Thanks again for another nice year. As we usually do this time of year, here are some favorite posts of the past 365 days – most commented, most viewed, or just ones that stood out for other reasons. In more or less chronological order. On another note, The Amish State Guide pages are getting long-overdue updates. These were some of the first pages I created…
When you see a crime report about an Amish roadside stand, you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking it was someone stealing money from the honor system cash deposits that a lot of these stands use. Not in this case, though. From WBKO: BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) – The Simpson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an armed robbery that occurred Thursday, Nov. 30. According to a press…
“Don’t feel sorry for us, no,” John says with a chuckle. “We’re having a good life.” In this video I interview John Esh. John lives in Nittany Valley in central Pennsylvania and runs the Goot Essa cheese & food company (Full video transcript below). John sat down for a longer conversation with me a week or so ago. I’ll be posting that full video soon….
I made a return to YouTube videos this past week with a look at six Amish stories in the news recently. This is a newish format for me as far as videos go. In the video, I run through the stories and give you my take on each. You’ll see it’s a bit more conversational and casual. There’s a reason for that, which I explain….
Autumn is the heart of the traditional Amish wedding season in places like Lancaster County and other communities. Amish weddings draw large numbers of guests, and the Amish custom is to hold a day-long reception afterwards. Amish wedding receptions are typically large, with hundreds of guests, and require a lot of food. In some Amish communities, the custom is to rent a “wedding wagon“, a…
This story broke over the weekend. It concerns a poultry plant in the area of the large Holmes/Wayne County Amish settlement in Ohio. From NBC News: Federal agents found more than two dozen minors illegally working inside a poultry plant in Kidron, Ohio, earlier this month, according to local immigration advocates who spoke to NBC News on the condition of anonymity. The children, mainly from…
If you have Amish friends or acquaintances, you might just have a strong memory of how you met them. I can clearly recall the morning years ago I met one Amish couple who eventually became close family friends. Their oldest child – who was then just a tot in a baby seat perched on the back of a horse-drawn planter – is now out of…
In an age of sophisticated computer software that can calculate a hifalutin statistical outcome which only a few mathematical geniuses can understand, one can forget the value of other ways to knowing about peoples and cultures anywhere in the world. In volume 3, issue 2 of the Journal of Plain Anabaptist Communities (JPAC), however, we are reminded of the importance of plain, everyday communication between…
This video is one of the more unusual ones I’ve seen when it comes to Amish singing. This group, described as “Amish youth”, are singing in an “English” church. It’s also clearly a mixed group of Amish from different communities. A commenter states that “this is a diversified group of Amish. Some Old Order PA Amish and regular Old Order Amish.” I’m not sure what…
An Amishman in the Geauga County, Ohio settlement has permanently lost vision in one eye after teens hurled an egg at his buggy. This was apparently part of a spree in which they threw dozens of eggs at different buggies. From Fox8: GEAUGA COUNTY (WJW) — Geauga County sheriff officials charged four teens with assault after an Amish man was hit in the face with…