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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Holmes County: 10 Amish-Style Restaurants For A Great Meal

Holmes County: 10 Amish-Style Restaurants For A Great Meal

If you’re spending time in the Holmes County Amish community and looking for a good place to eat, you’ve got plenty of good options. The area is known for hearty, homestyle cooking—think broasted chicken, real mashed potatoes, fresh-baked pies, and plenty of comfort food made from scratch. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveler, these establishments – from hearty buffets to Amish-run bakeries…

Inside A Simple & Cozy Minnesota Amish Home (26 Photos)

Inside A Simple & Cozy Minnesota Amish Home (26 Photos)

Here’s another simple but beautiful Amish home. We’ve already seen one home from this community (Harmony, Minnesota), which was one of the most attractive Amish homes we’ve featured here. This one is similar. It’s described as a “hobby farm” in the listing – a five-bedroom home on 6.5 acres. This is a Swartzentruber Amish community, so that means the home has no bathrooms. Here’s the…

7 Amish Habits That Can Save You $10,000 a Year

7 Amish Habits That Can Save You $10,000 a Year

Practical simplicity from America’s plain people—no buggy required. In a world driven by convenience, consumption, and credit, the Amish live by a radically different code: simplicity, frugality, and self-reliance. And while most of us aren’t ready to give up electricity or ride a buggy to work, we can learn a lot from the habits that help Amish families thrive—often on a single income. Here are…

Yet Another Amish Group Is Helping Rebuild Western NC

Yet Another Amish Group Is Helping Rebuild Western NC

In Chimney Rock, North Carolina, the Amish have become a regular part of the scenery, so to speak. So much so that we may need to start calling it at least a “temporary” Amish settlement 🙂 The outpouring of support from the Plain community (and of course, not only from them) for those in the region recovering from Hurricane Helene has been remarkable. WSOC reports…

Amish Family Nearly Run Over By “Armed & Dangerous” Suspect in High-Speed Chase

Amish Family Nearly Run Over By “Armed & Dangerous” Suspect in High-Speed Chase

A man driving at “an extreme high rate of speed”, nearly ran over an officer in Bath County, KY. Here’s what happened next…in what sounds like an absolutely crazy pursuit (via FOX 56): The police claim he was still evading officers onto Highway 60 toward Owingsville before turning onto Peasticks Road and Forge Hill Road, running numerous vehicles off the roadway in the process. Callahan…

Amish Male Run Over By Wagon Weighing Thousands of Pounds

Amish Male Run Over By Wagon Weighing Thousands of Pounds

The Witmer, Pennsylvania Fire Protective Association reported last week about a male person being run over by an “Amish-style wooden hay wagon”. Witmer is an area near the heart of Lancaster County, PA, a stone’s throw from better-known locales like Bird-in-Hand and Intercourse. It is an area heavily-inhabited by Amish residents, and in all likelihood this accident involved an Amish person. Some outlets are (potentially…

Amish Man Pleads Not Guilty in Amish Woman’s Murder

Amish Man Pleads Not Guilty in Amish Woman’s Murder

The main information here is the headline: Samuel Hochstetler, 18, appeared in court Friday (Meigs County, Ohio) and has pled not guilty in the murder of Amish woman Rosanna Kinsinger, 28. This is reported by WCHS: MEIGS COUNTY, Ohio (WCHS) — An 18-year-old Amish man pleaded not guilty Friday in a Meigs County, Ohio, murder case. Samuel Hochstetler, of Rutland, Ohio, was indicted earlier in…

Lancaster County: 10 Amish-Style Restaurants For Your Next Visit

Lancaster County: 10 Amish-Style Restaurants For Your Next Visit

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is not just the heart of Amish Country—it’s also a hub for hearty, homestyle cooking rooted in Pennsylvania Dutch tradition. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or returning to explore more, one of the best ways to experience the culture is by sitting down to a meal like the locals do. Here are 10 PA Dutch & Amish-style restaurants worth visiting…

Tornado Disaster Relief: Amish “won’t take no funds”

Tornado Disaster Relief: Amish “won’t take no funds”

Now, those aren’t in fact the words of the Amish. But they are the words of a non-Amish neighbor who understands the Amish well – as a people who reject government aid. This comes following severe weather damage in Wright County, Missouri – one of over a dozen Missouri counties impacted by storms in March and April. The county is home to two separate Amish…

Hundreds of Amish Men Pick Up & “Walk” A Barn (21 Images & Video)

Hundreds of Amish Men Pick Up & “Walk” A Barn (21 Images & Video)

In another remarkable video, a whole lot of Amish people pick up and “walk” a large barn structure to a new location on the property. There aren’t a ton of details given – no explanation of why the barn is being moved. But overall, this might be the most complex Amish barn move I’ve come across – in a long line of them (more on…