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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Inside A $575,000 Amish Home (26 Photos)

Inside A $575,000 Amish Home (26 Photos)

Last week we saw an Amish home in the Gladwin, Michigan community shared by reader Seth, whose uncle had just sold the property. This week we have another home in the same community. This one is on 40 acres of property and has a price tag of $575,000, no doubt reflecting both the substantial acreage and the quality of the home. It’s described as a…

Dennis Hughes Amish Photo Exhibition at Elizabethtown College

Dennis Hughes Amish Photo Exhibition at Elizabethtown College

I’ve learned that there is a special exhibition at the High Library at Elizabethtown College, featuring the Amish photos of Dennis Hughes. You may have seen some of his many excellent photos in books such as Amish Enterprise and The Riddle of Amish Culture. The exhibition runs through the end of this week (through December 10), so this could be a nice opportunity if you…

Report: Amish Gene Mutation Linked To Lower Heart Disease

Report: Amish Gene Mutation Linked To Lower Heart Disease

Every now and again the Amish make news for a genetic study that may hold solutions to health problems that plague the general population. This latest one just reported today concerns heart health. The story from Inverse: The Amish of Lancaster County are an example of a “founder population,” an isolated population of people who are all relatively similar in terms of their genes, meaning…

Daniel Gingerich Surrenders Over 500 Dogs, Banned From Breeding Business

This story happened several weeks ago, but is a follow up on the puppy mill case in Iowa covered here back in October. Breeder Daniel Gingerich of the Seymour, Iowa Amish community surrendered over 500 dogs in early November, and has been banned from breeding and selling dogs: Daniel Gingerich hoarded more than 500 dogs throughout his multiple properties in Seymour, Iowa, which were all…

The Amish & Choices (Podcast)

The seventh podcast in Donald Kraybill’s series “What I Learned From The Amish” looks at the concept of choice. Does having more choices make people happier? Or is that just an illusion? Drive or fly? How about some cinnamon roll-flavored coffee creamer at the gas station? Premium insurance package on my new laptop or just the standard (or none at all)? Even if many of…

Inside A Plain & Pleasant Michigan Amish Home (29 Photos)

Inside A Plain & Pleasant Michigan Amish Home (29 Photos)

Really nice photos in this Amish home listing. This one is located in Gladwin County, Michigan, and actually just sold. Reader Seth Elmore who sends this in notes that this community is similar to Kenton, Ohio, which would make it one of the more conservative. This happened to be his uncle’s home (Seth has Amish roots). The description via realtor.com: Like New-built in 2018, beautiful…

Orphaned Amish Children Update: Funeral & Recovery Photos, Reaching 200K Goal

Orphaned Amish Children Update: Funeral & Recovery Photos, Reaching 200K Goal

A month ago came the sad news of the deaths of an Amish mother and father in a Virginia car-buggy accident, leaving behind eight children without parents, and hospitalized with their own injuries. Since that accident, the organizer of one of the fundraisers for the children has given several updates. First, on October 22, Elmer Zook wrote: Thanks to everyone that has donated, the support…

An Amish Shop-Home-Farmette For Sale (12 Photos)

An Amish Shop-Home-Farmette For Sale (12 Photos)

This might be the most “shop”-looking Amish shop home I’ve seen in quite some time. The location is Mahnomen County in Minnesota, way up in the northern end of the state. According to Wikipedia, this is the only county in the state lying entirely within an Indian reservation (White Earth Indian Reservation). There is a small Amish community – one church district – in the…

Arsonist Burns Iconic Amish Couple Statue

Arsonist Burns Iconic Amish Couple Statue

This has been described alternately as a Pennsylvania Dutch couple or an Amish couple. The statue is well-known and has been around for at least 70 years, previously part of the now-defunct “Roadside America” exhibit. Via wfmz.com: HEIDELBERG TWP., Pa. — Less than a year after it left the confines of its longtime home in Berks County, an iconic sculpture is forever scarred. “You don’t…

Driver In Amish Buggy “Hit-Skip” Crash Found, Arrested

Driver In Amish Buggy “Hit-Skip” Crash Found, Arrested

A “hit-skip” accident, which is what it is called in this article, is what I’ve always known as a “hit-and-run”. Maybe that is a regional expression. In any case, three weeks ago an Amish buggy in north-central Ohio was struck by a driver who failed to stop. That missing driver was located earlier this week, thanks to a tip. From News 5 Cleveland: ASHLAND, Ohio…