Decision Making On A Colony.

Q) How are marketing decisions made on a colony? (when do we sell, at what 
price etc)

A) The key here is to know your cost of production, your break even prices and try selling into a rising market. Marketing decisions vary from colony to colony depending on financial situations, bin space and cash flow, and is the financial managers decision with input from the frontbenchers.  The key is not to get too greedy.

Q) How are production decisions make on a colony ( what crops to plant, when 
to purchase equipment, inputs etc.)

A) Hutterite colonies have different levels of decision making, but 
virtually no decision is made alone.
There are the front benchers, who consist of the minister, financial manager, field manager and one or two advisors, and the backbenchers which consist of all baptized male members. The elders have a brief meeting every workday morning to discuss things like the days plans and activities. Subjects are first brought up at these everyday meetings.
  Deciding what to plant and level of input is the field bosses decisions with input from these meetings. 
 Equipment purchasing is also discussed and prices from various dealers are then gathered by the financial manager.
 Major decisions, (like equipment upgrades and purchasing)  are then made at a general meeting with all members attending and providing input,  preferences, pros and cons.

Q) What are the strengths or advantages of a Hutterite farm operation?

A) Being interdepentent, Working together, the community is more important than any individual. There is no room for selfishness. Marketing and promoting our product as, fresh with good quality, adding value rather than shipping the raw products, i.e. processing meat.
Other strengths or advantages would be the willingness to share the workload, which provides the labour force needed for farming. Also important is a willingness to share a vision where the profits go towards a common good, such as caring for the elderly, widowed and disabled, while providing a stable, somewhat sheltered upbringing for the young, and providing for future generations.
Our goal is not necessarily to get rich, it is rather to sustain a lifestyle 
that is conductive to a Christian life for us and for our children.