Amish Culture

Ben & Rose AND Mike & Marty: “Palms of Victory”

Ben & Rose AND Mike & Marty: “Palms of Victory”

Ben and Rose have joined with Rose’s siblings Mike and Marty to do a lovely rendition of “Palms of Victory”. This just released today, and I bet it’s going to get a lot of listens 🙂 Rose was previously in a group with brother Mike and sister Marty, called Third Fret Harmony, which we’ve seen here before. Really neat to see them uniting/re-uniting on this…

New from Mike & Marty: “Keep On The Sunny Side”

New from Mike & Marty: “Keep On The Sunny Side”

Here is an upbeat song for your day – Mike and Marty just released a new one called “Keep On The Sunny Side”. This tune was originally written in the late 1800s by Ada Blenkhorn, and later recorded by the Carter family. The story behind its writing is moving: In 1899 Ada Blenkhorn was inspired to write the Christian hymn by a phrase used by…

Conrad Fisher Turned An Old Church Into A Studio And Helped Send Ben & Rose To 40 Million Views

Conrad Fisher Turned An Old Church Into A Studio And Helped Send Ben & Rose To 40 Million Views

If you’ve been following Ben and Rose, you probably know Conrad Fisher has been part of their story from the beginning — producing their music, playing on their recordings, and showing up in their video clips. The Associated Press recently did a piece which centers on Conrad and Ragamuffin Hall — a former Presbyterian brick church building in the rural Pennsylvania community of McCoysville —…

What Is the Plain Community Writers Workshop? Over 300 Amish and Plain Writers Just Attended in Berlin, Ohio

What Is the Plain Community Writers Workshop? Over 300 Amish and Plain Writers Just Attended in Berlin, Ohio

Over 300 Amish and Plain community writers got together in Berlin, Ohio on March 13 and 14 for the Plain Community Writers Workshop — an event that has grown from a small home gathering five years ago into one of the more noteworthy literary happenings involving the Amish. The two-day event was held at Dayspring United Mennonite Church in Holmes County. Publishers, sponsors, and book…

New From Ben & Rose: “Lonely Tombs”

New From Ben & Rose: “Lonely Tombs”

It’s been about a month since their last release, but Ben and Rose are back with a new song just out this afternoon. After covering a contemporary Christian song in “Mighty To Save“, the Amish-roots couple shift back to country music, striking a somber chord with this cover of a song popularized by Hank Williams – “Lonely Tombs”. Shot in part with the backdrop of…

These Amish Firefighters Ride Tractors to Calls — and Saved $600,000 Building Their Own Station

These Amish Firefighters Ride Tractors to Calls — and Saved $600,000 Building Their Own Station

When a call comes into Ripley County, Indiana 911 and New Marion Volunteer Fire Department responds, the scene that follows isn’t one you’d see at most departments. Amish firefighters arrive from the surrounding countryside — on tractors. Their non-Amish crewmates climb into the fire vehicles and drive. Then everyone pulls on the same gear, follows the same protocols, and goes to work side-by-side. Different lifestyles,…

New From Mike & Marty: “Go Rest High On That Mountain”

New From Mike & Marty: “Go Rest High On That Mountain”

Nice new song just out from brother and sister duo Mike & Marty. “Go Rest High On That Mountain” is a song by country artist Vince Gill. This song gives me similar vibes to the duo’s first studio song on YouTube, “Sing Me Back Home“. It’s a country tune with Christian themes, as you’ll see in the lyrics below. Mike sings lead on this one;…

One Month After an Amish Man Was Killed on an E-Bike, Holmes County Faces a Problem With No Easy Fix

One Month After an Amish Man Was Killed on an E-Bike, Holmes County Faces a Problem With No Easy Fix

In early March, an Amish man named Jason Yoder, age 30, was killed in a chain-reaction crash on a Holmes County, Ohio highway while riding an e-bike. The accident – which also left a Good Samaritan in critical condition – has put the spotlight back on safety concerns over the e-bike. As we’ve covered before, e-bikes have skyrocketed in popularity among Amish in the Holmes…

New For Easter From Ben & Rose: “Mighty to Save”

New For Easter From Ben & Rose: “Mighty to Save”

Ben and Rose have released a song in time for Easter. This is a more contemporary tune, called “Mighty to Save”, originally written and performed by members of Hillsong Church. The description reads: “Ben & Rose sing “Mighty to Save” written by Ben Fielding and Reuben Morgan celebrating Resurrection Day!” This one has a bit different feel to it. It kicks off with some nice…

Amish Birder Spots Rare Sage Thrasher For First Time Ever In Ohio

Amish Birder Spots Rare Sage Thrasher For First Time Ever In Ohio

If you’re a birder in Ohio, this might qualify as the most exciting thing you’ve heard all week. I’m not a birder, but I still find this story neat – for a few reasons. First, what is a sage thrasher? What was it doing all the way in Ohio, when its habitat is much further west (think Colorado, Utah, Wyoming)? And what is it about…