Livelihood

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Between 50 and 120 people typically live on a Hutterite colony. The mean colony size is about 80 people with approximately 14 families. So every colony has to support a large number of people with all the necessities of life.

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Almost all Hutterites are sustained through farming. Most colonies grow crops and manage fair-sized farms of between 3000 and 12,000 acres, depending on the area.

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Hutterites also raise a large amount of livestock, in some cases producing 10, 20 and 30% of a state or provinces’ hogs, eggs, or turkeys.

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In addition to agriculture, manufacturing has been gaining a solid foothold on more and more colonies. Diversification into manufacturing is becoming more important for several reasons. The use of modern technology and large machinery has resulted in fewer workers required for crop production. In addition, excessive capital costs associated with new land purchases or new barn construction has also been an obstacle to growing the farms. As a result, more colonies have invested in manufacturing as a means of supplementing their income.