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
Police: Man Posing As Chiropractor Sexually Assaulted Amish & Mennonite Women (Lancaster County)

Police: Man Posing As Chiropractor Sexually Assaulted Amish & Mennonite Women (Lancaster County)

ByErik Wesner
3 Comments

This is a stomach-churning story. It is bad news. In some sense it is also “good news” in that this man has been caught and stopped from continuing his (alleged) awful behavior. From Penn Live: A 61-year-old man pretending to be a chiropractor in Lancaster County sexually assaulted multiple women, including minors, during “treatments,” targeting Amish and Mennonites, court documents said. John [Miller] Esh, of…

12 Amish Dandelion Recipes to Celebrate Spring

12 Amish Dandelion Recipes to Celebrate Spring

ByErik Wesner

The Amish are known for making good use of a plant many of us consider just another weed: the humble dandelion.   Did you know that the entire dandelion plant is edible? Well, the Amish do. That includes flower, leaves, stem, and even roots. You’ll see that reflected in this diverse list of recipes, ranging from dandelion salads to beverages (dandelion root coffee) to alternative takes…

Amish Country Bakery Manager Killed By 3-Time DUI Driver

Amish Country Bakery Manager Killed By 3-Time DUI Driver

ByErik Wesner
5 Comments

This is a sad – and maddening – story about a special employee of a bakery that we’ve covered here on the site before. Schlabach’s Bakery has been in business since 1970. It’s located in the area of the “electric New Order” Amish community at Guthrie, Kentucky (Todd County). From what I’ve heard, it was Amish-founded, but is not currently Amish-owned (though it has stayed…

The Amish Wedding: What does it mean when a couple is “published”?

The Amish Wedding: What does it mean when a couple is “published”?

ByErik Wesner
3 Comments

You may have hear the term “published” used about Amish couples planning to be married. But what does it mean to be “published”? Amish mother and author Lovina Eicher explains in her latest Lovina’s Amish Kitchen column: Yesterday daughter Verena and Daniel Ray were “published” to be married on June 20. For the readers that wonder what published means, I will explain. When a couple…

Amish Lead Rebuild of 100-Year-Old Barn – For Non-Amish Owners (Video)

Amish Lead Rebuild of 100-Year-Old Barn – For Non-Amish Owners (Video)

ByErik Wesner

Here’s a nice time-lapse video showing the restoration – really rebuilding – of an old barn which was destroyed in a wind storm. The barn, described as a “100 Year Old Collapsed Barn”, had been bought by a non-Amish family (Vignette Farms) who were attempting to restore it (this is in Indiana). The family explains the back story: We bought a beautiful 1860s home which…

Amish Woman’s Murder: Samuel Hochstetler Makes First Court Appearance; Victim’s Father Speaks

Amish Woman’s Murder: Samuel Hochstetler Makes First Court Appearance; Victim’s Father Speaks

ByErik Wesner

Samuel L. Hochstetler, charged with murder in Amish woman Rosanna Kinsinger’s death, made his first court appearance yesterday. From WCHS: POMEROY, Ohio (WCHS) — A Pomeroy courtroom was packed with members of Amish community as an unusually disturbing murder case advanced though Ohio’s court system. Samuel Hochstetler, 18, is accused of killing 28-year-old Rosanna Kinsinger, of Pomeroy. Hochstetler was dressed in an orange jail uniform…

Inside A Cheery 7-Bedroom Amish Home (24 Photos)

Inside A Cheery 7-Bedroom Amish Home (24 Photos)

ByErik Wesner
6 Comments

This is a pleasant Amish home in upstate New York. It’s got seven bedrooms, and two bathrooms. Right off the bat that tells you it’s not the plainest Amish group. And while that bedroom-to-bathroom ratio may seem high for a non-Amish home, for the Amish it’s about par for the course. The home address is Fillmore, NY. The Amish have lived here since the 1980s…

12 Fun & Tangy Amish Rhubarb Recipes You Need to Try

12 Fun & Tangy Amish Rhubarb Recipes You Need to Try

ByErik Wesner

Rhubarb is a quintessential Amish garden treat. The delightful reddish-pink stalks typically begin making their appearance in Amish gardens in April and can be found through the spring into June. Commonly made into pies, cakes, and jams, you’ll also see them in other treats like muffins and even beverages like rhubarb punch or lemonade. Find some inspiration for your rhubarb harvest in this list of…

Fresh & Flavorful: 12 Amish-Style Salads for Spring

Fresh & Flavorful: 12 Amish-Style Salads for Spring

ByErik Wesner

Nearly every Amish family has a well-tended garden providing them a steady supply of fresh vegetables throughout the warmer months. Starting in spring, Amish families enjoy a bounty of garden goodies, which they use in fresh salads, cooked dishes, and of course, canning for the winter months.  This selection of Amish-inspired salads is a great way to make use of garden vegetables in Spring –…

Gospel Song “Here Today” by Ben & Rose

Gospel Song “Here Today” by Ben & Rose

ByErik Wesner
3 Comments

Ben and Rose are back with a lovely new song just released a couple of hours ago as I post this. “Here Today” is described as “an old Gospel song”. It’s a song with a weighty message – but Ben and Rose’s rendition has an upbeat feel. “Here today – and we’ll be gone tomorrow.” And they chose the perfect setting to record the video,…