Amish in Rutherford and Cleveland Counties of Western North Carolina belong to the Swartzentruber subgroup of Old Order Amish. Being the most conservative of Old Order subgroups, the Swartzentruber Amish do not use electronic devices, electricity, or marketing beyond plain roadside signs or simple printed classifieds. They do not take photos or intentionally appear in them.
As of February 2025, all the Cleveland County Amish and a few of the remaining Rutherford County Amish left the Amish church but are still maintaining an Amish identity. The last of the original Swartzentruber Amish district near the city limits of Ellenboro who remained members of the Amish congregation left North Carolina by March 2026.
Many of our local Swartzentruber Amish neighbors were very talented leather and wood craftsmen. They are our friends, and as such, we partnered with them to make their high-quality handcrafted products available to a wider audience by promoting them online. Without phones, they were difficult to reach and our representation on social media an websites made locating and purchasing their products more predictable.