Lovina Zook Left The Amish And Now Shares Her Recipes With 6 Million Followers — Without Breaking Eye Contact

Lovina Zook Left The Amish And Now Shares Her Recipes With 6 Million Followers — Without Breaking Eye Contact

ByErik Wesner
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Amish born-and-raised Lovina Hershberger Zook has been getting a lot of media attention beyond her own success online. And for good reason – she now has around six million followers across social media, where she posts recipes and stories about the culture she left. That culture is a conservative Amish community. To my eye and ear she seems likely from a Swartzentruber Amish background (confirmed…

Dozens Of Amish Train For Rural Emergencies In This Pennsylvania Community

Dozens Of Amish Train For Rural Emergencies In This Pennsylvania Community

ByErik Wesner
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We often hear and read about accidents in Amish settings – whether on the farm, in recreational settings like hunting, or on the road. The Lewistown Sentinel reports on how one community has tried to address a gap in emergency skills in rural Amish-heavy areas. Forty-two people turned out for a free Rural Response and Rescuer Training program at the Central Pennsylvania Clinic for Special…

Iowa Is America’s #9 Amish State — Here Are Its 10 Biggest Communities

Iowa Is America’s #9 Amish State — Here Are Its 10 Biggest Communities

ByErik Wesner

Iowa is home to America’s ninth-largest Amish population, spread across about 25 settlements. The oldest dates to 1846; the newest on this list, to 2011. The following communities are the largest in Iowa, based on the most current Amish population estimates. Population numbers via Young Center for Anabaptist & Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College (source link at bottom). 1. Bloomfield Bloomfield (Davis County) Community founded:…

Amish Boy, Age 8, Killed In Farm Equipment Accident (Northwest Pennsylvania)

Amish Boy, Age 8, Killed In Farm Equipment Accident (Northwest Pennsylvania)

ByErik Wesner
2 Comments

I hate to share this news, but it’s being reported that a farm accident claimed the life of another Amish child Friday. An eight-year-old boy was pronounced dead this morning at a home in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. More from the CBS Pittsburgh report: An 8-year-old died after an accident involving farm equipment in Mercer County on Friday morning, authorities said. In a public information release…

This Tricky Amish Buggy Passing Situation Just Put A Woman In The Hospital

This Tricky Amish Buggy Passing Situation Just Put A Woman In The Hospital

ByErik Wesner
2 Comments

An Amish woman has been hospitalized after a wreck yesterday afternoon (Aug. 13) in Stark County, Ohio. This one resulted from a common and potentially dangerous situation that doesn’t get talked about enough. First, the key details from the Canton Repository: Trooper A. Burch said the Amish woman, who lives in the Navarre area, was riding her buggy south on Navarre Road SW. A man…

Amish Acres Owner After Shutdown: “It Was A Paperwork Error” — State Now Finds No Violations

Amish Acres Owner After Shutdown: “It Was A Paperwork Error” — State Now Finds No Violations

ByErik Wesner

Two days after ordering Amish Acres closed, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security has released a new report stating that no violations were found at the Nappanee, Indiana property. The owner, Brad Juneau, says the shutdown came down to missing paperwork rather than anything unsafe at the site. The IDHS abruptly shut down the business on Tuesday, citing violations identified during a reinspection. The violations…

“A Danger To The Public”: Judge Shuts Down Former Amish Man’s Health Facility

“A Danger To The Public”: Judge Shuts Down Former Amish Man’s Health Facility

ByErik Wesner
1 Comment

An Iowa health facility run by a former Amish man has been shut down by court order. A judge has ruled that those operating it are “a danger to the public.” We’ve looked at this case already on two occasions – once when the story of charges against clinic operator Eddie R. Gingerich broke back in May, and later when further details emerged on his…

Lancaster County Man Pleads Guilty In $402 Million ATM Ponzi Scheme That Hit Amish & Mennonites. But His Attorney Says The Loss Could Actually Be…Zero

Lancaster County Man Pleads Guilty In $402 Million ATM Ponzi Scheme That Hit Amish & Mennonites. But His Attorney Says The Loss Could Actually Be…Zero

ByErik Wesner
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Daryl Heller, the Lancaster County businessman whose ATM investment network drew money from Amish and Mennonites across the Lancaster County area, among others, pleaded guilty to securities fraud on Monday, August 10. However, no one has yet established how much his investors actually lost – with his attorney even claiming to the court that the figure could be zero. Charged In September 2025 This is…

State Of Indiana Shuts Down Amish Acres For Fire Safety Violations

State Of Indiana Shuts Down Amish Acres For Fire Safety Violations

ByErik Wesner
4 Comments

Amish Acres, an iconic Amish-themed destination in Nappanee, Indiana, has been shut down by the state until fire safety violations are corrected, following a reinspection of the facility. Several safety-related violations, according to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, have led the agency to issue an emergency order requiring all to leave the property and prohibiting anyone from entering. Sold, Rebranded, Then Sold Again Amish…

A Visit To The Amish Of Prince Edward Island, Canada (16 Photos)

A Visit To The Amish Of Prince Edward Island, Canada (16 Photos)

ByErik Wesner
6 Comments

Judy Stavisky, author of In Plain View: The Daily Lives of Amish Women, shares her recent visit to an Amish community on Prince Edward Island, Canada, with us today. All photos in this post by Judy Stavisky. “Would you like to join us for a bowl of ice cream? We churned it ourselves.” A soft voice from behind a thin blue curtain invited us inside—a…