I chipped in ideas for a recent USA Today article challenging some of the wilder health claims you see out there about the Amish. This is the social media post they were responding to: I’m not sure why this particular post was chosen, as these sorts of claims are pretty commonplace. I imagine because it manages to put so many of the more common misbeliefs…
Reader Denise Joyal shares some nice photos from Amish stores in southern Iowa. Over 10,000 Amish live in Iowa, in around two dozen communities. Denise takes us to stores in two of those communities today. She has previously taken us to Amish stores in Buchanan County, Iowa as well as a look inside a $3 Amish Auction “Junk Box” in Hopkinton, Iowa. So I think…
So here’s a different spin on the words “Amish Country”. Making the news right now is this country music song “Slowly But Surely”, performed by a young Amish couple known simply as “Ben & Rose”. Now we’ve seen many Amish singing videos before – and even videos of Amish young people performing with instruments. But this is the first “music video” I’ve seen from an…
We’ve got a winner in the Goot Essa Cheese Assortment Giveaway. Before I share that, I just want to say a big thank you from both me and John, for all the wonderful comments that you left about the cheese, cheese cave post, and this site/email newsletter. We got about 200 comments on that post, and I tried to respond to as many as I…
We’re doing a cheese basket giveaway for Goot Essa. You can enter to win simply by leaving a comment on this post. I’ll post the winner here Friday. The assortment that owner John Esh and co. are giving away is called “Amish Tastes” (see below): From the description: This medium-bodied cheese trio features a palate-pleasing array of flavors. From our buttery Old German Weissa Kase…
“It’s amazing what our labels do,” says Ben Riehl. In this video, Ben explains why Amish men wear beards and suspenders. He also describes the difference between a bonnet and kapp (prayer covering). This was an illuminating and fun discussion. If you prefer to read, you’ll find the full transcript of our conversation just below this video. Amish Men & The Beard Erik Wesner:…
The Columbus Dispatch reports that Amish in Ohio are suing over a law requiring flashing lights on buggies: The Swartzentruber Amish are suing to overturn Ohio’s new traffic law that requires animal-drawn buggies to have yellow flashing lights, saying the law conflicts with the First Amendment protecting their religious expression. The Swartzentruber order, which enlisted legal help from Harvard University Law School’s Religious Freedom Clinic,…
“Austere” was the adjective that struck me on my first look at these photos. We’ve looked at plenty of plainer Amish homes here before. This one definitely belongs in that group. The home is in the area of Reading in Hillsdale County, Michigan. This is the southern bit, the state’s sole county which borders both Ohio and Indiana. The Reading settlement has been around for…
No, you’re not reading an old post from 2020 or 2021. I’m surprised to be sharing another COVID-related story with you, as we’re nearly into 2025. But this is a current story – and a big problem for Amish in one Ontario community. The root of the problem? The Amish in question didn’t use an obligatory Canadian smartphone app when crossing the border. From The…
The buggy was empty at the time, thankfully (especially after recent stories of runaway buggies with Amish children inside). However the driver of the truck was seriously injured when it struck the buggy. From WNEM: CLARE CO., Mich. (WNEM) – A man was injured and a horse died in a crash involving a vehicle and an Amish horse and buggy in Clare County on Friday….