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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This 6-Bedroom Indiana Amish Home Is Missing One Big Thing (22 Photos)

This 6-Bedroom Indiana Amish Home Is Missing One Big Thing (22 Photos)

A 6-bedroom Amish home in Vevay, Indiana (Switzerland County) has been up for sale online since last month. Like nearly all Amish homes, this one is not plugged in to the public electric grid. That’s not what we’re talking about in the title – the missing piece is something else entirely. We’ll get to that. First, the property: 6.2 acres with a pole barn, a…

New From Mike & Marty: “Go Rest High On That Mountain”

New From Mike & Marty: “Go Rest High On That Mountain”

Nice new song just out from brother and sister duo Mike & Marty. “Go Rest High On That Mountain” is a song by country artist Vince Gill. This song gives me similar vibes to the duo’s first studio song on YouTube, “Sing Me Back Home“. It’s a country tune with Christian themes, as you’ll see in the lyrics below. Mike sings lead on this one;…

Father Was At Church At Time Of Amish Home Explosion; Mother & 6 Children Laid To Rest Today

Father Was At Church At Time Of Amish Home Explosion; Mother & 6 Children Laid To Rest Today

We have more details this week following Sunday’s deadly explosion and fire at an Amish home in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, which killed mother Sarah Stoltzfus, 34, and her six children, aged 2 to 11. We’ve also got information at bottom on how to help. Amish community member David Stoltzfus is the husband and father. It’s not really thinkable to place yourself in the shoes of…

Amish Retreat Leader Faces Seven New Charges — Including Manslaughter in Death of 6-Month-Old — And Kidnapping

Amish Retreat Leader Faces Seven New Charges — Including Manslaughter in Death of 6-Month-Old — And Kidnapping

Missouri Amish retreat leader Sam Shetler has seen the number of charges against him grow following a court appearance yesterday – with some quite serious ones joining the list. In addition to prior trafficking and sodomy charges, he now faces counts of kidnapping and even involuntary manslaughter, regarding the death of a baby. More details on the new charges below. First here’s a summary from…

Amish Mother & 6 Children Killed In Home Explosion And Fire

Amish Mother & 6 Children Killed In Home Explosion And Fire

A devastating explosion and fire has taken the lives of seven people in a Clinton County, Pennsylvania Amish community – six of them young children. This is the third explosion at an Amish home or school we’ve covered here in the past month. And if bad news comes in threes, this is by far the worst of the bunch. Like the others, this incident also…

“We’ll Try To Build Back”: Amish Help Fight Fire — But Missouri Variety Store Is A Total Loss (UPDATE: Days Later, The Store Is Already Going Back Up)

“We’ll Try To Build Back”: Amish Help Fight Fire — But Missouri Variety Store Is A Total Loss (UPDATE: Days Later, The Store Is Already Going Back Up)

Despite Amish efforts to aid firefighters in extinguishing the blaze, a variety store in the Canton, Missouri Amish settlement burned to the ground yesterday evening. As reported by Michele McCormack in Muddy River News: LEWIS Co., Mo. — Just after 5 p.m. Thursday, a fire erupted at the Amish Variety Store along Highway 81 just north of Canton, Mo. “This is a bad time of…

An Amish Organic Farm & House Just Listed For $1.42 Million — Electricity Not Included (28 Photos)

An Amish Organic Farm & House Just Listed For $1.42 Million — Electricity Not Included (28 Photos)

An Amish organic dairy farm in the perfectly-named New Holstein, Wisconsin just listed for $1,420,000 — and no, as you might expect, electricity is not included. This is one of the highest-priced Amish properties we’ve covered in this series. We did recently see a $1.5 million Amish farmstead in Kentucky. Pricewise, this Wisconsin property is in that ballpark, but is a somewhat different kind of…

Pickup Driver Hits Buggy Full Of Amish Teens & Flees — Leaving Two Seriously Injured And A Dead Horse (UPDATED)

Pickup Driver Hits Buggy Full Of Amish Teens & Flees — Leaving Two Seriously Injured And A Dead Horse (UPDATED)

A buggy carrying Amish youth was hit by a pickup truck late Friday night in Geauga County, Ohio, causing serious injuries to at least two Amish teens. Unfortunately, the young driver of the pickup did not see fit to stop and help the occupants of the buggy he’d just hit. Instead, after freeing his truck from a ditch, he fled, according to authorities. More from…

Young Amish Woman “Critically Injured”, Airlifted After Car Rear-Ends Buggy — But Horse Left Unharmed

Young Amish Woman “Critically Injured”, Airlifted After Car Rear-Ends Buggy — But Horse Left Unharmed

Two Amish people were hurt – one critically – in a wreck which left the horse standing remarkably unharmed. This happened late Sunday night in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. No ages are given in this report – just a “young Amish woman”, and an “Amish man”. It describes how the buggy the pair were riding in was struck from behind, ejecting both and sending them to…

Close Call For Amish Mom And Baby as Barn Explodes in Ohio

Close Call For Amish Mom And Baby as Barn Explodes in Ohio

It’s been a bad couple of weeks for explosions in Amish buildings. Following the Amish schoolhouse explosion in northwestern PA, yesterday a barn and workshop were destroyed in an explosion and fire at an Amish property in Geauga County, Ohio. The cause was reportedly a propane gas leak. A caller reported a “hissing” noise coming from the barn. Fortunately no one was hurt, but based…