How many children do Amish have on average? What influences Amish family size? What do Amish believe about contraception and family planning? And...do any Amish actually use birth control?
I also tell you about John Troyer, an Indiana Amishman who likely had the largest-ever family among the Amish.
My name is Erik Wesner and I'm not Amish. Back in 2004, I met the Amish by accident...while selling books door-to-door. Since then, I've visited over 5,000 Amish homes, and dozens of Amish communities. I write about the Amish at https://amishamerica.com/
Image credits: Jim Halverson, Don Burke (https://www.flickr.com/photos/ozarkinspirations/), David Arment, S.I.
Notes: My description of Allen County, Daviess County and Adams County got a bit muddled and deserves a bit of clarification.
-Allen County and Daviess County are separate settlements.
-Allen County is also considered a "Swiss" settlement.
-Daviess County has Swiss roots, but has changed over the years, leading it to be described by scholars as "Swiss and not-Swiss" (see Plain Diversity: Amish Cultures and Identities by Steven M. Nolt and Thomas J. Meyers)