Amish Culture

I like this video not so much for the song itself, but for the feel of sitting around in an Amish home in the evening. You’ve got the soft glow of the propane light, the water pitcher at the ready, the utilitarian folding chairs. Dinner’s been eaten, and everyone’s circled around in the kitchen. The […]

Continue Reading Lancaster Amish Family Evening Singing At Home (Video)

After a buggy accident, people often ask “Why can’t there be buggy lanes for the Amish?” One big roadblock is cost. It’s generally judged too expensive to install buggy lanes in most of the hundreds of small communities where Amish live. So in reality it tends to happen primarily in the largest settlements. With that […]

Continue Reading Buggy Lanes Coming To Geauga County

The word “Amish” is getting attached to the events in Lancaster city following an incident in which a man was shot and killed by police. Specifically, some media sources have been framing this as something like “trouble in Amish Country” – but that is a mis-framing. Lancaster city is in the middle of Lancaster County, […]

Continue Reading Lancaster City Is Not “Amish Country”

A somewhat bad news, and a rare good news story today in the buggy accidents department. First, this is the largest number of accident victims I have ever seen in a buggy incident. Thankfully, they all seem to have just minor injuries. The accident happened in Buckingham County, Virginia. This is the same area as […]

Continue Reading 15 Injured In Virginia Amish Buggy Crash; Buggy Accidents Decline In Lancaster County

I keep returning to these videos by the 717 Drone Guys because I love the serene feeling of flight they convey. Say what you will about drones, but they are able to capture some beautiful visuals – in this case, of Amish farming scenes from perspectives we don’t usually see. These particular videos are also […]

Continue Reading Top 10 Amish Farm Scenes (Aerial Video)

I promised I would follow up if I got more information on the Go Fund Me for Millie, described as a 27-year-old woman who left her Amish community, in what looks to be Delaware. A number of you were skeptical that this was real, which I can understand. While I reached out via two different […]

Continue Reading Is “Millie” Real? Ex-Amish Fundraiser Follow-Up (Updated)

My friend, country and folk musician John Schmid, is a favorite among the Amish. John’s story, at least in part, can be found here. John is the founder of Common Ground Ministries, and has been long active in prison ministry and other mission outreach via his music. If you’ve ever wondered if Amish like music […]

Continue Reading John Schmid Sings “Amish Nicknames”

A 16-year-old was killed in Lancaster County Saturday evening, when the buggy he was traveling in was hit by a speeding pickup. Three others in the buggy were seriously injured. From Lancaster Online: Samuel K. Lapp died as a result of the accident along Route 372 in Eden Township, state police confirmed Monday. Lapp’s older […]

Continue Reading 16-Year-Old Amish Teen Killed, 3 Others Seriously Injured; Truck Driver Charged With Speeding

Two updates in the Linda Stoltzfoos case. First, yesterday Justo Smoker pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and a related charge: Justo Smoker will waive his arraignment Friday and has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and false imprisonment in the disappearance of Linda Stoltzfoos, according to court documents. The 18-year-old Amish woman has been missing since […]

Continue Reading Justo Smoker Pleads Not Guilty; 600 Search For Linda Stoltzfoos

A while back a reader asked if Amish obituaries are made public. I responded with a post on the topic. I see them appear in news feeds nearly daily. They are published in newspapers and find their way online. With that in mind this recent obituary caught my eye for two reasons. One is that […]

Continue Reading An Amish Obituary: Amos S. Zook, Age 93