Have you heard of the Hutterites?
They are a religious group of people that live together in a colony, working together. They believe in the Bible – old and new testament. And they live what I being a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints call the “United Order“. Basically they share all their property, goods, profits, and everyone has according to their needs. They live like this scripture in the Bible:
And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily, with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favor with all people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:44-47)
I was able to visit a Hutterite Colony this past week in Alberta, Canada..and it was VERY interesting.
My father in law just retired from being a school teacher in a Hutterite colony. He had a lot of information about the way they live, and how they self-sustain themselves.
The Hutterites first language is German, and they learn English in school along with many other subjects. Usually a colony holds around 15 families, but the OK Colony I visited numbered around 115 people.
When I first pulled up I didn’t know what to expect. I have been to Pennsylvania to see some of the Amish folks and that was interesting. I wondered if the Hutterite men with guns would come out? Would I be allowed to take pictures? Would we be welcome? Could I get their bread recipe? Tee hee…
This is how the colony looked driving up.
A lot of farm-y buildings and land surrounding apartment style buildings.
We drove up to their housing..and starting looking for the person my Father in Law knew. The weird thing was…no one seemed to be around. It was eerily quiet and we walked up and down their houses looking for the right door. When we finally found it, we knocked and no one answered. So we walked until we eventually saw a man and asked him if he knew where this person we were looking for was.
By the way, their lawns were greener than mine, that’s for sure. And everything looked absolutely perfect – no weeds, everything edged. Very clean.
The Hutterite man then had his wife telephone over to her home, and it turned out that they were gone to a funeral, but their 12 year old daughter and mother were around. They came out and gave us a nice tour.
First stop was their Kitchen.
Oh my heavens. I learned that Hutterites cook food and eat food together every meal. So it is a full scale operation – making large portions to feed 115 every meal.
This is their dining room.
The children ages 6-14 eat together at one table and the men & women eat together at another table at a different time. Everything is super clean and ready for the next meal.
Hutterites are NOT like the Amish at all.
Amish don’t use modern appliances or electricity. Hutterites have top of the line appliances. We are talking about a huge fryer, a machine that can cook 70 steaks in 10 minutes, a gigantic bowl for making large quanties of soup, and that was just the first room. The bakery room had a giant mixing bowl for bread making, a large walk in proofing and baking oven and even a loaf making machine. I realized I couldnt get the bread recipe because it would be for a huge quantity!
By the way…our adorable 12 year old Bertha gave me 2 of their fresh homemade buns and I was in heaven. Seriously…oh man.
Next on the kitchen tour were a few gigantic walk in fridges, and freezers. And a large pantry. Everything high tech.
I just didn’t expect that at all. They use a lot of top of the line appliances instead of doing things the old fashioned way.
PS – I took a picture of their real food menu for the day. Here is what they are eating… and no I don’t know what golf balls are…but my mind is wandering.
Next on the tour was their chapel. I didn’t take a picture because I didn’t want to disrespect it. But it was just a room with some pews and a table at the front. They meet every evening after dinner for 30 minutes and on Sundays for 1 and a half hours of worship services.
The School
After the chapel we walked to another building to see their school. They had 2 classrooms – one for ages 7-15 and one for ages 3-6.
Girls only go to school until they are 14 and boys until they are 15. There was also a library. Lots of fun books there.
What was really cool was that under the classrooms was a cement hockey room – where the boys can play hockey. Oh yeah, they are Canadians…
Everything was absolutely pristine clean.
Both in the kitchen, and in this classroom. Let me just tell you what Bertha said – she said even though school is out for the summer, the girls and women clean the whole schoolhouse once a week including inside and outside windows. Those floors were so shiny I hated to step on them. Not kidding… these ladies work really hard on keeping things clean.
However I was told by my Father in law that has been around Hutterites for many years that the women on the colonies are basically considered by the men to be help-meets. What I mean by that is that their whole purpose in life is to cook, clean, and sew. And that is pretty much all they do. They rarely go anywhere – and they don’t have too much free time. They don’t have any voting power or say in the colony, just the men get to choose everything. Even Bertha the 12 year old talked a lot about the ONE DAY they had a blow up pool after school got out and how much fun it was. And then it was taken down after one day and they just have to work. No more fun swimming.
I guess that means I won’t be joining any Hutterite Colonies anytime soon. I love my freedom.
The Chicken House
I also was taken over to their chicken section. They had a big metal building that housed 22,000 chickens. I went inside and first came in when they were gathering eggs, and sorting them into qualities. Every day on the colony they get 21,000 eggs. Every day. They do sell some to the community, but most of them they use themselves they said.
PS – you notice anything odd in this picture?
Somebody on the colony likes Pepsi….interesting….. hee hee.
I then went in to see the chickens, and it was a TOTAL factory operation. There were 5 chickens to every cage, and they stayed inside the cage all day long, with no daylight. I found a picture online that shows kind of what I saw but without the light. They wouldn’t let me take pictures inside the chicken factory part.
image credit: pakuya.com
I will say that their chicken factory was extremely CLEAN though. I didn’t even smell chicken poop because it all falls on a manure belt underneath them and gets carried off. When they lay eggs, they all roll onto a belt and get carried away as well. The chickens looked well fed and watered, but I was sad that they were not free range. Sad that they had to stay inside a cage for the rest of their lives. Which by the way, these layers get to lay for one year, and then it’s off to the butchers for them. I was just shocked and didn’t expect the Hutterites to have a factory-style operation.
They also had a pig barn and a cattle barn, but we didn’t get to see those. They did have 5 dairy milking cows, so they used that milk for themselves only. No honey or honey bees on this colony.
Next stop was their laundry room. Or shall I call it the Laundry Mat. Oh and they do use TIDE….no homemade stuff here.
Our last stop of the day was at their garden.
Shut the door people.
Their garden was GINORMOUS!
I think it was at least 6-8 acres of garden if not more. They have to constantly work at it, to weed and cultivate the soil. Here are a few pictures from their garden.
Overall it was an eye opening experience for me. I have always enjoyed seeing how one can self-sustain themselves. But I also realized that the dreamy-doing-everything-the-old-fashioned-way is not how the Hutterites live. They have factories, operate in a very organized manner and work really hard.
What are your thoughts about the Hutterites? Questions? Comments? Have you been to a colony before too? Anything you want to add?
love to return back to the colony community now but I am transgender miss the way of life in the colony I still visit my parents still and go to visit my sisters they moved to other community within the colony too I do were the clothes as a Hutterite when I stay with them too
I still remember my mom helping me get ready to come home she breaded my hair and putting a kerchief on me the feeling I had to look in the mirror that day dress like a girl my mom make that clothes especially for this day she and one of my sisters came with me to give me support when I had my reassignment surgery 6 months I stayed with them on the colony was awesome I remember planting beans and the picking them was different to be dress as a female to working there they let me go to the farmers market as well I miss all of that too now
the last couple of months living at the colony doing the female chores dressed as a female to clean the milking parlour my clothes how wet they were I think we were all wet to
the time in the kitchen to making perogies to and how long they take as well to make plus making buns and bread that day miss all of that
my mom does come and help me when she can I am learning to sew now as well I do not know if I have too many projects on the go to found an old sewing machine to learn with to my dad bought me a quilting sewing machine as well done 2 quilts and sold both of the very quietly as well I am working on one for my self now
my one sister in law send me 2 more machines as well to me and looking for Christmas with all my family too this year. if it was possible to return but to the colony I would go in the heartbeat yes I have request for them to let me back in and they were very firm on me as a female now I would give up so much to return l felt very sad after all of it sound like I was still an outcast, as long as I still be able to visit I am grateful for that too
my brother said they will pick me up better than letting me dive to I have had a great time with my sister in law now before Christmas we make couple new dresses for me to and go shopping as well for new shoes to we go out she wants me to be dress as well
Interesting no one has pointed out these colonies are dying out (thank CHRIST) due to their isolationism and the internet showing the younger ones what an awesome, big world is out there. Why do you think they stop education at 15? Because it’s a lot easier to keep them in the colony if they’re stupid, brainwashed and fear the outside world.
Inbreeding hasn’t helped their cause, either. I suppose a 3-legged kid with one eye is just another ‘blessing from God’ in their narrow field of view.
If you’re stupid enough to believe the fairy tale of ‘Adam & Eve’, you probably should be deleted from the genepool anyway. Same goes for the Amish and LDS. And they say Evolution is just a ‘theory’ when they are proving it, themselves. (LMFAO)
Oh yeah; all the tree-hugging hippies crying about the treatment of chickens that ignore the subjugation of the women should walk east until their hair floats.
This world is only short. God will be the Judge.
This is quite an inaccurate and cruel way of saying things. We are welcoming of all people. Respecting of all beliefs. I pray The Holy Spirit ease the burdens of such judgments from your mind. We bear no ill or hate of anyone.
“We do not want to harm any human being, not even our worst enemy. Our walk of life is to live in truth and righteousness of God, in peace and unity. … If all the world were like us there would be no war and no injustice.” Jakob Hutter
Amen. I’m in agreement.
If you want to be disrespectful like that, keep it in your own head.
Really interesting! Looks like a great community 🙂 My Grandmother, was a teacher in an Amish community in the Midwest, and later worked as a teacher (raised my Mom, Aunt, and Uncle) on the Pineridge reservation, after she met and married my Grandfather there. It always interests me to see how others live, as I’ve pretty much been a California “city girl” all my life, but no words can describe how much I’ve enjoyed the times I’ve been able to go to the Black Hills, and spend time on the reservation; as well as with the Pennsylvania Dutch Amish in the area.
In regards to the chickens… my personal feelings always wants to let caged chickens out, just let them be. We pasture ours, and as I’m vegan, so I don’t eat their eggs, and take in a lot of retired layers to live out their lives (who still lay btw lol :))… we also have a garden here, so can see how 22,000 chickens, could make quick work of their 5 acre garden!!
“The Hutterites in North America” by Rod Janzen & Max Stanton. Johns Hopkins U. Press 2010.
Read it. Check Abebooks.com but maybe your local B & N can order it.
Karrie;
I buy eggs from a friend who orders eggs,produce etc from a hutterite colony in Alberta Ithink is about 1/2 an hour or so from eEdmonton,I buy eggs and Saskatoon berries from my friend when she drives over to this colony.the eggs and summer Saskatoon berries are really good for breakfast and in recipes that I make .I would like to go with her to this hutterite colony sometime this year.
What a fun post! I just found this after while looking things up about Hutterites. I am LDS too! The farm my Grandma grew up on in Alberta was bought by Hutterites, who still live there. Anyway, my question: do you know if they would ever consider letting someone come stay with them for a week or so? I just think that would be really cool. I’d love to take my husband and kids and see what we could learn from that experience.
Hi. You are welcome to come to stay at most colonies. Schmiedeleut Hutterites you may find more welcoming. We have also Independent Hutterite Christian Communities which are more open to seekers.
You will be expected to work. The expectations will be to out in the same level of work as any of the sisters or brethren. It’s not a vacation destination. Some visitors are surprised by this.
But the point is many times you will be welcome. Usually you are invited for a day visit, overnight or longer will need to be approved by the brethren.
Blessings to you
I read online that some Colonies allow outsiders to join. Do you know which ones will allow it?
Hi. What a great question. I will try to answer honestly and in ways that make sense. I assume by now you have already done some research. The short answer is: yes! Every Colony is different and has different rules. Also we are very diverse. There is no just one kind Hutterite. There is Dariusleut, Lehrerleut and Schmiedeleut. Also there are independent Hutterite colonies. Most independent colonies come from Schmiedeleut background. Also note that Hutterites share mostly a common ethnicity.
Usually contacting a colony closest to you is a good start. Arrangements for a visit can be made usually your first time for a day, unless you live very far away, then overnight is usually permitted. If the brethren deem it ok, you will be invited back for more and longer visits.
You will want to also familiarize your self with Anabaptist theology. Teachings. Practice. Customs. Etc.
Also, should you get to the point of joining the community by baptism, you will be expected to contribute things like an automobile, savings, checking, other funds to the community. We hold no “personal possessions.” We do have small things but we do not go out and earn money, we do not take part in Social Benefits.
These are things to consider seriously when deciding to join. Lastly. According to the article she says “German.” While we do learn Standard German, and English. Hutterisch is a dialect spoken in most colonies and can be very difficult to learn.
Most of us speak English. We do have smart phones, computers, iPads, iPods, play instruments. Also many of us graduated high school and have even been to college. Our education levels is more need based.
I hope this has helped in some way.
I prefer the Amish way i think. Both need to move into the current times and allow women more opportunity but it is a very idealistic way of living for sure.
How incredibly interesting! Before this article, I had never heard of Hutterites and I’m so glad I have now! Such an amazing lifestyle.
I am looking for something about cleaning the inside of oven windows. I can’t get to it because the Hutterite article keeps coming up.
Free range birds walk around in their own poop their whole life, versus caged ones are always clean & well cared for. How would any human being want to live in his or her poop!!!!!!!!!!
There are all kinds of scamers out there, & those who make their money out of telling people that living in a cage is cruel to birds are corrupt!!!! But they got to make a living somehow, the majority of these birds are eating the best feed money can buy!!! Also free rang birds peck at each other so badly that the death toll increases up to 9%. And you think this is being nice to ANY kind of animal?