Hutterite children playing tag on straw bales under a rainbow at Spring Valley Colony after a rain shower on a warm August evening.

Children play tag on a pyramid of straw bales under a rainbow after a light rain shower on a warm August evening.

Spring Valley Hutterite Colony - 2010

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In the world, but not of it.

2009 - Present


The Hutterites, pacifist Anabaptists whose roots trace back to the 16th Century Reformation, live communally on colonies throughout western Canada and the north-western United States. Their culture continues to be preserved through deliberate separation from mainstream society and economic self-sufficiency. Their belief in the sharing of goods separates them from other Anabaptist movements as well as the majority of mainstream society.

Despite a history of persecution the Hutterites are currently in the midst of one of their most successful periods. Facing no overt threats from the outside world they have prospered and grown to over 45,000 members spread out amongst approximately 500 colonies. They are one of the most successful models for communal living in modern history.

Members are provided for throughout their entire lives and on the whole experience less of the loneliness and isolation prevalent in the modern world. The importance given to engagement in family life, social life and spirituality, and the defined purpose for their lives means Hutterite communities meet many of the requirements to be considered Blue Zones; area’s where health, happiness and life expectancy rates are higher than average.

Hutterite culture is often either romanticized or denigrated as simple or backwards. The reality is that their society is very complex and no two colonies are the same. Each colony must decide how rigidly they cling to their traditions verses how much they adapt to the increasingly connected outside world. Conformity to the larger group is unofficially policed by the group as a whole. The Minister is burdened with ensuring the colony stays on a path to godliness rather than worldliness. As Hutterite author Paul S. Gross wrote “We cannot please the world and God at the same time … Either we take this world with all it offers, including trouble, mental stress, sorrow, and death at the end; or else we take a better way.” 

Branding, castrating and vaccinating calves at Forty Mile Colony in Montana. The small colony of only approximately 30 residents enlisted help from other colonies in Montana, Saskatchewan and Washington.

Forty Mile has around 1800 head of cattle and ranching makes up the majority of the income for the colony.
Forty Mile Colony, Montana – 2023
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A woman holds a bloodied scalpel for castrating calves during a long day of branding.

Forty Mile Colony, Montana – 2023
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A Hutterite woman takes her horse for a swim in a pond at Baker Hutterite Colony in Manitoba

Hadassah Maendel takes Kahlua for a swim in the colony swimming hole at sunset on an August evening.

Baker Hutterite Colony - 2016

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A Hutterite woman rides her horse through a river.

Emily Maendel rides Artex, a quarter horse/thoroughbred cross, through the Assiniboine River on a hot July evening. 

Fairholme Hutterite Colony - 2019

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A Hutterite girl holds an American Girl style doll in Hutterite doll clothes.

Nevada Waldner holds her American Girl style doll. Homemade clothes sewn by family members reflect the lives of the Hutterite girls that own them.

Maple Grove Hutterite Colony - 2016

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A Hutterite man runs through dust away from a combine during harvest.

Farm boss Jack Hofer runs through the dust and chaff spit out from a combine harvesting canola after throwing a pan under the machine to test for canola wastage. 

Deerboine Colony - 2018

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Two Hutterite men eat corn in a field.

Mel Hofer and Arthur Wurtz break for a quick supper while combining during harvest. 

Deerboine Colony - 2015

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A Hutterite boy holding a melon in the colony garden.

Liam Waldner in the colony garden during the melon harvest.

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2018

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​Jack Hofer runs in to bleed out a hog after shooting it so it can be butchered for use on the colony.

Jack Hofer runs in to bleed out a hog after shooting it so it can be butchered for use on the colony. 

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2018

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Two Hutterite men work to butcher chickens at their farm in Manitoba.

Justin and Kevin work in the killing plant butchering chickens. The job requires the majority of able-bodied members on the colony pitching in.

Deerbone Hutterite Colony - 2015
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A Hutterite man poses for a portrait covered in blood after butchering chickens.

Justin Hofer after day two of butchering egg-laying chickens. Deerboine Colony along with Souris River Colony butchered approximately 11,000 chickens over two days. The work is hard and not particularly appetizing.

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2015

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Two Hutterite women ride in the back of a pickup truck on a colony in Manitoba.

Kristiane Hofer sends a text while riding in the back of a pickup truck with Angela Hofer. Texting is extremely popular on colonies where cellphones have been accepted to make farming and business more productive. Individual colonies make their own decisions about how much technology to allow in but their leaders are all aware and interested in how their fellow colonies are handling the issue.

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2009

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A Hutterite woman rides the swings carnival ride at a summer fair.

Doria Waldner from Green Acres Colony rides the Ultimate Swings ride on the midway at the Manitoba Summer Fair in Brandon.

Green Acres Hutterite Colony - 2018

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A portrait of a Hutterite woman in traditional clothing with bright pink headphones in her ears.

Michelle Wurtz

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2015

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Michelle Wurtz outside her home in Brandon, Manitoba. Wurtz left Deerboine Colony in 2016 and is currently studying criminology and sociology at Brandon University.

Brandon - 2020

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Women sew quilts in a school gymnasium at Acadia Hutterite Colony.

Women sew quilts during a quilting bee in the school gymnasium. Volunteers from a variety of colony’s made approximately 700 quilts for Siloam Mission and Christian Aid Ministries.

Acadia Hutterite Colony - 2016

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Two Hutterite students work on a school project at a computer at Odanah Colony in Manitoba.

Lenci Waldner and Trina Waldner work together on a school project using a laptop and the internet at Odanah Colony. It is easy for outsiders to generalize Hutterites but colonies are very diverse. Some colonies, especially amongst the Group 1 Schmiedeleuts have really embraced the use of digital technologies in the classroom and have sent their own members through post-secondary education so that they can teach on the colony. Other colonies have been much more wary of allowing in internet use. Each colony decides for itself what to allow but is keenly aware of what fellow colonies are doing. 

Odanah Hutterite Colony - 2014

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Hutterites students are seen on the screen of an ITV education system.

Students from Maple Grove Colony are seen on the ITV system at Odanah Colony as they take a course taught by Adrian Hofer at Silverwinds Colony.

Odanah Colony - 2017

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Elaine Hofer of Green Acres Hutterite Colony receives her first dose of the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from pharmacist Cat Lacroix at the Treherne Pharmacy.

Treherne - 2021

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A Hutterite woman looks at an exhibit at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.

Chantel Hofer studies an exhibit about the Holocaust at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba during a field trip for the colony school.

Deerboine Colony - 2015

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Three Hutterite women visit in their baptism outfits on a snowy day,

Chantel Hofer. Dahlia Wurtz and Junia Wurtz in their baptism dresses and jackets during baptism weekend.

Deerboine Colony - 2018

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A Hutterite man is seen through a window sitting in his living room waiting for the call to church at sunset.

Edwin Hofer sits in the living room of his home waiting for the call to church as dusk descends over the colony.

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2015

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​Light streams in through the blinds in a church at Lajord Colony in Saskatchewan.

Light streams in through the blinds in the church at Lajord Colony in Saskatchewan.

Lajord Hutterite Colony - 2017 (Dariusleut, Saskatchewan)
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The german school teacher presides over prayer in the eating school as children kneel in prayer at their tables on a Hutterite Colony.

German school teacher Jonathan Hofer presides over prayer recited by one of his students after dinner in the essenschul (eating school) at Deerboine Colony. Kids between the ages of five and fifteen eat separately from the adults in the essenschul.

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2017

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Two Hutterite girls pose for a photo wearing long hand-sewn dresses and downhill skis during a  day of downhill skiing.

Portrait of Trina and Telsa Waldner during a day of downhill skiing at Ski Valley in Minnedosa along with students from Spring Hill Colony. 

Odanah Hutterite Colony - 2016

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A young Hutterite woman leaps over the high jump bar in her prairie dress during a track and field competition at a colony.

Clara Wollmann of Good Hope Hutterite Colony sails over the high jump bar during the annual Track and Field competition at the colony.

Good Hope Hutterite Colony - 2017

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A Hutterite woman plays volleyball with friends.

Isabel Hofer plays with a volleyball with friends during a picnic in Portage la Prairie after an end-of-school field trip to Winnipeg. 

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2015

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Hutterite women pick garlic together at sunrise on a foggy August morning in the large communal garden.

Women pick garlic together at sunrise on a foggy August morning in the large communal garden.

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2010

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Men take a break while cleaning up after a flash flood damaged homes and buildings.

Springhill Hutterite Colony - 2020

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An elderly Hutterite couple say grace together after a meal in their home.

John and Ruth Waldner give thanks after he helped her with her lunch at their kitchen table. Ruth has dementia and John spends most of his day caring for her.

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2013

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A young girl looks back from the church pew during the wake for Susanna Wollman at Decker Colony. 

Decker Colony, Manitoba – 2023
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Family, friends and loved ones sing hymns around Susanna Wollman's casket in her home at Decker Colony prior to her funeral. Susanna lived over 100 years, had 52 grandchildren and 154 great grandchildren.

Decker Colony, Manitoba – 2023
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Men carry Susanna Wollman's casket from her home to the church for her funeral. Susanna lived over 100 years, and had 52 grandchildren, 154 great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.

Decker Colony, Manitoba – 2023
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Flowers lie on top of a grave in a cemetery at a Hutterite colony in Manitoba.

Flowers were placed on top of Annie Wurtz's grave and hymns were sung after she was laid to rest in Deerboine Colony's cemetery following the wake and funeral. As is tradition the grave is dug by hand.

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2015

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Geese parade around a pen at a farm on a Hutterite colony in Manitoba.

Geese at Pine Creek Colony.

Pine Creek Hutterite Colony - 2017
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Hutterite women help serve lunch at a soup kitchen in Brandon, Manitoba.

Women from Maple Grove Colony volunteer their time to serve lunch at the Helping Hands Centre soup kitchen in Brandon. Colony members also made many of the dishes that were served during the lunch.

Maple Grove Hutterite Colony - 2018

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Men from Springhill Hutterite Colony help build a super-sandbag dike to protect Minnedosa Collegiate from the rising flood waters of the swollen Little Saskatchewan River. Volunteers from at least two colonies helped sandbag and made meals for other volunteers helping to protect the town.

2022

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A Hutterite woman studies in the library of Brandon University.

Sandra Glanzer of Fordham Hutterite Colony in South Dakota studies in the library at Brandon University for one of her courses in the Faculty of Education program. Many Group One Schmiedeleut colonies are sending their own members to university so they can teach on the colony.

Brandon, Manitoba - 2017

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Hutterite students sit at old style school desks during class at the colony school.

Students at Hillcrest Colony listen to their english teacher during a lesson. 

Hillcrest Hutterite Colony - 2017 (Dariusleut, Saskatchewan)

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A portrait of a Hutterite woman in church attire.

Portrait of Tilly Wurtz after church. 

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2013

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Hutterite men shoot guns over the Assiniboine river in Manitoba at sunset.

Clay shooting over the Assiniboine River at sunset on a warm summer evening. 

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2015

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Kids swim in Pine Creek on a hot July evening.

Pine Creek Hutterite Colony - 2020

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Kids swim in Pine Creek on a hot July evening.

Pine Creek Hutterite Colony - 2020

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A Hutterite woman swims in her dress with an inflatable tube in the colony swimming hole.

Kaitlyn Wurtz swims in the colony swimming hole, fed by a spring.

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2015

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Lukas Hofer and Tyler Wurtz spar in a friendly MMA match at dusk on the front law of homes after a bridal shower next door.

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2022

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A Hutterite woman stands on top of a horse at sunset.

Kelly Waldner with her quarter horse mix Kia at Baker Colony on a windy and warm spring evening.

Baker Hutterite Colony - 2016

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A Hutterite woman does a headstand as a cat walks by.

Hadassah Maendel practices headstands at Baker Colony. Maendel has learned a variety of yoga poses and CrossFit routines from Instagram. 

Baker Hutterite Colony - 2016 

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A Hutterite woman puts a piece of wheat in her niece's hair in a field of wheat.

Chantel Hofer puts a blade of wheat in the hair of her two-year-old niece Anabelle in one of the colony's fields during harvest.

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2015

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Hutterite men watch a building burn down during a fire on a colony.

Young men watch the colony wood shop burn from the warmth of a nearby building in late November. 

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2010

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A Hutterite man chases a cow through the snow on a colony in Manitoba.

Josh Wurtz chases a cow through the snow on the colony after the cow escaped from the dairy operation.

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2017
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Twin sisters Kayla and Kelly Waldner.

Baker Hutterite Colony - 2016

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A Hutterite man works in a metal fabrication shop in Manitoba.
Johannes Waldner in the metal fabrication shop.

Maple Grove Hutterite Colony - 2017

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Portrait of a Hutterite minister in traditional plaid shirt and suspenders.

Arnold Hofer, Minister at Acadia Colony and Altester, Bishop of the Schmiedeleut (Group 1) Hutterites. 

Acadia Hutterite Colony - 2017

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The dining room of a Hutterite colony in Saskatchewan.
The tables are set for lunch in the communal dining room. Men sit together on one side of the dining room and women sit together on the other side.

Lajord Hutterite Colony - 2017 (Dariusleut, Saskatchewan)

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Hadassah Maendel of Baker Colony pitches from the mound in the golden late day light during a cancer fundraiser softball game between the Baker Wild and the Treherne Jillhammers at the Cottonwood Campground in Treherne.

2023

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Players on the Baker Wild softball team cheer as they score a run during a cancer fundraiser softball game between the Baker Wild and the Treherne Jillhammers at the Cottonwood Campground in Treherne.

2023

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A Hutterite girl plays hockey on an outdoor rink at Acadia Colony in Manitoba.

Trisha Maendel waits for the puck while playing shinny with friends on the colony ice rink on a late December evening. The affluent colony has a warm-up hut and a zamboni for cleaning the ice.

Acadia Hutterite Colony - 2011

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Hutterite women play hockey in their billowing dresses against a town team at a local arena.

Her dress billows as Judith Maendel plays the puck during a charity hockey game in MacGregor, Manitoba between Hutterite women and the local town team, the Iron Maidens, in 2016. The women’s Hutterite team, made up of players from Baker, Maple Grove, Oak River and other colonies, rarely even gets a chance to practice together but has come out on top in the majority of their annual matches against the Iron Maidens.

MacGregor - 2016

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A Hutterite woman works out in a colony gym.

Hadassah Maendel works out in the new gym. Interest in physical fitness has grown on some colonies as technology and affluence push members into less physically demanding lifestyles.

Baker Hutterite Colony - 2017 

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A Hutterite woman works out in a colony gym.

Hadassah Maendel climbs a rope while doing CrossFit in the colony gym. 

Baker Hutterite Colony - 2017

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Lukas of Deerboine Colony and Rebecca of Pine Creek Colony, who are dating, cruise along a grid road near Deerboine after women from Deerboine and Pine Creek picked clover to be used for tea.

Deerboine Hutterite Colony - 2021

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Doria Waldner of Green Acres Hutterite Colony holds a friends baby at the Manitoba Summer Fair.

Brandon - 2018
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A young Hutterite woman lifts her dress to display the henna tattoo of a tree that she designed on her leg.

A young Hutterite woman lifts her dress to display the henna tattoo of a tree that she designed on her leg. The non-permanent tattoo would still be considered controversial by elders on the colony. Personal adornments such as piercings and tattoos are frowned upon.

--- Hutterite Colony - 2018

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Young women are reflected in the glass of CanAmerican Corrugating Co. While washing the windows of the colony manufacturing business on a warm, late August day.

CanAm Colony, Manitoba – 2023
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Hutterite colony proliferation in Manitoba throughout the past century.

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One of Tim Smith's Hutterite Exhibitions

In The World But Not Of It

Solo Exhibition - Gallery@501, Sherwood Park, Alberta

January 10 - February 23, 2020

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