Editing Hutterites (section)

=== Agriculture and manufacturing ===
[[File:Hutterite colony in Martinsdale Montana.jpg|thumb|right|Hutterite colony in [[Martinsdale, Montana]], with an array of reconditioned Nordtank wind turbines]]

Hutterite colonies often own large tracts of land and, since they function as a collective unit, they can make or afford higher-quality equipment than if they were working alone.{{Citation needed|date=June 2012}} Some also run industrial hog, dairy, turkey, chicken and egg production operations. An increasing number of Hutterite colonies are again venturing into the manufacturing sector, a change that is reminiscent of an early period of Hutterite life in Europe. Before the Hutterites emigrated to North America, they relied on manufacturing to sustain their communities. It was only in Russia that the Hutterites learned to farm from the Mennonites. Because of the increasing automation of farming (large equipment, GPS-controlled seeding, spraying, etc.), farming operations have become much more efficient. Many colonies that have gone into manufacturing believe they need to provide their members with a higher level of education.{{Citation needed|date=December 2017}}

A major driving force for Hutterite leadership nowadays is the recognition that land prices have risen dramatically in Alberta and Saskatchewan because of the oil and gas industry,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.albertaventure.com/abventure_4935.html?ID=4935&doc_id=9830|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410124117/http://www.albertaventure.com/abventure_4935.html?ID=4935&doc_id=9830|url-status=dead|title=Alberta Venture - ARTICLES|archive-date=April 10, 2008}}</ref> thus creating the need for a greater amount of cash to buy land when the time comes for a colony to split. The splitting process requires the purchase of land and the construction of buildings. This can require funds in the range of [[Canadian dollar|C$]]20 million in 2008 terms: upwards of $10M for land and another $10M for buildings and construction. This massive cash requirement has forced leadership to reevaluate how a colony can produce the necessary funds. New projects have included plastics' manufacturing, metal fabrication, cabinetry and stone or granite forming, to name a few. One unique project came together in South Dakota. A group of 44 colonies joined to create a turkey processing center where their poultry can be processed. The plant hired non-Hutterite staff to process the poultry for market. This plant helped to secure demand for the colonies' poultry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prairiebizmag.com/event/article/id/16930/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140403144811/http://www.prairiebizmag.com/event/article/id/16930/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 3, 2014 |title=How SD became a top place for foreign money &#124; Grand Forks, ND |publisher=Prairiebizmag.com |access-date=April 3, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/turkey-plant-celebrates-grand-opening/?id=47584 |title=Turkey Plant Celebrates Grand Opening |publisher=Keloland.Com |access-date=April 3, 2014 |archive-date=April 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407063612/http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/turkey-plant-celebrates-grand-opening/?id=47584 |url-status=dead }}</ref>