Adult 50 plus Commune Idea

There is a community near San Francisco that has been operating since the 60's and I did a work-study program with them to see how they made it work. One thing I found was that they have a system that allows any person to veto anything with just one no vote. At first, I did not like that idea but as I grew to understand the community it seemed fair. It gave equality and If I had something I wanted to bring to a vote I think I would check in with everyone to be aware of and satisfy any objections. this seemed like it would require a lot of communication before bringing it to a vote. For instance, if I wanted chickens and someone absolutely did not want them. When I checked in I would find they did not mind chickens but hated being woken up by a rooster. So we could not have roosters or move the pen far away and only bring the roosters in when we wanted chicks. Just one example of equality and making things work for everyone and it must work for everyone to some degree.

 

We & I have no charter. This is a discussion which started years ago. It's never been off the ground. There have been many interested on here but just in dialog. Several contributors to this dialog have their own homes and are not willing to join us. I saw some true interest but no offers to get started. My intent here was to get a group of older Hippies to live together and help each other. I saw many old Hippies forced to live on limited income in government housing which was depressing. I think it would be wonderful to live together, cook together, garden together, sing together, and ride to the grocery store together in a Hippy Van!

As far as the legal stuff goes, I think a lawyer can draft a document pertinent to the local laws, depending on the state we choose. We can provide desired clauses. On IC.org there are communities which require a big chunk just to join. I am thinking poor Hippies can't afford that much. So, a cheaper place in a cheaper state would be nice. In Indiana where I am now the laws are friendly toward the Amish, because they can't use electricity. Consequently, the local building code is easy to live with. The bad thing is the state is riddled with right wing Republicans. The Amish markets are great for fresh veggies and homemade canned cherry and mulberry jams, apple butter, cheeses, etc. I shop a lot at Muslim groceries in the area. They have real fresh ginger, fresh Turmeric & Curries. They also have true Muslim Yogurt which uses not fake sweeting and no high fructose corn syrup.

Where I end up I want to make 12 volt electric power from solar panels and even solar hot water. I've been working on a machine which makes drinking water from air, similar to the H2O makers on sailing yachts. It's a take-off idea from air conditioner systems. The machine works well in humid climates but not in a desert like Pahrump Nevada. One contributor (SnowtiggerND) on here turned us on to a drill for a water well which is operated by man power.

Land is cheaper in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. There are some interesting places in Oregon around Klamath Falls and other southern areas. The Portland, Corvallis, and Eugene areas are very expensive. The building codes are a pain in California. As you said earlier: The Cohabitation regulations could be a problem. I think it was FritzDKat who said Arizona was refusing a permit for his friend. In that case I seem to remember they wanted a collective farm and Arizona must have been using commercial regulations on them. If we are not engaged in commerce, that would be a moot point. And I am only interested in a retirement home & garden for old Hippies.

 

I agree. That's exactly how we could make things workout. I lived on a farm near Cedarville Indiana and had lots of chickens. It was my job to go out early in the morning and collect the eggs. It was a stinky job and I didn't like it. Soaking them in hot water to get the feathers off was a stinky job too. Pigs are stinky too. I don't mind lambs, cows, and horses. Their manure is great for the garden. Sheep eat weeds so we wouldn't need WeedBeGone!

 

I was just reading some old post here to get an idea of what has been talked about. I have the funds for land in the right place but finding open minded loving people can be hard. I served in the Army, I fly my American flag often and wear my MEGA hat most days. Guess I won't fit in with your group. Good luck on your search.

 

These old stoner hippies would be content with the old Rainbow Hotel and a nice non-profit landlord . The sign
out front features a fish , a smiling trout , needs painting .

 

OK People. This commune idea thread is about getting old Hippies together to live together. It is not intended to be a gathering for wealthy military people who worship Trump. The military is about killing, not living together. This thread is about old Hippies who have to live on limited income in old age. This thread is about love, caring, and sharing, not war and jack-booted thugs.

 

Old hippies living together ? I've visited several such places . Mostly the residents are very quiet and live-out
regular and simple routines . Must be a survival tactic . The loudest place was in backwoods Missouri - there
was a kennel with 23 barky dogs and one strange little man who barked right along with them . Another man
I discovered living isolated in the barn half-starved . We went to town for groceries .


Last fall I could've bought a three-story brick hotel in fair condition - $45,ooo . I thought
of you . Rooms for rent : $45 a month . One room reserved for the chickens .

 

I don't want to live in Missouri. I did consider that place in Iowa you told me about last year or the prior year. You said there was a good jam night at the bar, or maybe a Blues night with an open mic? I feel like playing some Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker tunes on a Telecaster.

 

That Deadhead bar (Byron's Bar) is in the village of Pomeroy , Iowa . Old hippies gather for music , beer and a pipe .

 

I wanna hear some Willy Dixon and some Elmore James tunes! Our commune has gotta have some Blues!

 

You gots the Blues without going anywhere . I need to get to the River .

 

I'm interested in communal living. Any chance of getting enough people together? I'm a single female, 62 yrs old from Arkansas.

 

Welcome to our commune in the work. Everyone is welcome, just like Alice's Restaurant. There have been several people interested; but as I explained above, several already own their own house and are unwilling to live in another state. We have a couple of expert gardeners already and a couple who can do carpenter work. Where would you be interested in establishing our commune? Some states are more expensive than others. Some have better weather. I don't know much about Arkansas. I drove through it when I was a trucker.

 

They have no-crow collars for roosters these days. They are loose enough to allow eating and drinking, but not enough for that neck-sack-thingy to fully inflate. They still crow, but sound like they're loudly clearing their throat.

 

Hello. I've been reading your posts and I'm interested. I'm a 61 year old women from Washington state. I too, struggle to make it every month. I'm damn tired of it. I have a monthly income and am willing to contribute whatever I can. I already have chickens, and love to garden. I know how to can food, and am a darn good cook. Hauling wood is good exercise. Oh, and I quilt and sew. By the way, there is an Intentional Community in Deadwood, Oregon. Alpha Farm. I'm going to drive down in a few weeks to see their setup. Strangely, they no longer accept visitors, but I'm heading down with homemade apple pie. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Hi there Rising … and welcome to our community. Snowtigger is our most experienced gardener and he is a great water well driller with some great ideas. I know about Deadwood because I have a friend in Eugene Oregon who told me about them. I've looked on IC and found nothing that would work for me. Land in Michigan and Indiana is a lot cheaper … for me anyway. That is, if I am the only person who will sign for the mortgage. If I had partners then Oregon and California would be realistic to look at for a nice place. I am looking at two places near Muskegon Michigan right now. Lake Michigan is just awesome and has 304 miles for boating and fishing. Water for home and garden is not a problem as would be in Arizona, New Mexico, or Nevada. Please write back and let us know what you think. If Snowtigger hears about your Apple Pies we might need the Marine Corps and three B-52 Bombers to keep him away from you!

 

Hi Storm. Thanks for the warm welcome.
My son used to live near the Great Lakes and he told me that ticks and Lyme Disease incidents are way up due to Climate Change. (Thank you lobbyists and Climate Change Deniers!) But I digress... I suppose there are several natural options to protect yourself these days. I've dealt with high humidity when I lived in Texas & Arkansas decades past, so no problem there. Another plus is that area (so far) is not in Tornado Alley. I do think storm cellars are something to think about however. We'll need a root cellar anyway I'm thinking.

I have to be honest & lay ALL my cards on the table. I am dealing with CPTSD, and there are times when I need to "cave." I had a repressed memory come back and it totally blindsided me. Kicked my butt good! This does not mean I'm not social. Or that my work ethic is of the lazy variety. It just means I'm dealing with some heavy crap & sometimes just need alone time. Working outside is my therapy. So are my hens. I'll arm wrestler Snowtiger over the garden. .

P.s. Have you guys heard of Cob houses? I've always wanted to make one.

At some point I'd like to talk to you about finances as I know absolutely nothing about mortgages.

 

Thank you for being honest. 1) there are ticks and other bugs around these parts but not as bad as Texas or Arkansas or Oklahoma. Lyme is more back in New Jersey and Connecticut. It might have reached these parts but I don't know. Colorado has Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Ticks and plenty of rattle snakes. Colorado and Wyoming both have Plague in the fleas which live on prairie dogs and bob cats. So, you just need to have your roommates check you out after a walk in the woods and use repellant. 2) I don't know what CPTSD is but all older people have some health issues. I had a bad memory come back too and I had to drink a truckload of Bourbon to get over it. I really like Yurts and someday I'll build one, just to piss-off the Republicans. When you and Snowtigger go at it, I'll make bets with the neighbors.

 

Oh no!
I just read we lost Leon Redbone.
This makes me sad. His rendition of "Shine on Harvest Moon" has always been a favorite of mine.