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?
Wow. Looks like a neat learning experience, but I must agree with you on the poor caged chickens and the thoughts on the women and their roles, it would not work for me either.
I have been thinking..it sure would be nice having lots of other ladies working with me though….
I suspect the reason they didn’t allow you to take pictures of the chickens was due to the fact that PETA would be all over them for how the chickens are kept. Five to a cage and without lights to PETA is animal cruelty even though it’s pretty much how an egg factory operates. Ever been to Oakdale’s out in Pasco? Similar to that. I don’t think it’s exactly cruel because the chicken are well cared for, fed and most importantly kept clean but to PETA it’s not how an animal should live it’s life.
As for the roles of women, I’m with you ladies – this would not work for me. LOL I’m way too bossy. LOL
No, I haven’t been to Oakdales…it is nice they have food and water…but yeah…when you love your chickens like I do it’s hard to see.
Karrie, What area of the US do you live in? I see a comment about Pasco and this is where I live. I guess I was just surprised to see someone here that was so close to me.
Yes, I am in the Tri-Cities as well Shandra. 🙂
It is not right or natural for a chicken to live its life in a cage. I am deeply saddened that they choose to keep their chickens in that manner. I have my own chickens–free range–because I cannot in good conscience buy eggs at the grocery store knowing how the chickens kept.
It’s also not nice to condone gay unions, or anything along that line. So let’s be thankful that there is a God that will judge them but in the mean time let us pray for them that they reach understanding. On the other hand, let’s not get too hung up over chickens in cages — we still need to feed the world and all the lazy bastards out there who are not man enough to feed their own families.
just for the record, chickens are BRUTAL to each other and will peck each other’s vents out until death. They are vicious animals. cages are human in ways.
The way they keep the chickens is just HORRIBLE
Who would do that?
Would you like to be stuck in a tiny cage with 4 other people 24/7? Why do you think you should be able to live a better quality of life than an animal that gives their eggs and selves for you to survive? “Oh well this is how other factories are too”. Didn’t realize your ethos were so low. Hey, if everyone else is abusing, why not contribute? Talk about group think. And it’s not just PETA that would have a problem with that, people with compassion would too.
Well said. I want to report the Hutterites to PETA. Those Chickens lives are every bit as important as human lives
you idiot!!!!!! chickens need to sleep to.
Your dream could have come true if the early Lds members had been holy enough to live the united order, right? 🙂
Is it possible to visit them ? Where do they live in Alberta ? Thanks
Joanie
Outside Raymond, Alberta Canana…sorry I don’t have the exact address.
There are several colonies in Alberta. Just ask any locals they usually know.
I pray that the inhumane chicken coop is not an indication of how the people living in the colony feel at times. The products the Hutterites put out are all fabulously delicious; however, now that I know the stressful conditions the chickens live in, I will never purchase the eggs or cooker hens again because those layers obviously produce stress hormones that would likely end up in the product we eat-which would not be healthy for us.
Thank you for exposing this side (the technical advances they use and the treatment of animals as machines) of their pristine existence. This facility was in CA-correct? I wonder if the Hutterites in the USA get away with inhumane treatment of their animals in this manner? Let’s hope not.
Great article.
So interesting! I love learning about different religions & groups of people. Where do Hutterites primarily live- is it mostly in Canada? Do you know the origin of their name- Hutterites? I now must Google and see what else I can learn. . . . Thanks for sharing!
I think primarily in Canada/Montana, but I have heard of other areas as well. I know when the colonies get too big, they will buy up another huge area of land somewhere, and the men will go over and build up the upcoming colony and they will split sometimes. It’s really cool that they all work so hard to help each other out.
There are Hudderite Colonies all over the United States. Here is South Dakota, we have one in almost every county. In the area that I live, we have 3 within a 1 1/2 hour radius.
Sorry, Hutterite and Here *in*
I also teach within a Hutterite Colony and have had the opportunity to see a move. From mother colony to daughter colony. The new colony they have moved to is gorgeous. They will work with the mother colony for awhile until they are established and have everything they need to sustain themselves.
It’s a great experience to learn about their culture!
Do you know why their meal plan was written in English even though their first language is German?
There is a Hutterite colony near Odessa, WA. Yes, the women work hard, but so do the men. As far as kids not getting to “play” much, one rarely meets young teens these days that are as focused, purposeful and hard working as those in a Hutterite colony.
That is true and I think there must be some sacrifice if you are going to live the way they do, but it’s also fun to let kids play sometimes. I suppose in the summer there is just too much to do to play all day long. Gardening, animals, keeping things clean. I will say that I wish my own teenagers had HALF of the Hutterite kids hard work ethic. But they don’t have to do as much work because #1 my garden is TINY (note to self..must have bigger garden next year…) #2 we have so many modern conveniences there is so much free time for them. I hope my post didn’t come across as negative to the Hutterites, I am amazed, shocked because I was thinking they lived a different way than they do, and can appreciate the hard work of men, women and children on the colony. Plus I LOVE the fact that they love the Lord. 🙂
I really enjoyed what you showed and learned from the Hutterite. I have seen a few women in Pasco, WA and thought maybe they were Old Order German Baptist. But after reading what you wrote and the pictures you took I believe these people I have seen are most likely from a Hutterite Colony. As for the Odessa, WA comment I was in Odessa a few years ago for my first, and only trip and it is very much a farming community and would be a good area for there set up. Thank you are all you have taught us about this group of people.
I know this post was from quite a few years ago, but I just wanted to chime in. We have some very good friends who live in the colony near Odessa. While the children all learn how to work at a young age, they also play a lot. Both the boys and the girls work and play hard. They are given quite a bit of leeway until they join the church, usually in their early to mid 20’s. They go skiing and skating. They swim in the pond at the colony and they go to the water parks, amusement parks and local fairs. The young children love to play tag and they have great play structures. I think our local colonies are a bit more lenient than some of the others in Canada.
The Hutterites have colonies both in Canada and in the United States. I grew up near some in Montana. They are a group of Germanic people who fled Europe due to religious persecution. Yes their life style is very different than ours, it is based on their faith. The farms are some of the most high tech and productive. The focus is on their colony and its welfare again all based on their religious teaching. Their name comes from their original leader Jacob Hutter. They have been in N. America for about 125 years.
Fascinating! Thanks for sharing.
I’m completely fascinated by this colony! Thank you SO much for sharing!! I don’t like that the chickens were caged BUT I like that they were taken care of. I imagine 22,000 free range chickens would be a bit chaotic. I can’t imagine butchering them though. Ours are family members, I’m much too attached. 🙂
I find it interesting that in some ways they live simply but in others (like all of their appliances!) they have the best of the best. Like I said, I’m fascinated.
I know what you mean…it is just so interesting! Yeah, 22k chickens running around would be a huge messy disaster. Can you imagine collecting that many eggs by hand too? Yikes!
Wow, Karrie! What an eye opening experience not just for you but all of us readers as well! Thank you for sharing. I can’t wait to see what else you have in store 😀
Thanks for your work on this tour– interesting!
You are welcome! It was fun to learn about how they live.
Hi Karrie,
Thank you so much for sharing your story! I live in Alberta and will really like to go visit the colony you visited last year. Could you shrare their address and contact information with me pls? Thank you very much!
Jinny
My Grandparents lived a few miles from the Canadian border in Montana. In the 70’s – When I was in elementary school and visiting them for weeks at a time in the summer. We went once or twice a week to a colony. We bought butter, eggs, and bread goods. I remember realizing that they lived differently, but I thought they were so organized and always had a fun homemade game to share.
As an adult, when saying the word “Hutterite”. I would be corrected – no you mean Amish. No! I mean Hutterite.
Thank you for sharing this culture.
There is also a group near Hermiston OR (can’t remember exactly where) but I’ve seen some of their members in Fred Meyer in Kennewick.
I have also seen some in Fred Meyers in Richland and in Yokes and Walmart in Pasco.
The Stahl colony is down in Stanfield, OR, near Hermiston. Here’s a blog post someone did after their recent visit there:
http://bowmansontheroad.blogspot.com/2013/05/hutterite-colony.html
Check out http://www.hutterites.org
I had never heard of the Hutterites until I moved to WA. Even then I tried Googling them but couldn’t find anything…I didn’t even know how to spell it!
Thanks for the great, informative piece and I love that you were able to take pictures and share this adventure. It will probably answer a lot of questions for a lot of us curious folks!
Thanks for sharing this experience! I’d never heard of this colony but its always interesting to learn about how other people/cultures live!
I’m a feminist and I feel like this is just another culture that exploits there female population for labor intensive needs, even though the men work in the fields. It’s a system of control – “Idle hands” and all that. The women have no direction and give no new insight into their own culture – that’s half their population not contributing beyond menial labor. If something were to happen to these women where they were cut off from the farm, they wouldn’t have the skills to take care of their own needs and their children. A modern example of an outmoded lifestyle that vastly needs improved upon. These are not ‘the good old days’…
They look like they are able to garden, cook, clean, probably sew clothes. I bet they would do alright. They are liberated from a mortgage, recessions, lay offs, long commutes, traffic jams, and a lot of other stressful things that community living eliminates.
Well even though I defend them, these Hutterite communities bend their own rules a lot and that threatens the existence of the group as a whole. An example is internet. Even in communities where having the internet is against the rules, a lot of them do it anyway. So I wouldn’t be surprised if the gender role rules don’t get bent from time to time either.
why do feminists always think their way is the best/only way? I didnt see any bars or chains anywhere around there, except maybe on the chicken cages.. the women are free to leave, they CHOOSE not to.. i imagine they wonder how you can live being a slave to your boss/sexuality, being “forced” to exibit your body in skimpy clothes and torturous shoes, feeling compelled to leave your home, forsake your children/fertility, in the name of money/career/status. This is not a third world country where women truly have no rights and can be arrested or killed for doing something against their culture, its Canada and America, where help is a phone call away. Leave them be.
Denice You judge so quickly. these people have a wonderful life. the children are well fed, well rested, loved by many many people, and very well taken care of. ( no they dont have ipads , or oodles and oodles of toys they dont play with..they appreciate what they have) the women work hard with their family, friends and husbands. they dont worry about divorce, money, about having to have strangers raise their children or about not being able to spend time with them because of work, and socially imposed expectations. they have the opportunity to venture out of the colony to such things as farmers markets, doctors visits ect. I see them at star bucks, garage sales, shopping and countless other places. they can leave the colony if they so choose. and with regards to contributing to the decisions made on the colony.. do they have a vote i really dont know but from what i have heard is that all the men know that ” if momma aint happy aint no body happy”. basically they keep the women happy. the men represent the family and contribute opinions on his and his wifes behalf- really whats wrong with that??? maybe if more people raised their children the hutterite way and lived in the same manner we would have a better world.
Thank you aj. I am a teacher on a colony and I love it. Trust me those women know how to work.
They have their say in their homes and the man of the house does the voting when voting time comes for them. On other issues you are right they have (for the most part) husbands who totally understand how important their happy wives are to their happy lives.
your post suggest you have a one sided extreme left belief
Thank you for sharing your experience with us! I keep coming back to the picture of the laudry trolley – I love it!! Funny thing is, I can’t seem to find one online to price out/buy. Any ideas? I love learning about other ways of doing things and integrating ideas into my own life. Based on your site and interesting articles I have begun integrating urban homesteading into my household. Unfortunately, zoning does not allow chickens, lol.
Those cute laundry trolleys were amazing! I met the Hutterite man who said he made each and every one of them on the colony. He said they are NOT cost effective and very labor intensie, but that everyone loves them. I don’t think he was selling them, but if you really are interested you would probably need to call the OK Colony in Raymond Alberta Canada. Maybe google their phone number and just ask. Could be pricey, but maybe a fun thing to have.
Hi, I find your reaction to my people’s quite positive overall! I actually left the Hutterite way of live and joined the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ( Mormon). This of course as anyone can guess was a shock to my whole family who all still reside on the Hutterite community! I would just like to add that their chicken barns are run and controlled like almost every other producer out in the real world. That’s where the Hutterites got the idea from..it’s not something they made up. So if PETA were to go in their, well, then they would have to also shut down lots of other egg producers out there. As for no lights in the barn, well, not sure what time of the day you went but there are lights there obvisioisly, they just go out at different intervals during the day so the chickens can sleep. ( chickens would not lay eggs with no lighting) anyways glad you enjoyed it, if you have any question email me!
Hello Ike! SO proud of you for joining the true church! I think your comment just made my day. And so glad you liked my post. 🙂 I do have a lot of respect for what the Hutterite people do, and their hard work ethics. They did amaze me that’s for sure.
I do have a question…what are “GOLF BALLS” on the menu? Have you heard of them? 🙂 It’s killing me that I don’t know.
Hi I live in Alberta there are allot of Colony’s in Canada.
About the chickens, I have my own. and they are so called Free Range but they have to be in larger chain link fences or coyotes and Foxes or the neighbors hungry Dogs can get them, the price of baby chicks is like 5.00 for 1 chick if you buy them from a small breeder and you may not even know if it is a hen or rooster. unless you buy chicks from a Hatchery then they would be over 2.00 and the higher number you take the cheaper you might get them.
The story is these chickens do not suffer they are raised in cages and they are kept in cages of some sort. all their lives. Like I said unless you let them free well then you are just feeding wild animals or whatever. So what do you want feed for people or buy baby chicks raise them and then just feed the animals. the way they are they are very clean, they are not under any Stress, the more you have in an encloser, the more competion they have, and just like people some are very quiet and shy and some are aggressive, you have that in all living things. that is life. So in this case where you say 5 per cage at least they all eat and they all drink. I seen a picture one time where laying hens were being sold after they were slowing down on laying it was sick now that was sick they were in a large fenced in pen but the roosts were full body to body on the floor it was standing room only. I keep the picture to show someone now that was disgusting. I think they maybe still in business.
I remember a neighbor of mine saying to me one day do you seriously think the chickens know if they are in a fenced in area or not? And I looked at him in disbelieve, because if they don’t then why do they try to get out if their is green grass on the outside of their pen and no green grass in their pen.
So wich colony did you leave from
Hi.. We would let u take pictures of ours lol y didn’t they that was strange..but there lehraleut and were dariusleut which is very different from our way of living but the religion is the same…they dress themselves very very different then we do lol btw..no offence did u ask them if u could have there faces or way of living on Internet the reason y I’m asking there much stricter then we are…bye for now
Hi Darcy, yes I did ask to take pictures of them and the Hutterites have a website themselves. 😉 So you are a Hutterite as well? That is so neat. I would love to come and visit your colony too.
I am a Hutterite too if you would like to have a tour of my home.
Wow Darcy, you must be really misinformed or just embarrassed to be a real Hutterite. I am Lehrerleut and have many Dariusleut friends. Sounds like your trying to give the perception that your community is somehow better or more “FREE” than mine. the fact is that a lot of my Dariusleut friends have expressed countless times that they wish they could still hold on to the original traditional hutterite ways that the Lehrerleut still have. To me, it is still a privilege to be Hutterite and be able to be in the real world and take care of my fellow neighbour and countrymen, rather than have to be caught up in today’s “fake” news and mind controlling social media. Why do you think suicide rates are so much higher nowadays then they were 50 years ago before social media. Research it.
As far as taking pictures of the inside of a Lehrerleut community, we have absolutely no problem with that. The colony that I live on gets lots of outside friends and visitors and they take a lot of pictures of us and our way of life. Not really sure what the big deal is that your trying to make. Sounds like you’re trying to mock the Lehraleut’s to make yourself feel better or more superior.
And since we’re talking about facts, I believe it was the Dariusleut that tried to be exempt from having their picture placed on their licence, and not the lehrerleut! Again, do your research! I could say much more, but you’re probably still young and a little wet behind the ears haha 🙂 . Btw, If your so much more advanced than me, I would suggest you go back to grammar school and learn how to spell!
Kerrie, As for what your saying about the chickens being in cages, I can tell you that you are seriously misinforming people. Please stop giving people the wrong perception of how we raise our chickens. We are NOT factory farms. If you will do your research you will see that in Canada, we have the absolute best system in the world with supplied management. We have the absolute best programs in place to assure that we provide the best possible environment and care for our birds, (the five freedoms), and supply the public with the healthiest cleanest food possible, and get a fair return for our efforts, profits that are then put back into our facilities to care for our hens. I suggest you visit our website or come see us at Aggie Days in Lethbridge, or Aggie Days Calgary, or the Calgary Stampede, and come visit our Egg Farmers Of Alberta booth to learn more of what we do. We have live birds on hand, and display all our housing facilities available. I am sure you would be greatly impressed!! Please stop spreading false information until you have all the facts! Again, there is so much more that could be said here.
Yes I am a Hutterite a d I’m very proud of it lol were actually butchering 850 ducks tomorrow getting up at 4 in the morning :):):):):):):):):)
WOW! Just wow!
Essentially these Hutterite men have decided that their wives and daughters are essentially their slaves.. Providing for all their needs. I am a Bible beleiving woman who beleives a woman needs to be caring for her family.. but the idea of being used basically as a slave with no right to an opinion.. is repugnant to me.
Did you say these Hutterites are somehow connected to the LDS ?
Actually, there is no connection to the LDS religion, but I can understand the confusion. Here’s how I understand it… Ike (who commented above) grew up in a Hutterite colony, but left the colony when he converted to the LDS church. There would be some similarities in religious beliefs as both groups believe in the Bible and worship Jesus Christ, and it appears that they both interpret the scripture in Acts 2:44-47 similarly, but there is no real connection other than both being Christian religions.
Personally, I’m a keep-the-home-fires-burning kind of girl, and when I really think about it, here’s what I come up with:
I recognize that the cooking and cleaning has to be done by somebody.
The Hutterite men probably do at least as much manual labor as the women.
They’re probably not forced to stay on the colony and live this way, after all, Ike left to follow his own beliefs.
This brings me to the conclusion that the women (and possibly even the girls) actually like the life they live… but I do hope that in the natural progression of things, the women will be valued for their mental abilities as well as their AMAZING homemaking skills… and I find myself wishing that I could be a little more like them in that respect.
I want to note to the above poster that women have traditionally had to fulfill their roles or “part” to help keep things going and running smoothly regardless of being a faith-based colony or just old-time farmers. If the harder labour was committed by the men then the women were doing the other parts like cleaning, cooking, gardening etc. It’s division of labour. I understand that the lack of choice for roles or life direction and lack of opinion in the colony dynamic may upset many people who have been brought up very different but it might, and obviously does work for those there. I am an agnostic atheist so I see the religion aspect of it differently than some but still I completely understand how this might be efficient, productive, and secure way of living. We have 4 children, one income, and I stay at home with the children. Not necessarily by choice but by fact that my husband earned more money and child care would have been more costly than I earned in the workforce. Meal-sharing, barter/trade, exchange, freecycle community, gleaning etc all help folks outside in our life and I often think how if we lived with a few families on a property with a small working farm-how we could all help, support eachother when we need it. Someone to be there to help when one mom or dad is sick, or to ensure no one goes hungry. I am opinionated on religious aspects for myself and family so if I can view the idea of this lifestyle without the context of faith then I am all “for it.” When faith is involved I have concerns regarding the extent that people have freewill to leave or pursue additional education, outside life. I however do like the focus on less materialism within these types of living arrangements as well. 🙂
The thing that struck me that nobody has commented on is only educated until 14 or 15. That would make it really hard to get a job or survive in the outside world for anybody who wanted to leave, male or female…
Just a thought, because I truly don’t know for sure, but if they take their education as seriously as they seem to take work maybe they get their education done in a shorter amount of time. No recesses, no summer breaks etc. Just a thought.
but it also said they START at 3! What do you really learn in the last few years of high school anyway that cant be learned in the first? the idea that you start school as soon as you can talk and end it when you become too broke to pay for more college is a very very recent invention, and unnecessary for most lifestyles. Only specialty careers like doctors, tax attorneys or physicists need all that additional education. If they choose to leave the life, they can always pursue additional educational choices.
Sometimes they go to high school or college if they leave the colony.
That school deal was what caught my eye. No one goes to college, or high school, yet they have to hire outside lay people as teachers. This misses the mark of self sustaining for education. They have all the modern equiptment like schools and institutions have, That is labor saving for sure. Women being less than men? Yep! No part shared in the decision making. It appears there is NO time for fun….do they have a church day off? Like Sunday they have church for 1-1/2 hours, I bet that is a free day but people still have to work in the kitchens.Wonder how they get money to pay for water and electric, and health insurance, they cant even go to school to be Dr or nurse…It is strange, but…it works for them. What about marriage? Who chooses? I bet the elders do. Where do thy have babies? At a hospital? Interesting, not any pictures of the actual living quarters.
they can leave if that is what they want but they usually end up just working on different farms as the oys especially know or learn about operating farm equipment, they have their own maechanics etc. some of the colonies here specialize for example in putting up large buildings, so they do leave the colonies to work, but they come back to the Colony because that is where home is. as far as the females, they don’t need much of grade school to do what they do for a living.
What I was told as long as they know how to do Math that is very important, all other work is hands on, watch and learn and do!
Thank you for such an interesting post. I grew up in Calgary and have family in southern Alberta. I have seen Hutterites out in the community many times and my family often bought various items of produce from them. I’ve always wanted to see what the colony looked like. I live in Idaho now and most people around here haven’t heard of Hutterites.
You missed some of the inner workings of the colony. I have been on colonies a few times in southern Alberta. I love hutterites. LOL They are in many ways just like the rest of us. Anybody that does not want to live on the colony can leave… with the shirt on their backs. They don’t get to take anything because everything is community church property. The choice to live and share in that wealth or go to live in a town or city and make your own way does exist.
I have from time to time heard rumors of wild and crazy antics like…some of the guys like to sneak a beer when they are in town… and a couple of the women like to sneak makeup and wear it in their homes… of course the wash it all off before they leave their houses.
Hutterites are more than a religious group of hard working people. They are friends to many and they have wonderful sense of humor. Every time i pass by a hutterite food stand I always buy something and stop and say hi. Give it a try they don’t bite!
Hi! I am from Ohio and never heard of them until I was in High School and was an exchange kid to SD and we got to visit them there. The thing that is shocking to me is that you said they use most of the eggs themselves! 115 people use almost 21k eggs a day??? Thank for sharing and reminding me of this culture. But yes, can someone please share on the “Golf Balls”!! I am a little surprised you didn’t ask. Lol. PS. Maybe your father in law would know??
Nope, father in law didn’t know either. The mystery of the golf balls is still alive.
http://dessert.food.com/recipe/golf-balls-71707
I googled the golf balls, i was curious!
Im surprised they would know what a golf ball was….I mean a real golf ball.The menu sure was lacking. They must have vegetables and salads for every meal routinely…..Oh, and eggs…surely eggs.
If you like stories like this, you might like the story I posted on my blog about about another communal-living community that lasted from 1805 to 1905. They made furniture, pottery, quilts, beer, wine and whisky, built their own town, and amassed almost half a million dollars from their businesses and eventually 1 million when they sold stock they owned. They were even praised by Thomas Jefferson. They experienced a schism a large number of their members left. They eventually dwindled in number until the society disbanded. It’s a fascinating historical read. I am not running a blog, I just created one so other people could about this fascinating group.
I didn’t read all the comments, but I noticed windmills in the background of your pics. Is that their source of electricity? Everything looks so structured. 🙂 I too would not like to see the chickens. Sad.
There are a lot of windmills in Alberta. So I think it may be provincial windmills you see.
I live in Canada, Saskatchewan, and there are Hutterite colonies all around where I live. In the summer I buy most of my fresh vegetables from them they actually come to my work place to sell them to me so I don’t even have to leave work. I also buy eggs, chickens, butter, & honey from them. Seeing the picture of the chickens in not what I wanted to see but I must say their eggs and chickens have a different/better taste than store bought ones.
I found this article fascinating! (I just found you by the way..love everything!) So, they get the name Hutterites after a man named Hutter founded these colonies? This way of life? I have to say there are many things that make sense. Everyone working towards the betterment of the community. I feel these women must feel valued, and understand their value as mother’s and educators. Sounds like everyone works hard at whatever it is they do. Whatever happens in the world, it sounds like these people have a security about them. Being basically self-sustaining. Thanks for sharing, never heard of them here in Idaho, or in Utah where I grew up.
I have been to several Hutterite colonies as my dear husband was raised on “the farm” and left at age eighteen. His family moved off about ten years ago and lives near us.
I giggled at the photos (good work, by the way) because they are so familiar. With Hutterites there are two styles- their way and the wrong way.
To everyone that commented on the sad living conditions of the chickens (and I heartily agree with y’all!) let me explain a key aspect about the Hutterite people: Efficiency! They get it done fast, efficient, well and the only right way. Ok, so the last part shows a bit of my bad attitude 😉 but I have these people as inlaws and it ain’t fun! 🙂
The children are raised “efficiently” as well. They are not abused but they lead a sad life with little warmth or parental attention. The subject is too big to cover here- but Hubby ought to be in therapy. 🙁
I always enjoy my visits, and the treats that come our way from the colony!
And I have a scaled down recipe for their buns…. Ummm, delish!! (Hint: they use duck fat)
could i get the bun recipe, they are great , my hubby also left at 17 he is great
I know! I wish I could give it to you but I don’t have it! They are so good!
It’s sad to read that some people react to caged chickens and not women who live in a caged lifestyle. I have little interest in visiting a world that’s similar to a science fiction novel. There is little difference here to other Western, Asian or African “tribe cultures”. Socialistic society is fine if you have no desire to leave it, but living and working for the group leaves you little or not personal wealth to even think of moving on to another life style. Has this culture produced any great women (as judged by western culture)?
Hello I would like to visit a colony in May with my mother. Do you know where can I go ? How to get information to book a visit with them ?
Thanks
Joanie
I grew up around this colony. In elementary school we used to go to the OK Colony for field trips. Loved your Article! Hutterite food is amazing, I’m jealous you got some fresh buns!
You missed SO much, one thing you said is that the women don’t go anywhere, not true!! They are forever going visiting with family & friends, their vehicles have way more mileage on them than ours, and a lot of those miles are from taking the women to other colonies ssome in the states and some in Saskatchewan, some in Alberta north & south. They go for a week or so often 3 or 4 times a year!! Their “older” people are cared for at home, not in “seniors/old folks ” homes. They do not label their “handi capped” children/people as our society does instead they are referred to as special (and they are truly special and included ) When a child is born the mothers Mom normally comes to stay for a couple of weeks and their food is supplied to their homes so they don’t have to go to communal dinner, they don’t work at all until (not positive) I think 6 weeks after baby arrives and then they go to light duties like doing dishes etc.The financial boss looks after all the bills, can you imagine getting up every morning and not having to worry about buying food, clothing, shelter, gas heat..all those things we in our society have to stress about every day??.Their homes are not only spotless but very well made, in fact the colony I visit often, have homes superior to what I could build!! Actuallly, talking of chickens this colony has free range ones. No they do not have the freedom to just “go to town” when ever they want, but that is a drawback they are used to and if they need something from town, there is almost daily a vehicle gone to Lethbridge who will pick up for them. One other thing, EVERY day the Dad & Mom have time together and often in the evening you will see husband & wife and children out walking in the fresh air and enjoying each others company, they also have a morning and afternoon lunch break which they spend together as a family (in my childrens life I had to take them to a job site to see their Dad because he HAD to work to give us all the daily necessities ) They are a Christian people I believe, and like the LDS people the men make the decisions. I know every man woman & child at the colony and in times of hardship, they are the first to offer help. Next visit anyone makes listen and see if there is a bad word spoken, don’t think so!! A Hutterite people as a people is a good example of living well and living their beliefs!
Wow, I was excited to come across your blog! My husband has taught at this Colony for 12 yrs now and our whole family has loved getting to know everyone there (especially the kids)! The kids work hard but they do play hard too (the pool belongs to the school, that’s why it’s taken down after one day every year)! I would like to add that yes it’s true that the women don’t have voting power etc but I’ve been told be many of the men, that the women rule the homes and like many english homes a happy wife equals a happy life!
This is really disheartening actually. There’s no need to treat their chickens like that. I also wonder what type of agriculture they practice. I have a feeling based on what I’ve seen it’s conventional. It looks like any other large scale operation that depletes the soil, kills the surrounding environment, and treats animals like shit; and it doesn’t have to be that way. I work on an organic permaculture practicing farm and our animals are super happy and our gardens beautiful and theres only a handful of people running the garden with only one paid employee. If we can do it, surely a community with 115 people can too. No need for this.
That’s so “Chrstian” of them. It really irks me when these christian groups act like they’re living the good word while killing the planet and hurting animals. For some reason I don’t think that’s very biblical.
Jessi, I’m a Hutterite, I have a question, you tell me how to collect eggs two times a day with 5000 layers that are free range? I’m open to suggestions!!!! And as for the Hutterite life, it’s not perfect (who’s life is?) but it’s very close, I left once not because they treated me bad, but I left because I was curious to what It was like on the outside, trust me I was back the next day, I’m from the Dariusleut sect. (There’s the lehraheut,Dariusleut and schmiedleut). I can’t express how much I’m blessed to live this wonderful lifestyle, I have never had to pay for a medical bill, food, and rent! And I’m living in a six bedroom home! Everything I need is provided by the colony!! As for the education part, we usually go till age 15, if we want to go to high school, that is entirely up to us, we can do it in the colony. As for male management, where people think Hutterite women should have a say, don’t you think it would be absolute chaos if 40 women and 40 men would want to be in charge of everything? Gees I couldn’t imagine that!!! Two people take care of the whole colony’s needs and financial matters, that’s the financial secretary and the minister, while every colony member men and women have a job within the colony. The way Hutterite colony’s are managed is very uniquely organized. It just makes thing a whole lot easier for the rest of us!!! I recently sat down deep in thought and thought to myself, I’m living with 100 people that I get to see everyday ! Family and friends, who else gets to do that? And if I can visit my friends off the colony whenever I want! How amazing is that?! As for the marrying part, Hutterite girls and guys can choose whoever they like, it’s not and arranged marriage. This pretty much sums it up, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!! ( I thought I had to put my two cents in)!
Thank you, Darlene for sharing your two cents worth! I lived and worked near a Colony when I was a teenager. I plan to take my family to Montana this year, and I hope to go back and visit the Colony near Cutbank. I wish to show my family that wonderful way of a simple life.
YIKES. this was an eye opener for me too. i knew the hutterites were rather odd, repressed people but i thought they had more openness and kindness. the chicken production is not honouring the animals at all and i am sure there is a bible passage somewhere that addresses that. having met a few of the glazed-eyed women that just perform duties as prescribed by men, they have no idea what is out there for them. if you keep an elephant chained for so long and then unchain it it doesn’t stray anymore. so no wonder these women feel they have it so good. men making the decisions is just one way of approaching things. what makes the world so complex and interesting, rather than just “efficient” is that there is an energy from both men and women that combines to create balance.
everything looks so sterile, so uncomfortable. so devoid of pleasure and beauty. and personality. it isn’t just a business its a home!
i don’t condone over-consumption at all, in fact my life is pretty simple but i live in a place that feels soul healthy. i eat happy animals and eggs raised by neighbours and my veggies are organic and grown with love. i don’t feel love in this colony. i feel remoteness, lack of nurture and expression. and damn, so many people! do they dance? kids can’t play?
anyway. the myth of the hutterites has been supported again. i will not buy products from this society. i dont think because you work together and study the bible that it makes you somehow saintly. i believe it was ghandi that said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man”
Yikes back at you!!!delfine rogers you have so many incorrect and offensive statements in your post that I cant think of where to start to correct you. But I guess I will start at the bottom.
I don’t know anything about a myth of the Hutterites. I do know the families that I have been privileged to meet and be welcomed into their homes, are warm and caring playful parents. They believe in actively parenting their children, by being their for them. I’ve watched adult men and women playing with their children in sports, water fights, and just on the playground. I’ve seen them have snowball fights, sitting reading stories to their kids. I ask my students, at certain times to help get the idea across that their lives are just as valuable and important to our community, to explain what is like to be a Hutterite child. Their answer is always something along the lines of one young girl in grade 5, “Being a Hutterite girl means always knowing you are never alone. There is always someone who needs you and wants to spend time with you, and will help you if you need help. It means being loved always, no matter what I do.”
Their homes are each different in some way. Clutter is rare because it is a waste of time and sucks the energy out of a home. Their furnishings are hand made and usually wood of a simple design. Warm and comfortable, with handicrafts and special items. My students have brought home artwork and little notes I’ve seen up on their fridges for weeks later. Each colony is different just like each home is different.
The colony that I teach at right now is a certified organic farm producing eggs, a variety of poultry, hogs, beef, grains, and vegetables including a very modern organic potato operation. They love their jobs, and they love their farms. I challenge your assertion that they don’t have love for growing and sharing food with others. It is part of their culture- they come together for meals because that is one of the many ways they keep connected, and share the bounty of their work with each other. It is also part of the role of the women to take turns feeding the group so that each person is connected to the other and has value. If that doesn’t have balance I don’t know what is. Each person valuing the contribution of the other, helping where needed but respecting the work the other does?
Mothers are the primary caregivers that is true, and they often don’t get to travel more than a Dr appointment here and there but they ALL get a vacation time during the year to travel to various family around the country. If they have recently had a baby they travel for a bit longer. If someone needs help because they have had a child or an illness or surgery they come together to help that person cope through the crisis, how is that not balanced? How is it more balance to send our elderly and infirm to care homes and seniors lodges and visit them only when it suits us? I watch every day as the whole colony cares for the ministers wife who comes to the kitchen sometimes dressed backwards, gently brought back home and helped to change. she comes to help, she feels valued, She doesn’t have to come but it makes her feel good to do it.
I am a bit offended by your idea that they have no idea what is out there, and couldn’t make it on their own. Somehow that makes them weaker than English women who have been raised English and never experienced being on a colony. Oh PLEASE! if I could ask for an employee that I knew would never back down from hard work or trying something new… it would be a Hutterite woman. THEY ARE TOUGH. They are skilled and creative. They cook each day in an industrial kitchen, and bake a wide variety of goods, some they sell but some they just use for themselves. The colony I work at currently makes a FANTASTIC Focaccia bread. They can sew anything you ask, and If they had to deal with customers I am sure that working at any farmer’s market and tallying the bill up in their head would be plenty of experience. They know what’s out there, divorce, no time for their children, no job opportunities. If you want to sit on your high horse and pretend that the English world respects the contribution of women go for it but you are not fooling anyone. Women in the English world face lower wages for the same work EVEN in highly educated jobs like college professors. There is still shaming done to young girls for how they look and what clothing they wear. The worst any of my students have faced is they are told they wear their shawls too far back on their heads from time to time.
I would never call a Hutterite woman glaze-eyed, they are creative, boisterous, intelligent passionate women who happen to have husbands who are farmers. That doesn’t mean they have been chained up. Several of the husbands I know take their wives on dates and trips to the city to see such things as ART GALLERIES! just for example.
How this article has shown you any unkindness on the part of a Hutterite is beyond me. They follow modern farming practices. If the consumer wants organic they figure out a way to do that.
I would say any unkindness, coldness, or remoteness you might have imagined in this article is a reflection of the state of your own heart.
The women on hutterite colonys know exactly what is out there for them!! They have the right to leave the colony whenever they want, And are still welcome to visit their family’s. More than half of the women that leave the colony, accually end up going back within 5 years… so u cannot say that they dont know whats out there…
to all the people who think Hutterite women “aren’t allowed” to have voices and opinions, or are treated as slaves ….you couldn’t be more wrong! Hutterite women are just like EVERYBODY else, only difference is they live the good life of Christian women. The colony is far from perfect of course, but is much closer to it than the rest of the world. …to the one who wrote this article…you should visit a colony from all three sects; the dariusleut and schmiedleut are more liberal. have a nice day….
Hi I’m a chicken producer. people think free run or range is everything. It’s not it’s good for 10 birds outside. that’s okay what about 22,000 birds, the barns with free run look dusty full of shit every where they sit and walk and so on. Look how clean the barn was with the birds in the cages they have lights everywhere for the birds. We have to turn down the lights so they don’t pick on each other next thing you know the whole barn is full of blood we have many reason why birds are in the cages, so they don’t hurt each other there is lots of room for them and that they are not exposed to diseases.
Sure nice to see that someone understands
Put your thinking hat on you uneducated idiots!!!!! It has been scientificly proven that all free range hens lay 10% less than clean cage hens ( common sense, not caged too tight) and we all know the more comfortable & happy your bird the more eggs it will produce. God created these birds to be in a clean cage and don’t compare them to humans. Get educated, please.
The reason it is frowned upon is that an animal shouldnt be deprived of life just so that we can use it for food. Yes you get less eggs from free range and they kill each other but that is how they were meant to live. Being in a cage creates very unhealthy chickens, they are weak and have smaller eggs with less nutriants from sunlight and grass. Not to mention the cost of replacing chickens every year is actually higher than allowing a healthy roaming chicken to produce for 2-3years. God didnt create chickens to be in a cage. If he did he wouldnt have given them feet.
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?
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!!!!!!!!!!
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.
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 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.
I read online that some Colonies allow outsiders to join. Do you know which ones will allow it?
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.
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.
“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.