11/28/11 Starting a commune.

Feed up with the system, taxes and the way life if headed. Myself and a friend are tossing around the idea of starting a 100% off the grid commune. We are looking into the mid-west west region. We are looking for other possible areas to looking into and others that share our idea and would like to join us.

If interested or if you have any ideas please let use know! -)

Thanks

 

What areas have you looked into?

 

Not completely sure yet, We have looking into Utah. And tossed around the idea of Wisconsin.

 

That sounds awesome. I would be on that.

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im originally from MI, and trust me WI is gonna be too cold, but then again i live in FL now and freezing at 45F

 

Look into the Ozarks yet? The land can still be had cheap and it's some beautiful landscape 99% of the time.

 

What are your thoughts about how the land would be owned (by you, by your corporation, sub-divide among residents) and how you'd make decisions?

 

Hey, We havn't looked into Ozarks yet, but We will.

As for ownership- haven't though if it yet. We are very laid back on many different things. I really don't see it being a problem for what ever we decide.

We are just in the planning stages. Saving money and what not to get started. We would rather have this idea take longer than wanted or plan and have it be set up right and work out, than rush into it and have things done half ass and fall a part. Any suggestions on the land? I imagine sole-owner would work out better. Easier to deal with and set up.

Being born and raised in NY(the both of us) the cold wouldn't be to hard for us to adapt to. But on the other hand that might deter others from showing interest or joining.

Thanks for the input and ideas so far/ =)

Much appreciated!

 

As for making decisions. Just a ruff idea where I had read some where before. Live and let live. They only suggestion that can be offered is to do about 15 hours a weeks as needed. If there is a conflict majority vote on what actions should be done. Every one should have a say.

 

General consensus..... good way to go.

Land ownership gets tricky though.......

 

The Ozarks are sparsely populated for a reason: poor soil in much of the land.
But then again, the planet Earth is 3/4 covered by sea water, 10% of the remaining 1/4 is permanently covered by ice, 1/3 of dry land is covered by desert, 6% of the Earth's land is covered by swamp and yet we choose to live here on this planet.
If you put boots on the ground, take your time and talk to people, you'll find your sweet spot.

 

I really dont think it's poor soil as much as it is the simple fact of workable area per acre, lots of sandstone formations and such but the soil is there in swells and such and theres an abundance of organic matter to compost with from the trees.

Most areas imho are suitable for terrace farming but you need to put in a good abount of prep work and do a little soil building or have an abundant source of cardboard, like most of the local food stores have piled up in back,,, theres options, it's beautiful and theres a good amount of cheap land available due to it not being prime for traditional commercial agriculture but is a great region to do some specialty crops.

(And I think the folks at Baker Creek Heirloom seeds would beg to differ. )

In fact I may have to dig through IC.org for Missouri and see whats around.

By no means as abundantly fertile as Georgia of course. Hey, have you tried composting any Kudzu yet,,, or eating any for that matter GardenGuy?

 

Fritz,
Just like I could make a case that on average, the planet is not suited for human life, but many of us find things aren't so bad in our particular area.

The bottomlands near rivers is well-suited for growing things.
The Ozark plateau is generally capped with sandstone, but not everywhere. There is a huge area centered around Springfield that has limestone-derived soils and produces some of the best strawberries you'll ever eat.
There are other places where you'll do just fine.

In addition to talking to county agricultural agents, seed companies and local farmers, the land itself will tell you if it suitable for what you want to do.
Look at the condition of the trees, what sort of trees live there?
The western Ozarks are the eastern fringes of the prairie belt and you can get very long dry spells. The eastern Ozarks have more even rainfall. There are patches of prairie throughout the Ozarks where the soil is shallow, but big prairies begin around Springfield and points west.

I would not want to bust up prairie sod for conservation reasons, but it is rich soil You just need to remind yourself about those long dry spells in summer and fall.

The best thing about the Ozarks are the amazing clean rivers and springs there. There is some pollution, but many of the surface waters are clearer than anything I have ever seen.
And the potential for powerful artesian wells is great too.

Some hilly parts of the Ozarks are famous for apple orchards. You might have luck with many varieties of nut tree, fruit trees and berry bushes in the areas too hilly for row crops.

Chickens, other poultry and livestock will do fine.
In the areas with soil derived from limestone, the grass is rich in calcium and phosphorus for livestock to develop strong bones.

In view of the chemicals dumped on large commercial farms in the main part of the Midwest farmbelt, you may find that a Ozark farmland is a better fit for smaller organic farms .

I have roamed the Ozarks from east to west and camped out there. Folks from the east will scarcely believe how much less crowded the land is.

I think Mr. Haney from Green Acres still lives out that way, so when he pulls up in his truck offering to show you some prime land, be sure to ask Mr. Kimball, the county agent first and maybe Fred and Doris Ziffle before signing the contract. They'll give you the low down.

 

When you start thinking about power let me know. Electricity is my specialty. I'll even come out there and help you guys out if you get a good chunk of real-estate. I only need to be kept fed and dry while it's made from scratch and installed.

 

um i have a better idea: that which bums do. start a camp in the woods somewhere WARM, like florida etc, and everyone has tents n shit. just make sure no one knows your there though so you dont get busted. that is the ultimate commune my friend

 

slappy,

The Rainbow people have been doing that kind of stuff in remote National Forest land, but it's only been for a few days. Forest service has spies that watch forums like this and they look for where the Rainbow gathering is intending to go. Gotta be really on the QT for this.

If you just wanna do some primitive camping and its a small group, they don't even care. It's the big groups that have the potential for trashing the land for future users.

I prefer the idea of purchasing land. The Ozarks can be cold as Viking hell during the winter, but most of the year the climate ain't too bad, you could live nude much of the year if the commune didn't make a rule against it.

Florida has water quality and availability issues and in a primitive situation, water determines whether you make a place your home or are just passing quickly through.
There are some awesome freshwater springs in Florida, if you are lucky enough to live near one, you've got it made. Same with the Ozarks.

 

By the way, if you want to learn about Organic farming while getting ready to start your commune, there are some educational resources to consider.
Georgia Organics has a seminar in January and another in February 2012.
These are just the latest. They have stuff going on all the time.

The Organic Growers School in North Carolina has major conferences twice a year. The next one is in March 2012.

GrowFood has internships for people who want to learn farming.

National Center for Appropriate Technology also has a way for farm workers and farmers to get together: Sustainable Farming Internships and Apprenticeships

Backdoor Jobs also has a similar listing: Sustainable Living & Farming Jobs

Communes also known as Intentional Communities are often listed in the directory of the Fellowship for Intentional Community (FIC).

I am not listing all this as an alternative to the commune our friends here are proposing. Instead, if you want to pick up the skills this commune (or any other) will need, the listing above will give you some options for training.

Not all communes take people right out of the city with no experience. As an intentional community, they might first choose people who already have skills that everyone else will need to survive. Be the man or woman with those skills!

 

Hello, we are a young family in North Carolina that is looking to join a communal living group this coming June or July. We are both in our early 30's and have a 4 year old son. I (the husband) am an HVAC technician who also has about 6 years of construction experience. One big thing we could bring to a community is our own small solar setup as well as pretty extensive knowledge about solar systems in general, DC systems and AC systems (once the DC in inverted to AC). We are hard working and would love a very eco-friendly or off the grid situation. Please let me know if this sounds like what you are looking for!

 

Bigdtown,

I won't speak for the founders, just from my own experience as an outsider looking in.
Communes typically need agricultural skills, physical plant (in the looser sense of the word)maintenance skills (such as yours), general office and administrative talent, and people whose skills can generate income: crafts, various trades.

Most communes these days have some people who work full-time or part-time in the outside community, but contribute some or all of that income to the commune depending on the covenant. In other cases, the commune is open at designated times to outside volunteers and sometimes cash customers who purchase goods and services.
This is good for struggling small rural areas providing needed talent and helps the commune out as well.

Some intentional communities offer seminars and formal classroom training. The John C. Campbell Folk School in the mountains of Brasstown, North Carolina comes to mind. I have visited them and am staggered by sheer diversity of training they offer. And they have artwork and craftwork of the highest order for sale.

And closer to your skillset, Earthaven Ecovillage in Black Mountain NC offers such training and outreach. (If memory serves, they are a spin-off of Mother Earth News magazine and its spinoff BackHome).

 

Now that I think about it, some nudist camps come close to being communes.
I am not talking about the glitzy corporate resorts; rather I am referring to the original type that folks used to call nudist "colonies" (although we cringe to hear that term nowadays).

Reason for inclusion:
They are often member-owned facilities
There is a strong sense of community.
Many members live on the premises.
They have organized events for member children and teens, including visits to the outside community.
Some members camp there the entire summer.
Some members are there every weekend winter and summer
Many people donate free labor and technical skills
Some people even operate businesses there, some of which were for their personal benefit, some businesses were run by the community.
Many places have a chaplain who is ordained and performs weddings on the premises.
And despite whatever philosophical differences we might have, we are united by our belief in the goodness of nude living and belief in our community and our common bond with the larger community of naturists and nudists worldwide.

Not all nudist venues are de facto communes, but quite a few of them are.