of town.  Harley of Eastside was kind enough to show me around the…