Favorite Posts of 2014

Here on the final day of 2014, I thought it would be a nice cap on the year to share links to favorites of the past 365 days.

Below you’ll find those posts which got a lot of comments or otherwise good response from you, plus some of my personal favorites.

Wherever you are today, I hope your year went as well as it could have–and that 2015 will only be better.

Finally, a special thanks to all of you for your comments, emails, words of encouragement, and valued contributions to this site. You are a big part of what keeps this job fun and keeps Amish America humming 🙂

Winter 2014

January

A look at the Holmes County Amish community in winter (39 photos)

A review of PBS’s film The Amish: Shunned and your thoughts on the film

A peek at the winemaking process in a New York Swartzentruber Amish community

Is it best to “bloom where you’re planted” or seek different pastures?

How do Amish review the unwritten Ordnung? An Amishman responds

February

“Almost Amish” enforces copyright, stops sales of “Light in the Valley” quilt

A look at the Amish practice of writing circle letters

Household items of Amish in Adams County, IN

March

An explanation of and interesting facts about Amish affiliations

Waaaay off the beaten path. A glimpse of Amish in Hutchinson County, South Dakota. Plus more photos of the settlement

A visit to the Amish of Kalona, Iowa (32 photos)

Amish in NC put up a barn workshop and equipment shed

Spring 2014

April

Two videos of Amish people picking up and moving a barn

How did the Amish get into deer farming?

A police officer in PA goes undercover as an Amish woman to catch a criminal

Why do criminals target the Amish?

One Amish family’s creative re-use of a calendar page

May

On artists among the Amish

NY Amish say “No thank you” to a planned casino (and the October follow-up)

Can you guess where these 3 Amish community photos were taken?  Plus, the answer key

13 Money Tips from the Amish

Look inside a Tennessee Amish pantry

Look inside an unusual Amish leather business

Who owns Amish community goods?

June

Ruminating on Amish jams

Rich Stevick answers your Amish youth questions

Why do Amish leave their communities?

Bench wagon graffiti

Summer 2014

July

The 2014 Amish Population Infographic

Are these Amish bank advertisements funny or offensive?

A look at a $9,861 Amish buggy

August

Visiting the Amish at Arthur, IL (24 photos)

Anne visits her Amish convert son in Minnesota, and explains why “we are wimps!”

The time the Amish showed up on MacGyver

September

Time-lapse video showing an Amish barn raising in 200 seconds

Audio interviews with an Amish bishop, young man, and the Shipshewana town marshall from Jim Cates’ Serving the Amish website

Donald Kraybill notes on the Bergholz hate-crimes reversals

The Rudy Gingerich moving sale in Hazleton, IA (19 photos)

Autumn 2014

October

My visit to the Amish of Union Grove, NC (32 photos)

Who makes Amish kick scooters?

Amish of Salem, Arkansas

The top 10 Amish-population states

November

A 27+ book Amish reading list

Amish writer Loren Beachy answers your questions, part 1 and 2

Amish in the mountains of Giles County, VA

The inside scoop on Amish taxi-driving, from two Debbies

December

Not An Outhouse: David Arment’s look at Amish phone shacks

PA Dutch kitchen terms quiz, parts 1 and 2, from Mark Curtis

4 “Amish Health Habits”

Amish scholars sing for the Ohio legislature (video)

Excerpts from 1001 Questions & Answers on the Christian Life (part 1 and 2)

Image credits: Kenton buggy: Steve took it/flickr; Bicycling couple: ShipshewanaIndiana; Autumn buggy: Shawn

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    18 Comments

    1. lincolnlady1121

      You had a great year. I enjoyed each of your posts even though I didn’t leave comments all the time. Look forward to 2015. Happy New Year to everyone.

      1. Thank you Lincoln Lady. It was fun to look back and review. I had forgotten about some of these posts and discussions.

    2. Slightly-handled-Order-man

      I trust Amish America will prove to be a continuing source of information and entertainment into 2015 and beyond.

      Thank you Erik for providing such a tremendous resources. As you said, it is a fun site, and we do have a lively community don’t we. All the best in the New Year, as some of us say in phonetic Ukrainian “di-bor-jah” (“praise the Lord, or to your health”, or simply as I like it as a “cheers!” greeting)

      All the best everyone!

      1. My Polish response would be “na zdrowie”! 🙂

    3. Randy A. (Stark County)

      Thank you Erik

      Yours is the first email I read every morning. Thank you for the educational posts. I especially enjoy the photos.

      1. Thanks Randy! I’m honored that we are your first read each AM. Will try to keep bringing good material in 2015. I have been glad for my help lately 🙂

    4. Rita

      Thanks, Erik!

      Thanks for all you do – this website is full of interest, fun, and personality. I enjoy learning more about my Amish neighbors and getting to know the people on here. Whenever I see a post from Katie, Anne, Don, Mark, and others, I feel like I’m in a conversation with friends. Here’s to 2015 and more Amish America!

      1. Thank you Rita. I like that it feels like a running conversation too. I look forward to seeing you around here in 2015!

    5. Slightly-handled-Order-man

      Quick question. Was the posts about “Rules of a Godly Life” a 2014 release, or was that 2013. I ask because I can’t remember if it was about the same time as the docu “The Amish” was released or after.

      Those posts was a highlight for me of the last 2 years regardles of when it came out.

      Thinking about it, I’m beginning to think it might have been 2013, but you guys might know better than me (that and I’m feeling lazy this NYE).

      1. Rules of a Godly Life

        That was mostly 2012 with one in 2013. Time flies, doesn’t it? 🙂

        If you want to revisit them you should find them all at this link, or just by searching in the search box:

        https://amishamerica.com/google-search-results/?cx=partner-pub-7579725738709281%3A5063236800&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=godly+life&sa=Search&siteurl=amishamerica.com%2F&ref=amishamerica.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fedit.php&ss=1698j335434j14

        And here’s a link to the first in the series, if anyone doesn’t know what we’re referring to: https://amishamerica.com/rules-of-a-godly-life-speaking-evil/

        1. Slightly-handled-Order-man

          2012, huh, wow. Thanks Erik!
          Read ya in the new year!

    6. Mark - Holmes Co.

      Thank you for providing this site & service, Erik. I enjoy checking this to see what’s going on. 🙂 I often wonder what some of the people look like, sound like, etc. 🙂
      Blessings to all…

      1. Thank you Mark. I sometimes wonder the same, though I’ve had the pleasure of meetings some of our contributors in person so I don’t have to wonder about them anymore 🙂 Wishing you a great 2015.

    7. Jim

      You run a great site here. It is a real service for many people. Thanks for all the work and best wishes to you for 2015.

      1. Thank you Jim, it’s much appreciated. Same to you in 2015.

    8. It's been a year!

      I’m probably one of the ‘young’uns’ ’round here, at least when it comes to longevity as a visitor to this site. This time last year I didn’t even know about this place. It’s been a great year, Erik. Thanks for highlighting some of my pictures along the way, and esp. thanks for a great place to ask a lot of questions and get a lot of insight. I look forward to more of the same in the coming year!

      Blessings!

      1. Thank you Don. As I wrote you by email we’ll be seeing more of your photos again this week, in what I think is going to be one of the more unique posts we’ve done here. Consider that a teaser 🙂

    9. Jess

      Thank you!!

      Thank you, Erik, for this wonderful site!! I don’t often comment, but I’m a pretty avid reader for about a year now 🙂 you do a great job here and I really enjoy the look into the Amish lifestyle I’m so fascinated by, thank you and happy 2015 to you!