This is what a $9,861 Amish buggy looks like

This is what a $9,861 Amish buggy looks like

The final price tag on this sweet vehicle is $9,861.18, to be precise. The photos were taken by reader Jerry, who attended a recent auction in Perry County, PA, where the buggy was up for bidding. Here’s the interior:   The price gave Jerry “sticker shock”, he says (and this leaves out the horse, which adds around $1600). Just like ordering a car, you get to select your features…

Amish Bank Ads: Funny or Offensive?

Amish Bank Ads: Funny or Offensive?

Amish people are no longer just the subjects of television programs–now they’re beginning to fill in the commercial breaks. A Colorado-based bank is running a series of three 15-second ads featuring an “Amish” spokesman promoting a smartphone app. The point of the spots is that banking-by-phone is so easy, even the technology-fearing Amish could do it. As you can see in the clips below, they play off of…

Amish Images by David Arment (15 Photos)

Amish Images by David Arment (15 Photos)

David Arment and his wife Pam are photographers living in northern Indiana. In today’s Q-and-A, David discusses his craft, including how he takes his photos and what life is like in one of America’s largest Amish settlements. I also asked David to share the stories behind a selection of his photos. I love the behind-the-scenes info he shares here. You can find more of his images…

Amish Communities in West Virginia

With close neighbors Ohio and Pennsylvania home to over 130,000 Amish, you’d think a few people with an itch to move would have looked south or east and considered the Mountain State. There are some Amish spots on the WV map, but not many–three to be exact. West Virginia is just not as attractive to Amish for whatever reason, especially compared to places like New York or…

Four arrested for robberies, attacks on Amish

Four teenagers were arrested over the weekend for a spree of robberies and baseball bat attacks against Amish of Geauga County, Ohio. The youth targeted Amish businesses and Amish in buggies and “brutally beat” several Amish men, in incidents over the past week and perhaps earlier. The first reported attack occurred June 22 or 23, with numerous reports of break-ins over the following days. In one…

The Jamesport, Missouri Amish School Auction (14 Photos)

The Jamesport, Missouri Amish School Auction (14 Photos)

Every summer, Amish at Jamesport, Missouri hold their annual Spring Hill School Consignment Auction. This is a large two-day auction drawing a lot of interest. As a preview we have some photos from last year’s event, courtesy of Don Burke. All photos and commentary on this page are provided by Don. You can see more of Don’s Jamesport auction photos and others in full size…

The Plowboy Produce Auction at Ethridge, Tennessee

Local produce auctions can be an important sales outlet for Amish farmers. An Amish person from Ethridge, Tennessee explains for a story in the Tennessean: “We nearly have to keep the auction going to keep our families together. It’s for our future. We want our kids to have an outlet to sell at a fair market.” The Plowboy Produce Auction is one such venue serving the Amish…

Growing Up Amish – Winners & Excerpts

Today we have three winners of Richard Stevick’s Growing Up Amish: The Rumspringa Years, and a pair of excerpts from the book. First, the excerpts. Excerpt #1: Rumspringa This first text is from Chapter One, showing public and media misperceptions of Rumspringa. What happened to catapult Amish youth and their teenage years squarely in the public eye, both here and abroad? Seeds were undoubtedly planted…

Amish Jams

Amish Jams

“The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday – but never jam to-day.” – Lewis Carroll By no means do Amish people take this notion literally. Jam, or one of its cousins, can be had pretty much any day you want it in most Amish homes. You can also find it on store shelves, at least 6 days per week. I picked up the jam above–okay,…

Building A New Amish School (9 Photos)

Building A New Amish School (9 Photos)

The scenes below come from the Adams County, Indiana Amish settlement, from the recent building of a new school.   You’ll see two structures in the photos below.  The school is actually the foundation you see in the bottom two photos. The wooden structure the men are working on is a barn for the school. The slab on the right hand side of the bottom…