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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Amish Donut Maker: Sorry, No Donuts For You This Year

Amish Donut Maker: Sorry, No Donuts For You This Year

This is the kind of local color story I always get a kick out of. Not that I’m excited that this particular community will go without their Amish-made donuts. Not that at all. It’s more how it shows how people value the products and experiences Amish people bring to their communities. The Power of Amish Donuts Amish in many places are renowned for their donuts….

Inside A Northern Indiana Amish Home (15 Photos)

Inside A Northern Indiana Amish Home (15 Photos)

Nice look today inside an Amish-owned home in the third-largest of all Amish settlements (Elkhart-LaGrange County, Indiana). This is one of the more progressive communities. So you’ll find the typical Amish touches – along with a bit more modern feel in this home (originally built in 1997). You can see that more progressive look right off the bat, with this exterior view. It’s the kind…

Is Isreal Easterday, Convicted For January 6 Attacks, Really Amish?

Is Isreal Easterday, Convicted For January 6 Attacks, Really Amish?

Is “Easterday” an Amish surname In Kentucky? Or anywhere else for that matter? I’m asking because of an unusual detail in a recent report which caught my eye. A 23-year-old man named Isreal Easterday was convicted and recently sentenced to two years in prison for a pepper spray attack on two Capitol police officers on January 6, 2021. He’s also said to have had a…

Amish Bishops Ask County For Help…Because Younger Amish “Think they’re invincible”

Amish Bishops Ask County For Help…Because Younger Amish “Think they’re invincible”

There’s a detail in this report on Amish buggy safety in Virginia that may be easy to overlook. At first glance, by the title (“Safety concerns continue for Amish, with state decision needed”) it sounds like just another meeting about buggy safety issues, and what to do about them. But in the text we learn this: Witt added that elders in the Amish community wanted…

A Windy Day At The Schoeneck Mud Sale (15 Photos)

A Windy Day At The Schoeneck Mud Sale (15 Photos)

I attended the Schoeneck (pronounced, I believe, “Shay-neck”) Fire Company Mud Sale this past Saturday. What a nice day for this kind of event. Not much mud in sight though, and a rather windy day. This photo doesn’t quite do it justice, but you can see the flags and the “Exit” sign being bent down by the gusts. I was there later in the afternoon…

Amish Ministers: How are they chosen? Why does no one want the job? (And More)

Amish Ministers: How are they chosen? Why does no one want the job? (And More)

In this video, Ben and I do a semi-deep dive on the topic of Amish ministers. I quite appreciated this conversation – it was a chance to get his answers to a lot of questions surrounding both choosing ministers, and the experience of being a minister, including: How Amish choose ministers What is “the lot“ Do Amish spouses know who the other has nominated? Ben’s…

Lancaster Amish Country In Spring (23 Photos)

Lancaster Amish Country In Spring (23 Photos)

I just spent a week in Lancaster County, and enjoyed some wonderful spring weather. It’s been a little while since I visited at this time of year. With the flowering trees at peak-level, or near it, it’s truly beautiful right now. I wanted to share a grab bag of photos from my visit with you today. First off, mamma and foal. I came a little…

Inside A (Mostly Empty) Mississippi Amish Home (18 Photos)

Inside A (Mostly Empty) Mississippi Amish Home (18 Photos)

I don’t believe we’ve yet seen inside a Mississippi Amish home, so I couldn’t pass this one up. That’s in part because Mississippi has such a small Amish population – just one community of around 160-some people. For an Amish community in the Deep South, you wouldn’t expect to see a lot of icy precipitation. But when these photos were taken, the area (Pontotoc in…

Propane & Kerosene In Amish Homes: Is It Safe?

Propane & Kerosene In Amish Homes: Is It Safe?

When I do posts and videos showing the insides of Amish homes, often enough you’ll be able to see fuel sources such as propane tanks and kerosene, used for lighting, cooking and other purposes. People frequently wonder whether these sources of heat and light are safe. I asked Ben about this and he gives his answer in the video below. The types of fuel (and…

Ohio Amish Teen Robbed At Gunpoint; Search Is On For Dark Truck (UPDATE: Suspect Caught)

Ohio Amish Teen Robbed At Gunpoint; Search Is On For Dark Truck (UPDATE: Suspect Caught)

An Ohio Amish teenager was robbed at gunpoint yesterday evening, and deputies are now seeking the suspect. This happened in Jackson County in the area of Beaver. From the Scioto Post: Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputies are actively investigating an armed robbery incident that occurred on Thursday evening, involving an Amish teenager traveling on Cove Road. Dispatchers received a report just after 5:30 p.m. indicating that…