> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Q&A: Hutterites in South Dakota - URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/hutterites-south-dakota-lifestyle-culture/ - Published: 2026-08-28T09:00:57.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-28T09:00:56.000Z - Description: A look inside the state's second-oldest colony, the history of Hutterites and their communal ways of living. - Author: Elena Tittel - Tags: Features WOLF CREEK COLONY, S.D. – South Dakota has more than 60 Hutterite colonies with more than 7,000 members, making it the state with the largest Hutterite population. Here are details of their lifestyle gleaned from interviews and a daylong tour of Wolf Creek, the second-oldest colony in South Dakota, located 10 miles west of Freeman. ### Who are the Hutterites? Hutterites are a branch of the [Anabaptist movement](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hutterites?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that took place during the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Marnette Hofer, executive director and archivist at Heritage Hall Museum and Archives in Freeman, said Hutterites migrated to North America in the 1870s from central and eastern Europe to flee religious persecution. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/IMG_1219.jpg) The Heritage Hall Museum & Archives, located in Freeman, S.D., displays the history of Freeman. A portion of their museum tell the stories of Hutterites, pictured July 13, 2026\. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) The Hutterian Brethren, commonly referred to as Hutterites, came to South Dakota in 1874 and[ formed three groups](https://hutterites.org/the-leut/origins-leut/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): the Schmiedeleut (Bon Homme Colony, founded 1874), the Dariusleut (Wolfcreek Colony, founded 1875) and the Leherleut (Elm Spring Colony, founded 1877). ### Where are Hutterites located in South Dakota? South Dakota has the highest Hutterite population of any state in the U.S,[ a fact brief published by News Watch reported.](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-hutterite-population-united-states/) Currently, there are more than 60 colonies with a population of over 7,000 spread across the eastern part of the state. ### What exactly is a Hutterite colony? Of the approximately 1,200 Hutterites who arrived in North America, one-third decided to live communally. Hofer said the other two-thirds that arrived became Prairieleuts and rejected communal living, instead choosing to live on individual homesteads and private family farms. Norman Hofer, a retired farmer living in Freeman and Hutterite expert, said even after several hundred years, those living on colonies still practice a communal lifestyle. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/norman-2-1-1.jpg) Norman Hofer, pictured on Aug. 4, 2026, has deep-rooted Hutterite ancestry. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) He has distant family members who lived on Hutterite colonies and said communal living means that there is no private ownership. Instead, the group owns everything, meaning colony members do not have to worry about financial burdens such as insurance, for example. "You are provided for your entire life because you don’t own anything and are taken care of from the time you are born to the day you die," Norman Hofer said. ### What happens if a colony gets too big? Marnette Hofer said colonies can have upwards of 150 adults and children. If a colony gets too big, it splits off into a daughter colony. ### How are Hutterites different from the Amish? Rod Janzen, a professor at Fresno Pacific University who has previously studied Hutterites, said they are separate from the Amish. Whereas Hutterites have more German ancestry, Amish tend to have more Swiss ancestry. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Janzen said that the Amish arrived first and settled into more populated areas such as Pennsylvania. Hutterites, on the other hand, do not live in heavily populated areas and settled throughout the Midwest. Additionally, Hutterites tend to embrace modern technology more than the Amish do. Many Hutterites have phones, and some even use social media, according to the tour guide. ### What religion do Hutterites follow? Hutterites are Anabaptists – a branch of Christianity. According to the Hutterian Brethren's official website, common beliefs among Hutterites include separation of church and state and pacifism. What largely distinguishes anabaptists from some other Christians are their views on infant baptism. Historically, Catholics and many Protestants practice infant baptism, believing it removes original sin and makes them a child of God early on. Anabaptists, like many other church denominations, instead believe baptism should be a conscious choice someone makes to dedicate their lives to Jesus, according to the tour guide at Wolf Creek Colony. ### How is religion incorporated into the Hutterite lifestyle? George Stahl, the minister of Spring Valley Colony located outside of Wessington Springs, said religion plays a large role in Hutterite communities. "We follow the New Testament, but we go one step further by having all things in common," he said. Stahl said this belief comes from Act 2:44 of the New Testament that says all believers were together and had everything in common. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/church.jpg) Inside Wolf Creek Colony's church, pictured Aug. 4, 2026\. (Picture: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) The tour guide at Wolf Creek said weekday services are held from 6-6:30 p.m. every day and Sunday services are held from 9:30-9:45 a.m. Children ages 5 to 15 also attend Sunday school from 2-3 p.m. ### How does marriage work within Hutterite colonies? Hutterites cannot marry until they are baptized. At Wolf Creek, people are typically baptized between the ages of 18 to 25, the tour guide said. If the bride's fiancé lives on another colony, she moves to his colony once they are married. ### What do Hutterite weddings look like? According to one mom on Wolf Creek Colony, who requested anonymity for privacy reasons, one wedding tradition is that the bride sews her own dresses and the groom's shirt. Sewing clothing is one responsibility of women on colonies, she said. When women get married, they get a new sewing machine. Two of her girls are getting married soon, she said. Both of them made sequined dresses that only took them about a week – a record amount of time. "I can't wait to get a new sewing machine," one of her daughters said, laughing. At the engagement party – called an "Aufred Hulba" – the groom visits the bride's colony to publicly ask the bride's parents for her hand in marriage. The wedding itself, however, always takes place at the groom's colony. Only people who are baptized are allowed to attend, with the exception of immediate family members. ### Do Hutterites go to school? Yes. Hutterite schools are accredited public schools in South Dakota, according to the South Dakota Board of Education's enrollment census. Teachers are hired from the nearest local school district. Wolf Creek Colony, for example, is affiliated with the Freeman Public School system. The tour guide said preschool on Wolf Creek is for children ages 2-1/2 through 5 and takes place during the summer. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/wolf-creek-colony-preschool-1.jpg) Wolf Creek Colony's preschool on Aug. 4, 2026\. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) Hutterites do not go to school past eighth grade because they are considered adults at age 15, she said. ### What languages do Hutterites learn and speak? Hutterites speak Hutterisch, a German dialect, according to Norman Hofer. They also learn standard German and English in school. ### Do Hutterites work? According to the tour guide, Hutterites start working once they finish schooling. Roles on colonies are traditional. Women are in charge of sewing clothes, cooking and cleaning, whereas men are in charge of tasks requiring physical labor. ### May Hutterites buy things? Depending on the colony, they may. But Hutterites do not have large allowances because revenue is shared collectively and not kept individually. Stahl said sometimes they order jeans, rather than sewing them. ### What do meals look like on Hutterite colonies? Hutterites have three communal meals: breakfast, dinner (lunch) and supper. Adults sit in one room to eat and children sit in another. Every week at Wolf Creek, there are two cooks who are women ages 17 to 45\. One serves as a hot cook, and the other serves as a cold cook. Hot cooks prepare warm dishes such as meats and soups, whereas cold cooks prepare cold side dishes such as vegetables and garden produce. Week-to-week, dinners typically are the same but produce can vary depending on the season. For example, Tuesdays are typically turkey cutlets, Wednesdays are typically pork, Thursdays are typically beef and Fridays are typically chicken. Suppers, on the other hand, are more variable. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/dinner.jpg) Fresh turkey cutlets, potatoes and beets served for dinner Aug. 4, 2026, at Wolf Creek Colony, S.D. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) The tour guide said her favorite meal for dinner is turkey cutlets with a side of fresh beets and potatoes. ### Where do they store their food? Hutterites have many places to store their food. Some food gets stored in bulk to last them through the winter. For example, the tour guide said they currently have 500 quarts of green string beans. By the end of the summer, they will have 600 quarts. ### Do Hutterites grow their own food? Typically, yes. Most produce is raised on site and maintained by colony members in charge of gardening. Crops vary depending on the season. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/garden.jpg) Many different fruits, vegetables and flowers are grown in the garden at Wolf Creek Colony, pictured Aug. 4, 2026\. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) ### Do Hutterites raise livestock? Hutterites carry livestock, but not every colony raises the same livestock. At Wolf Creek Colony, for example, they raise ducks and chickens. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/ducks.jpg) A large flock of ducks at Wolf Creek Colony, pictured Aug. 4, 2026\. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) They used to have turkeys, but after a massive flood in 2019, they no longer have any. Other colonies such as Spring Valley Colony have massive turkey barns and supply poultry to companies and local farms. Many colonies are large hog and beef producers, too. ### What farming techniques do Hutterites use? Norman Hofer said that Hutterites living on Wolf Creek have up-to-date farming equipment and technology, such as the newest farm trucks with GPS systems. Farming technology can vary from colony-to-colony, but Hutterites historically have embraced newer farming equipment. ### How do Hutterites contribute to South Dakota's economy? Hutterites actively contribute to South Dakota's agricultural and manufacturing industries. Jerome Decker, director of operations at WC Processors in Freeman, said the company began about 10 years ago as a way to increase productivity and mitigate costliness. [Hutterites’ agricultural contributions in South DakotaMaking up 10% of the farming population, the state’s colonies play a large role in the state’s agricultural and manufacturing industries.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-1c767d86-9afa-4162-8232-7daed47b8304.jpg)South Dakota News WatchElena Tittel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/food-da6928d1-4756-4992-aae4-515d9e935338.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/p/84d630c3-489f-455e-8de6-175a93cacdb3/) "What we decided to do was do a small scale, solid brushing facility, and there was a lot of trial and error involved in getting just the right process that worked for us, and have the quality product that we actually needed, could use and utilize," Decker said. Now, they provide lots of feed meal to local farmers, he said. ### Are you allowed to leave the colony for good? Yes. But it is not always looked well upon, according to Norman Hofer. ### Can anyone join a colony? According to the official Hutterian Brethren website, outsiders can technically join a colony. However, this is quite rare. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Elena Tittel's* internship was funded with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. *Contact:** [*elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org)*.*