Unique Businesses in Shipshewana Indiana: Passionate Owners

By Angie & Jeff

August 25, 2026

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Our time in Shipshewana, IN was hosted by Visit Shipshewana. The words in this article and the opinions we share are 100% ours.

When you read a typical travel guide, you’ll find plenty of ideas for what to do in Shipshewana. Our Ultimate Guide to Things to Do in Shipshewana is exactly that kind of resource, while our guide to experiencing Amish culture-Unforgettable Amish Country Indiana Experience takes a closer look at the cultural experiences that helped make our visit so meaningful.

But there’s another story worth telling.

What makes Shipshewana special isn’t simply the number of things to see and do. It’s the people behind them.

During our time exploring Shipshewana and the surrounding Amish Country, we kept meeting people who had turned a family tradition, a personal passion, a particular skill, or simply an idea into something visitors could experience for themselves.

Some businesses have deep family histories. Others are newer ventures born from an individual’s curiosity or passion.

These aren’t interchangeable tourist stops. Each one has a story.

And that became one of the biggest themes we took away from our time here: people have found meaningful ways to turn their skills, traditions, interests, and values into interesting livelihoods and those interesting livelihoods all contribute to making Shipshewana a place worth visiting.

The Heart of Shipshewana Is Its People

The most memorable part of Shipshewana isn’t what you see. It’s who built it. That became increasingly clear as we spent time talking with local business owners and entrepreneurs.

We met people who were eager to explain how they got started, show us what they make, introduce us to the animals they care for, or simply share what makes their business meaningful to them.

That personal connection changes the way you experience a destination.

Instead of simply stopping at a shop, farm, winery, or attraction, you begin to understand the person and the story behind it.

And that’s where some of our favorite Shipshewana experiences came from.

From a Home Kitchen to Thousands of Fried Pies

Food is one of the easiest ways to experience the connection between tradition and place, and Amish Kuntry Fried Pies in nearby Millersburg quickly became one of our favorites.

During our visit, owner Marlon Miller gave us a brief tour and helped us see just how much goes into producing these little pies.

What started as a home operation has grown into a serious business, producing roughly 500 pies an hour on average, with production reaching around 2,500 pies in a day.

That’s a lot of fried pies.

We tried four flavors during our visit: blueberry, strawberry rhubarb, apple, and peach. They were just $3 each at the time of our visit, and we’re still craving them.

Put Amish Kuntry Fried Pies on your list for your visit. Trust us.

Watch our reel about Amish Kuntry Fried Pies here.

Craftsmanship You Can See

At Silver Star Leather, owner Loren Yoder gave us a firsthand look at another kind of tradition: craftsmanship.

Loren demonstrated his skill as he worked on a leather belt, which can be custom fitted for the person purchasing it. He also showed us the different types of leather he works with and talked about how carefully they source their materials.

One of our favorite moments was when Loren showed us the first purse he ever made and sold.

Years later, the woman who originally purchased the purse contacted him because she wanted to buy another one. Loren ended up trading her for the original purse, which he showed to us. A true testament to the quality of his work!

The products aren’t simply things to buy. They represent skills that have been developed over time and, in some cases, livelihoods built around making something well.

When a Passion Becomes a Business

Not every story we encountered was generations old.

Some were much newer, but the passion behind them was just as strong.

At Acres Away Winery in Ashley, Indiana, owner Shane brought a background in chemistry and microbiology to his interest in winemaking. He has more than 20 years of winemaking experience, even though the winery itself has been open for only about four years.

That combination of knowledge and passion is evident when you spend time with him.

Shane was happy to show us around the winery and vineyard, explain what goes into the process, and share what he loves about winemaking. Of course, you can also taste the results.

And we did.

We’re fairly picky about wine after enjoying it in places ranging from Napa to France and Italy, and we were genuinely impressed with what we tasted at Acres Away.

The experience extends beyond the wine, too. There are wine slushies, wood-fired pizza, and a pretzel that is genuinely bigger than your head.

Shane also told us about their nighttime Celestial Sips events, combining wine tasting with stargazing. That immediately went on our list for a future visit.

It’s a great example of an entrepreneur taking an area of personal expertise and creating an experience that invites other people into that passion.

Building an Outdoor Experience on the Pigeon River

At Trading Post Outfitters in Mongo, Indiana, Andy and Jess have created a business around their love of the outdoors.

They’ve been in business for about eight years and have built more than a place to rent kayaks. Their property along the Pigeon River includes a campground, including a very memorable glamping option: a converted bus.

They offer river floats for different experience levels, and as river kayaking novices, we chose one of the shorter trips.

It was exactly the kind of experience we enjoy when traveling. We got outside, tried something new, and had plenty of time to simply enjoy the scenery.

And then there’s the ice cream afterward.

You’ll also want to meet Nettles, the resident cat who has his own Instagram presence.

What Andy and Jess have created feels like an extension of the things they genuinely enjoy. They’ve taken that interest and built a place where other people can enjoy it, too.

You can read more about our experience at both Trading Post Outfitters and Acres Away Winery in our post Unexpected Things to Do Near Shipshewana on Sunday.

From a Popcorn Farm to a Bison Ranch

Some of the stories in this area stretch back much further.

At Cook’s Bison Ranch in Wolcottville, Indiana, Peter and Erica Cook welcome visitors onto a property that has been in the family for generations.

Peter’s grandfather purchased the property in the 1920s. What began as a popcorn farm eventually became a bison operation in 1998.

Today, approximately 300 bison roam across 750 acres.

Feeding those bison was one of the most unusual experiences of our trip.

When we first saw it on our itinerary, we weren’t exactly sure what to expect. We’ve spent enough time around wildlife to know that large animals deserve respect and plenty of space.

Cook’s has a system for doing it safely, with visitors riding in covered wagons pulled by tractors. The bison know those wagons mean food, which makes for an unforgettable experience.

Jeff initially announced that he wasn’t feeding any bison because he was determined not to get licked. That plan didn’t last.

Before long, he was feeding them, having a great time, and even got one of the babies to eat right from his hand.

The Cooks also offer other experiences and meals featuring bison, making this another example of a family business finding creative ways to invite visitors into the story of their land and livelihood.

Check out our reel about our visit to Cook’s Bison Ranch here.

A Love of Lavender and a Love of Community

The story of Bloomfield Lavender began with landscaping.

Marion and her husband restored a historic schoolhouse in the LaGrange area, planting lavender around the property as part of the restoration and as a way to show the community that something special was taking shape.

Then their children wanted a playhouse.

Marion encouraged them to sell some of the lavender at a local farmers market to help raise the money.

The lavender sold. Then it kept selling.

That small idea eventually grew into Bloomfield Lavender Apothecary, located inside another beautifully restored historic building in downtown LaGrange.

Walking through the door, you notice the lavender first. Then you notice Marion’s enthusiasm for the plant, its many uses, and the community she has helped build around it.

During our visit, a casual comment about whether we were tasting lavender cookies or smelling lavender soaps in the past turned into an impromptu lavender tasting. Marion invited everyone in the store to join in and explained the differences between lavender varieties, inviting us to experience the flavors and aromas. We learned that soapy cookie of the past was likely due to the baker using the wrong lavender variety for baking.

The experience wasn’t scripted around us as tourists. We simply happened to be there, asked a question, and Marion wanted to share what she knew.

That’s the kind of interaction that stays with you.

Our reel about our visit shows more about our visit.

Food Traditions Can Become Big Businesses

One of the most interesting things we learned about the Amish businesses we visited is that traditional doesn’t necessarily mean small.

At E&S Bulk Foods, for example, a business that began roughly 80 years ago is now in its third generation.

The scale is impressive.

The business produces around 1,100 pounds of noodles a day and sold approximately 18,000 take-and-bake pizzas last year.

Calling E&S an “Amish Costco” isn’t entirely inaccurate.

But underneath that impressive production is still a family business rooted in tradition and community.

The same theme showed up at other area businesses we encountered, including places like Scherger’s Jams & Jellies and Yoder’s Meat & Cheese.

And that was one of the most interesting lessons for us.

Traditional doesn’t necessarily mean frozen in time.

It can mean taking something that has been done for generations and finding ways to build a modern, thriving business around it.

The Amish Cottage Industries That Bring Visitors Into the Story

Discovering Amish cottage industries was a significant highlight of our visit.

We enjoyed everything from fried pies and whoopie pies to a leather demonstration and the chance to milk a cow and pet a calf.

At Stutzman Dairy Farm, Harry Stetzman, who welcomed us to call him Chun, gave us a brief tour and invited us to try milking a cow, pet calves, and hold an adorable baby goat.

Their on-your-honor store offers dairy products, including milk, along with things you might not expect, such as protein shakes, flavored milk, and ghee.

These experiences helped us understand something that can be easy to miss when visiting an Amish destination.

You aren’t simply observing a culture from a distance. When approached respectfully, these experiences can give you a glimpse into the work, skills, and businesses that are part of everyday life here.

That’s one reason we recommend stopping by the [Shipshewana Visitor Center] early in your visit. They can provide current information about businesses, experiences, tours, and other opportunities that may be available during your stay.

For even more ideas, our article the Unforgettable Amish Country Indiana Experience goes deeper into the experiences that helped us better understand this part of Indiana.

The Quirky Side of Entrepreneurship

Not every memorable business we encountered was connected to Amish traditions or agriculture.

At No Place Like Oz Museum, owner Katie has been passionate about everything Wizard of Oz since she was a toddler.

With the support of her parents, including her mom Norma, Katie built an extensive collection of Wizard of Oz memorabilia and traveled regularly to attend events related to the franchise.

Eventually, that lifelong interest became a museum.

The experience is unmistakably green, as you might expect, and packed with memorabilia, activities, and details to discover. One of the most personal pieces is a recreation of Katie’s childhood bedroom, offering a glimpse into how her childhood passion developed.

It’s a completely different business model from a dairy farm, winery, leather shop, or fried-pie operation.

But the underlying story is remarkably similar.

Someone cared deeply about something, developed that interest over time, and found a way to share it with other people.

What These Entrepreneurs Have in Common

By the end of our visit, we had talked with enough business owners to recognize a pattern.

Shipshewana and the surrounding area don’t feel like a destination that was simply designed around tourism. They feel like working communities where tourism has become one part of a much larger story.

There are family businesses that have lasted for generations. There are entrepreneurs who built something from a personal passion. There are people preserving historic buildings, continuing traditional crafts, raising livestock, producing food, and creating experiences for visitors.

The businesses are different, but the commitment behind them is remarkably consistent.

There is a sense of pride in doing something well.

There is a willingness to share what they know.

And there is a strong connection between the business and the person behind it.

Shipshewana doesn’t feel built for tourists. It feels built by people who never stopped caring about what they were doing.

Why the People Behind the Places Matter

This is also why we think it’s worth slowing down when you visit Shipshewana.

You can certainly build a packed itinerary. Our Ultimate Things to Do in Shipshewana Guide can help you do exactly that.

But leave room for conversations.

Ask how something is made. Take the tour when one is available. Listen when a business owner wants to explain how they got started. Pay attention to the details that might otherwise be easy to walk past.

Those moments can change the way you experience a place.

Our visit to Amish Kuntry Fried Pies became more memorable because Marlon took the time to show us around.

Our experience at Silver Star Leather became a story because Loren shared the history behind his craftsmanship.

Bloomfield Lavender became more than a lavender shop because Marion shared how a landscaping project grew into a business and a way of connecting with her community.

And our time at Cook’s Bison Ranch wasn’t just about feeding bison. It was about experiencing a piece of a family’s history on the land.

That’s what makes these places stick with you.

The Stories Are Part of the Experience

One of the best things about traveling is discovering that the places you visit often have much more going on beneath the surface than you initially realize.

If you only come for things to do, you’ll leave impressed.

If you take the time to notice the people behind those experiences, you’ll understand why Shipshewana is special.

And those are the stories we’ll remember long after the trip is over.

And those are the stories we’ll remember long after the trip is over.

Related Shipshewana Guides

If you’re planning a visit, our other Shipshewana articles can help:

Ultimate Guide to Things to Do in Shipshewana.

Cost of a Weekend in Shipshewana: What to Expect.