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.

LinkedIn

The end of “low” Amish in Kentucky?

Here on the blog and on the Amish America Facebook page, some of you have been bringing up the court decision in Kentucky on Slow-Moving-Vehicle (SMV) triangles.  The SMV triangle has become iconic of the Amish and the vast majority of them willingly display them on their carriages. However, some of the “lower” groups (in particular the Swartzentruber Amish and a few others) refuse to…

Quilt Questions

Are you a “quilt person”? I’ve slept under them, written about the people who make them, and watched them go up for auction. But I have to admit, I’ve probably under-appreciated Amish quilts, and quilts in general for that matter. Lately that has begun to change.  I’ve got a section on quilts in an upcoming book.  That led me to learn a bit more about…

Is Amish life more dangerous?

Is Amish life more dangerous?

A couple of heart-breaking stories this week. An 11-month-old Amish baby died (article removed) late Sunday night when it fell from a moving buggy in Missouri. The person holding it had fallen asleep. Yesterday morning, an Amish woman in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, succumbed to serious burns suffered in a home explosion. She had thrown kerosene on a fire to get it burning better. The regularity…

Amish Housewives’ Helpers

Amish housewives have quite the workload.  They do get some help in managing the household, though.  Amish homes often feature modified appliances, built to run on power sources other than public electricity. Depending on what is allowed in a given church, you might see an air-powered mixer, or gas-powered refrigerator.  Wringer-style washing machines are common. The most conservative Amish groups use only minimal technology though….

The 3 Best Things I’ve Bought From An Amish Business

The 3 Best Things I’ve Bought From An Amish Business

I’ve picked up a lot of interesting, and often delicious, items while visiting Amish businesses around the country. Here are my top 3 buys: 1. Hickory rocker Technically, this was more “barter” than “buy”.  It was 2005, and I was selling books in the sprawling Holmes County, Ohio Amish community.  I had stopped in one afternoon at an Amish furniture place – a hickory rocker…

10 Views of the Ethridge, Tennessee Amish

10 Views of the Ethridge, Tennessee Amish

Last year I visited the Ethridge, Tennesse Amish community.  I was surprised to find that Ethridge is the Amish mecca of the South. For being a conservative Swartzentruber community, the place is crawling with tourists (relatively speaking, of course.  Lancaster County, this ain’t). It’s also a charming place to visit.  It’s got a rural feel despite the oversized tour wagons rumbling about. I hope you…

What’s your favorite Amish community?

What’s your favorite Amish community?

This question got a lot of interesting responses on the Amish America Facebook page this weekend. Four years ago, I wrote about my top 5 Amish settlements.  Is that post still valid? Since then, I’ve visited around 20 more communities.  But I’d say yes–with maybe one or two changes. So what’s your favorite Amish community? For ‘bonus points’, tell us why! NY Amish photo: las-initially