The Hutterite Farmer in the DELL® - Robot Milker
He uses a computer to milk the herd!
A Saskatchewan dairy farm is using high-tech robotics and a computer program to milk the cows while the farmers sleep.
Eli Waldner, dairy boss for the McGee Hutterite Colony near Rosetown, Sask., told CBC News the system has made his life a lot easier. For starters, it has eliminated the need for him to get up at 3:00 a.m.
Instead, a computerized milking and feeding system looks after the chores, 24 hours a day.
Each cow in the herd wears a chip that communicates with a central computer.
The system begins with a cow, feeling the urge to be milked or fed, moving through a series of gates to a stall where the animal knows it will be tended to.
The computer system knows if Bessie is due for a milking or ready for more feed based on the history it has stored for each animal.
Sensors pick up the cow’s chip to provide location information, allowing the computer to open the appropriate gates to guide the animal along to either a feeding station or the milking system.
Inside the milking stall, a robot arm takes over.
It uses laser beams to check udders and direct a fine spray to wash and disinfect teats.
Then it attaches hoses and starts milking. The computer will even perform an individualized — and important — lab test.
“It can take a sample of the milk and actually do a cell test,” Phil Bourke, a veterinarian familiar with the system told CBC News. “So it can pick up blood or abnormal colour in the milk. And if it is there it can divert the milk to a waste system.”
The system costs approximately $330,000. However, Bourke said that can be paid back in one year through increased milk production.
The system is new to Canada but has been around in Europe and other parts of North America for the past 15 years. Bourke predicted that in the next 10 years, most dairy farms in Canada will have a robot.
Waldner said it has allowed him to sleep in until 6:00 a.m. and even then there is not much work for him.
“Actually I wouldn’t have to get up at that time. But I want to give hay,” he said.
Source: cbcnews.ca
Here is a video of the Robotic Milker!
Midway Hutterite Colony Raises Natural Pork
The new Midway Hutterite Colony in Pondera County is not only home to 19 families who previously lived at Miller Colony, it is also home to a 60,000-square foot, climate-controlled high-tech pig barn, where colony members raise USDA-certified natural pork.
The new colony farm was created in June when Miller Colony’s membership split and 76 individuals in 19 families made the move across country to Midway, located about 10 miles northwest of the small rural community of Brady. Miller is located in Teton County, about four miles south of Bynum.
For the past three years, colony members have been preparing the family farming and ranching operation, building a 24-unit apartment complex in which each apartment has three bedrooms and basement storage, and constructing a new church, a new school, a dining hall and pig, cattle and chicken barns, a slaughter house, plus a garage, blacksmith shop, carpenter’s workshop, grain bins and other outbuildings.
The crown jewel of the operation, however, might be considered the new pig barn. Construction on the barn began in September 2005, according to the Midway pig boss, David “Shorty” Hofer, and in April 2006 the pigs moved in. Colony members have been farrowing there for two full years now, maintaining about 480 to 500 breeding sows at the barn.
Hofer said the USDA “natural pork” designation means Midway hogs are fed no antibiotics to promote growth or enhance performance. Also, no hormone or hormone-like growth enhancement drugs are used in the market pigs.
Not only are the pigs raised essentially drug free, but the entire program is designed to comply with the National Pork Board’s Swine Welfare Assurance Program, in which animal health and comfort are priorities. Hofer said he and all the men who work in the pig barn have taken the Swine Welfare Assurance Program training. He said three colony members work full-time in the barn, and others help weekly with shipping.
The Midway crew is also certified through the National Pork Board’s Pork Quality Assurance program and the shippers who handle the market pigs are certified through Transporter Quality Assurance, Hofer said.
The new barn includes a breeding and lactation area for the sows; a nursery, where sows and their piglets are kept in climate-controlled conditions; and different sections for the market pigs as they grow and require different feed rations. “We treat our sows right,” Hofer said. “We care for them individually.
In the nursery, the temperature is set at an even 80 degrees after the piglets are born, and then the temperature is gradually reduced so that by the time the piglets move into the “grower” section, they are comfortable at 75 degrees.
In the grower section, the temperature is further reduced to 72 degrees. By the time the young pigs are moved to the finish area, the temperature is an even 70 degrees. When temperatures outside start to heat up, the pigs are cooled through the use of high-pressure misting coolers.
“These pigs are never heat stressed,” Hofer said.
The young pigs are housed in large communal pens. They become accustomed to walking down alleys through a gate to get to their “food court” and then returning to their group sleeping area. The gate that they walk through is outfitted with an “auto sort” scale device. When the pigs are almost at market age, this system is used to sort the pigs by weight without stressing them.
Consuming a mix of barley, corn and soy — none of which includes chemicals, animal byproducts or preservatives — the pigs will gain about one pound of weight for every three pounds of feed they consume. When the piglets are weaned off their mothers at 20 days of age, they each weigh about 14 pounds. About 150 days later, when the young pigs have now grown to about 260 pounds, they are ready for market. Hofer said the pigs are “finished” on barley, which provides an even, firm layer of fat that is desireable in top-quality pork.
With a constant rotation of animals, the colony is able to market 200 to 230 pigs a week, year-round.
Hofer said Midway Colony is member of Salmon Creek Farms, based in Twin Falls, Idaho, an association of family farmers and a family-owned processer dedicated to natural pork production. Midway, like other partners in Salmon Creek Farms, is audited by an outside third party who checks the pig operation for compliance with industry standards for natural pork production.
Hofer said Midway’s pork is marketed under the Falls Brand meats label and is available in Montana at IGA grocery stores, including Eagle IGA in Fairfield; at Wal-Mart in some cities; and at 2 J’s Meat and Produce in Great Falls, along with several independent grocery stores from Libby to Roundup. Rex’s Market in Choteau sometimes has Falls Brand hotdogs and ribs, Hofer said.
The majority of Salmon Creek Farms natural pork is shipped to high-end restaurants across the United States and to customers in Asia through Independent Meat Co.’s Asia Distribution Center in Taipei, Taiwan.
Hofer said Midway is among 16 farms in Montana that produce natural pork for Salmon Creek and most of those farms are operated by Hutterites. In Teton County, New Rockport Colony is a member of Salmon Creek Farms and in Pondera County three colonies (including Midway), produce for the company.
Hofer said 70 percent of the pork production in Montana goes to Salmon Creek Farms. Overall, Hutterite colonies produce about 90 percent of the pork raised in the state.
Article Source: The Choteau Achantha
HutteriteNetwork.com Featured On The Ning Blog
Please Note: This is a Private Network so you will need to create a profile to get past the first page.
If you’re a Hutterite, you now have a new social network.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Hutterite lifestyle, get the 411 by checking out The Hutterite Social Network. Open to Hutterites, ex-Hutterites and anyone itching to learn more about this religious group, the forums are always abuzz with gossip between the nearly 800 members. Members ponder topics such as who is the best candidate for president of the United States and how much television and movies Hutterites watch.
Hankering for Hutterite merchandise? Check out the store for some authentic Hutterite slippers (more items coming soon!). If you’re more in the mood to see the creative talents of members, watch videos such as “Me Playing My Harmonica and Guitar” by Travis or check out photos of Hutterites posing by Kady Joy or irreverent vehicular mishaps. You’ll see that Hutterites like having fun on and offline.
Zu Erinnerung an Bernd Längin, Den
This video is from YouTube User toujoursmontreal …
Below is the the Authors Description….
————
Die deutschsprachigen “Hutterer” leben auf Farmkommunen in der kanadischen Prärie.
Der aus Karlsruhe stammende Buchautor Bernd G. Längin hat mir einen seltenen Zugang zu diesen Menschen ermöglicht.
Sie selbst bezeichnen ihre Kolonien als „Archen im Meer der weltlichen Sünde”. Diesen Film habe ich im Mai 2000 für das Deutsche Fernsehen auf einem Bruderhof in Manitoba gedreht.
Bernd Längin war seit 1973 mein Freund und Kollege. Der „Doktor der Schrift”, wie die Hutterer Bernd Längin nannten, ist am 28. Juni 2008 im Alter von 67 Jahren gestorben. Dieser Film ist ihm gewidmet.
I dedicate my film about a Hutterite colony in Manitoba/Canada to my good friend and colleague Bernd Längin who passed away June 28, 2008 at age 67.
Hutterites Make Time To Donate Blood
By Elizabeth Huber of The Prairie Post
They came by the van loads.
Young and old, male and female the Hutterites from surrounding colonies were the most notable presence at the Swift Current Blood Donor Clinic.
Apparently, the community’s turnout at the most recent donor clinic is nothing new. As I sat, nervously waiting for my finger to be pricked to test my iron — that is the part I hate the most — I commented to a lady sitting near me that I was surprised by the number of Hutterites within the room. “They come by the van loads,” she said. Without them the donor clinic wouldn’t be nearly as busy.
I believe we should applaud our Hutterite neighbours for so readily supporting the life-saving cause. There was a sign on the wall that had me thinking about life and the busy schedules that have so many of us in a hurry to get nowhere.
I don’t recall it verbatim, but it was something along the line of, while you are sitting her waiting to donate somebody else is waiting for his or her life to be saved.
Approximately every minute of every day, someone in Canada needs blood. In fact, 52 per cent of Canadians say they, or a family member, have needed blood or blood products for surgery or for medical treatment, according to Canadian Blood Services.
A thumbs up, to everyone who takes the time to Donate and the many Hutterites who support this worthy cause.
Leave A Comment On This Artice Below and Thanks For Reading.
Who You Are Makes A Difference - Never Been Unloved
Please take the time and watch this video in its entirety.
Perhaps you NEEDED THIS today.
An Amazing and Inspirational Story.
Music By The Great Michael W. Smith
Song is: Never Been Unloved.
Lyrics:
I have been unfaithful
I have been unworthy
I have been unrighteous
And I have been unmerciful
I have been unreachable
I have been unteachable
I have been unwilling
And I have been undesirable
Chorus:
Sometimes, I have been unwise
Ive been undone by what I’m unsure of
But because of you, and all that you went through
I know that I have never been unloved
I have been unbroken
I have been unmended
I have been uneasy
And Ive been unapproachable
Ive been unemotional
Ive been unexceptional
Ive been undecided
And I have been unqualified
Chorus:
Unaware, I have been unfair
Ive been unfit for blessings from above
But even I can see the sacrifice you made for me
To show that I have never been unloved
PS: Please Comment With Your Thoughts! Who are you going to pass this on to?
German Wedding Song Sung By Hutterite Girls
Someone from HutteriteNetwork.com requested this song so I made a trip to a local colony and asked the ladies if they would be so kind and give us the gift of a-cappella .. They agreed.
This song is a big hit at Hutterite Weddings ..
The video effects are there for privacy reasons.. 
Cheers and Enjoy!
Hutterite photography project provides candid glimpse to colony life
Hutterite photography project provides candid glimpse to colony life
By DIANE COCHRAN
Of The Gazette Staff
LEWISTOWN - An art project that put disposable cameras into the hands of four dozen Hutterite children has provided a rare glimpse into one of the state’s most recognizable but least understood cultures.
“A Week in the Life of a Hutterite Child” depicts ordinary moments on six central Montana Hutterite colonies through 36 photographs taken by children who live on the colonies.
The color and black-and-white photos, taken last fall, are part of a traveling show that will be displayed at the Yellowstone Art Museum later this year.
“Giving them the ability to show their unique lifestyle to people who have had no exposure to Hutterite colonies seemed like a natural thing to do,” said Cheryl Bannes, an artist who organized the project. “I hope people who see the show will be a little less afraid to ask questions.”
About 4,000 Hutterites live in about 40 mostly self-sufficient communities across Montana.
They are religious pacifists who share the work and the wealth in their communities, but they are known to their neighbors, whom they call “the English,” as agricultural producers who wear homemade clothes and speak with German accents.
“In a way, it’s almost like stepping back in time a little bit when you come to the colony,” said Karen Matovich, a teacher’s aide at Ayers Colony School near Grass Range.
Bannes distributed 50 disposable cameras to six colonies - Ayers, Fords Creek, Spring Creek, Deerfield, Loring and King - in August and September.
She said only one colony resisted the idea, but its leaders eventually changed their minds.
“Most colonies said they didn’t want children mugging for the camera,” she said.
Instead, kids were instructed to capture scenes from everyday life. Each community selected a week during which pictures were taken.
At Ayers Colony, 15-year-old Ramona Stahl snapped photos of women in the kitchen and of other kids riding horses across a field.
“I took that picture because I think city people should do that - ride horses to go out in the field,” she said.
Other images show colony members harvesting potatoes, picking berries, skinning animals and sewing.
In one shot, a girl in a traditional ankle-length skirt and head scarf swings a baseball bat.
In another, two small girls peer into the lens from behind a piglet one of them is holding aloft.
There is also a boy hugging a dog, a pair of worn cowboy boots, a past-its-prime jack-o-lantern and a group of women making pies.
“You could see how they progressed from ‘Isn’t this fun to take a picture?’ to really composing a picture and telling a story,” said Bannes, who is a metalsmith and photographer.
Bannes and a committee of Hutterite parents narrowed 1,200 pictures down to the three dozen that were framed for the show.
“I was amazed,” said Susan Seastrand, the teacher at Ayers Colony School. “They took some really good pictures.”
Seastrand said her students, who live on Ayers and Fords Creek colonies, have told her they do not feel discrimination when they interact with non-Hutterites.
But they and their parents would like “the English” to have a better understanding of colony traditions.
“We don’t have the same life as they do,” said Rachelle Stahl, 14.
Contact Diane Cochran at dcochran[@]billingsgazette.com or 657-1287.
Original Article from BillingsGazette.com
A week in the life of a Hutterite child
Huge Announcement - The Hutterite Social Networking Site Is Here
Hello All..
I am proud to annouce that my baby and something I have been working on trying to establish for quite a while now has finally LAUNCHED..
Introducing HutteriteNetwork.com a social networking site for Hutterites, Ex-Hutterites and those interested in Hutterites.
Create your free profile ASAP and start making NEW FRIENDS and CONNECT with people from all over the world who have the Hutterite Culture in common….
Have a SUPER DAY
ME
Thank you YouTube and ALL :) My account is back
For those of you who have been watching my videos on YouTube (the jpwipf channel)and have been following the suspension proceedings, I am happy to announce that YouTube has decided to do the right thing. My account has been reinstated because the copyright claim was false.
Have an awesome New Years Celebration and please BE SAFE!
Love
ME
