An Amish man named Lewis Wengerd needed to research an excavating machine. He didn’t have computer access at the time. His church bans smartphones. So he picked up his flip phone and dialed 1-800-CHATGPT. That’s not the only way the Amish are using AI — but it might be the most memorable. I had never known Chat GPT has an actual number you can call…
If you’ve followed my stops through the Somerset County, Pennsylvania Amish settlement these past several months – starting at the charming backroad bakery, stopping in at the tiny farm stand, and on to the hidden variety store – we now come to the final Amish business I visited on this wintry mid-December day. And I actually went one state over to reach it. That sounds…
For those who have kept track of my posts over the years you have likely noticed my particular fondness for the Jamesport, Missouri Amish community. I suppose many elements have factored into that. While not quite close enough for a day trip from my home, it is close enough for a good visit even if I am limited to a single over-night stay. Additionally, being…
On my recent visit to the Amish community in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, I of course made sure to visit a lot of Amish businesses. And I had one in mind in particular – a certain variety store that I remembered fondly from my last trip to the settlement – over a decade earlier. Variety stores are among my favorites. That’s because, by their nature, they…
The Amish woman you see in the above Instagram screen-grab is not real. But you’d be forgiven for thinking that she is. That’s how effective AI video-generation has gotten in a relatively fast time. Some profitable businesses have been created around AI personas. “Melanskia” is one of them. An article in the New York Times sheds some light on who is behind Melanskia. From the…
I had a chance to stop in at a new (for me at least) Amish cheese business in Virginia recently. New Sunrise Dairy is located in the Charlotte County, VA community – the state’s largest Amish settlement – and got its start about three years ago. I had just visited this community last year, and even drove down the road it’s on – but missed…
Since 2012, there has been a small Amish community in Lemhi County, Idaho – one of the westernmost Amish locations, and the Gem State’s only Amish presence. This community has perhaps been best known by its Baker Country Market, owned and run by the Paul Miller family. The market has gotten media attention on several occasions, and for over a decade has been a popular…
That little beige building in the photo below is West View Acres. It’s a charming Amish-run farm stand located in Springs, Pennsylvania. This is in the venerable Somerset County Amish community. It’s the country’s second-oldest, where the Amish have lived for over 250 years. And on my recent visit here, I was reminded how the Amish retail experience can be a throwback to another time….
Hershberger’s Farm and Bakery is one of the best-known – and if you ask me, best – bakeries in the Holmes County, Ohio Amish community. Now, have I been to every last one? No, definitely not. But Hershberger’s has a lot going for it: Big selection of quality, tasty things (not only baked goods, but canned goods, produce, bulk items, cheese and more) A signature…
Quick note from Erik: as you will see by the author attribution, this post is by Don Burke. Don has been contributing posts and photos for over ten years now, and I’m happy to say you’ll now be able to find Don’s past posts collected here. Look for more from Don in the coming days and weeks – he has some interesting ones coming up,…