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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Footage Shows Passed-Out Amish Driver In Moving Buggy…Then Hits Police Car

This story won’t make this guy’s parents proud….and unfortunately it’s not an isolated incident in this community (Geauga County, Ohio). A 21-year-old Amish male struck a police cruiser while passed out drunk in a moving buggy. Here’s the gist of what happened May 14 via WKYC: The horse didn’t come to a stop and continued past the officer’s vehicle as it turned eastbound onto Hague…

Inside an Amish “Barn Home” (17 Photos)

Inside an Amish “Barn Home” (17 Photos)

We’ve seen a number of examples of Amish “shop homes”, but I believe this is the first “barn home” I’ve come across online. Here’s the key bit from the listing: “The barn and house were built as one unit, having the three bedroom home on the east side of this large building.” You can see the layout from the exterior photo here, with the home…

3 Reasons Why Amish Food ISN’T Organic

3 Reasons Why Amish Food ISN’T Organic

 As we enter the prime season for fresh produce, I thought this might be a good topic to address. I suspect most in the public would assume that Amish-grown food (and dairy) is organic, although that’s not really the case. There are certainly organic farmers among the Amish. And organic farming has grown in popularity over the past years and decades. However, the “default”…

Plain New York Amish Farmhouse For Sale (17 Photos)

Plain New York Amish Farmhouse For Sale (17 Photos)

This Amish farm property in Newark Valley, New York has only a handful of interior photos, but caught my attention for several reasons. The first thing was this sign out front: I’ve noted before how the Amish typically do not use the word “Amish” in their marketing. But in a recent video on the subject I pointed out that you might still see it in…

A Look Inside 3 Different Amish Stores (22 Photos)

A Look Inside 3 Different Amish Stores (22 Photos)

Don Burke shares photos from three businesses in the Clark, Missouri Amish community. This is the state’s second-largest Amish settlement, of around 10 churches and 1,500 people, and one of the three oldest in the state. We previously saw this community in Don’s photo post from 2015, “A Thanksgiving Visit to The Amish of Clark, Missouri“. So today we have a look inside some of…

Visiting An Amish Community For The First Time (Video)

Visiting An Amish Community For The First Time (Video)

I have written a lot about visiting new Amish communities (new for me, that is) over the years. And so this past December when on a trip through Kentucky, Virginia and Ohio, I filmed what it is like for me when I go to a new community. As I’ve written before, I usually just try to find Amish businesses and start from there. That’s what…

Plain-Friendly “Amish Radio” Initiative Seeks To Save Lives Following Tragedy

Plain-Friendly “Amish Radio” Initiative Seeks To Save Lives Following Tragedy

Two springs ago, there was a particularly tragic story out of Bath County, Kentucky. High waters overcame an Amish buggy, overturning it in a swollen creek. Five children were washed away and lost their lives. Now, local non-Amish efforts are seeking to help get weather alerts to Amish in this community. The answer appears to be an Amish-friendly radio – one that only gives weather…

Another Amish Home For Sale in this Kentucky Community (31 Photos)

Another Amish Home For Sale in this Kentucky Community (31 Photos)

Two years ago I shared a post on seven Amish homes I’d found for sale online in just one community – Hillsboro, Kentucky. Today we look at another I came across. When I was in this community in December, an Amishman I spoke with made reference to a number of their people moving out and non-Amish moving in. I didn’t get to asking him much…

Do Amish Homes Have Curtains & Shutters?

Do Amish Homes Have Curtains & Shutters?

 One misconception that I see often enough is the idea that Amish homes don’t have curtains covering their windows. There is an idea out there that curtains signify vanity and thus Amish don’t have them. I can see the kernel of truth this may have emerged from (Amish tend to shy away from things that lead to vanity and pride), but curtains are certainly…

Gloria Yoder Recounts Day of Husband Daniel’s Passing

One month ago, Amish Cook columnist Gloria Yoder suffered the loss of her husband Daniel in a logging accident. In today’s column, Gloria candidly recounts the events of that day, and Daniel’s eventual passing in the evening. Here’s how it starts: The door swung open, in walked my mother, kindly asking, “Gloria, did you hear that Daniel was in a logging accident? There are two…