Which states are home to the most Amish? Here are the top 15 states ordered by how many Amish people live in each. Numbers are based on the 2018 figures from the Young Center. I’ve grouped the states into 3 tiers below. You’ll also find a brief description of each state’s Amish population. The three figures in parentheses are: Number of settlements as of June 2018 Total number…
Several weeks ago we had Don Burke’s visit to the home of the Grabers, an Amish family in Jamesport, Missouri. This got a variety of reactions, including descriptions of the home as “very interesting”; “too modern”; “cluttered…[but] cute and homey.” Readers also noticed the high gloss paint on the ceiling and the simple electronic games on a recliner-side table (view the original post here). These…
From the Associated Press: INDIANAPOLIS — An Amish couple with 13 children sued the federal government on Wednesday, accusing officials of violating their constitutional rights by insisting that they provide photographs of themselves before the Canadian wife’s request to become a permanent U.S. resident can be approved. The Indiana couple won’t allow themselves to be photographed “for any reason,” in keeping with their Old Order…
Reader Jim Halverson shares photos today from the northern Indiana Amish settlement. Taken on more than one occasion throughout the year, these are some nice shots showing buggy traffic and other activities going on in the settlement. I’ll let Jim take it from here to describe what we’re seeing in this visit to the world’s third largest Amish community. I have recently been making a…
Gloria Yoder is an Amish mother from Illinois who writes the Amish Cook column (previously penned by Lovina Eicher). Gloria was recently asked by a reader “What five things do you enjoy the most about the Amish way of life?”, and in this week’s column, she answers. Gloria starts with a couple of important disclaimers: First, I will insert that there really are more different…
Amish take part in produce auctions all across America, in places like Ethridge, TN, Leola, PA, and Hart County, KY. Don Burke takes us to one in northern Missouri today. Two things that jumped out at me are the unusual horse-drawn haulers…and one odd vegetable in particular. See if you catch which one I mean. Over to Don! Okay, so you read Marie Graber’s post about the Arbor…
Indiana Amish midwives Sylvia C. Eicher and Lydiann S. Schwartz avoided jail time at their sentencing Friday. The women were instead given 2 years’ probation and ordered to stop practicing midwifery and medicine. The prosecutor had asked for 6 months’ imprisonment. From WANE: In court Friday, Prosecutor Jeremy Brown asked for 6 months in jail due to the severity of the cases. Brown argued the…
The Amish of Kent County, Delaware have been dealing with a whooping cough outbreak, for the second time in the past five years. It’s also at least the fourth occurrence there in the past several decades. As of August 18th, a total of 97 cases had been identified in the community. From the Delaware News Journal: “This is an extremely serious situation,” said Dr. Karyl…
What does an Amish home look like inside? That can vary. You’ll see some things appearing consistently across different church groups and communities. Still, there can be a big visual difference between a home such as this very plain one…and one that is significantly less plain. Don Burke has visited an Amish home in Jamesport, Missouri, on several occasions – first on a tour, later on…
Each year over 100,000 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules are marked for slaughter, according to an article in Tampa Bay’s 83 Degrees online magazine – among them saddlebreds. Saddlebred horses are valued by Amish for their roadworthiness, but as with any physical asset, they have a limited useful life: Because they are often trained to harness before they are ridden, saddlebreds are prized in Amish…