I often get asked which Amish communities I recommend visiting. In total I’ve been to around 70 Amish communities, many of them multiple times. These are my favorites to return to.  Check out the video above for more images, and more on why I enjoy each. Or if you prefer to read, here are my favorite five: 1. Holmes County, Ohio So first of…
Tragic happening in York County, PA (the area across the Susquehanna which is considered part of the Lancaster County settlement). The York Daily Record gives an account of the accident, which happened Friday morning, and the community’s response thus far: Friday morning, Amos Stoltzfus dropped off some of his wife’s fresh-cut flowers at the Country View Market on Route 74, not far from their home…
The latest Amish population statistics have been released by the Young Center for Anabaptist & Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College. After looking over the numbers I can share that – no surprise here – the Amish population is larger this year than the last. The new estimated tally is 373,620, an increase of a bit over 12,000 over the past year.  This rate of…
How can you arrange a meal in an Amish home? We’ve covered this topic on this site before on numerous occasions – with a lot of good comments from people sharing their experiences. Amish restaurants (or “Amish-style” restaurants) are a more accessible option, but for those who want to put in a bit more effort, a meal in an Amish home can be a memorable…
I’d never heard of this one. But it’s apparently taken off in some Amish communities. Spikeball‘s rules are simple. It’s played in two teams of two. I won’t try to explain the game in depth here (this is what I watched to learn the rules). But essentially you have three hits of a ball, back and forth with your teammate a la volleyball. The object…
Last month I shared an update on the Swartzentruber Amish community at Ellenboro, NC, with photos of two stops at Amish businesses there (Gideon Hershberger‘s woodworking business and Enos Gingerich & wife Fannie’s furniture and homemade soaps businesses). I also put together two videos from that visit so far – one from Gideon’s woodworking place, and the second from the soaps shop. Visiting the Swartzentruber…
From Bangor Daily News: HOULTON, Maine — A 29-year-old Sherman man, who is a member of the town’s Amish community, pleaded guilty to a sex crime Monday afternoon, while appearing in Houlton District Court. Rudy L. Miller was sentenced to five years in prison with all but nine months suspended by Judge Patrick Larson for the Class C felony of unlawful sexual contact. Miller was…
 I had a blast doing this Q & A with my friend Ben Riehl while in Lancaster County last month. We recorded this while driving to a local horse auction. Ben explains the appeal of Amish auctions and answers some of my questions. He also shares a funny anecdote and we have some laughs. I hope you enjoy this video as much as I…
Albert Miller grew up as the son of an Amish church deacon in Holmes County, Ohio. He left his community at the age of 18, got his GED, attended Kent State University and eventually medical school, before becoming a doctor. He documents his journey in a new book: You Can’t Do That!: The Story of an Amish Deacon’s Son Who Left the Fold and Became…
Big Olaf is an Amish-made ice cream brand based in Sarasota, Florida. The company has just recalled its ice cream products after allegations that its product was contaminated by listeria. Two lawsuits have been filed, one by the estate of an Illinois woman who it’s claimed was made ill and died after eating the product. Another is by a couple who lost an unborn child…