josh trought

ok we have the same sorta set up and handbook and orientation...the handbook is thorough and in two parts...one aspect is the organizational manual that talks about daily life procedures and the other is the project and goals which is more specific to organizational plans. we reviewed these documents for many years on annual basis, it was good review and served to align and empower staff on regular basis...but we got bored with it, keeping it up to date and most often applicants did not read it because it was boring and out of context...

here the application and those documents
http://www.dacres.org/workinghere/workatdacres.html

orientation we have onsite with a bullet point checklist of info...the orientation is administered by staff buddy who serves as primary liasion for new resident. there are 3 week and thereafter meetings scheduled to discuss and refine expectations...

there is an ecohouse at plymouth state university here with similar turnover issues...seems that alignment early with purpose, intentions and goals of campus organization and then design how to meet those goals with the group...in other words what are the agreed rules for engagement? how are conflicts resolved?

yes we are close by the grafton which seems to be a hot spot for the free state project. Some folks that have come to the state for FSP participate regularly at the farm. The off farm income question has been a difficult part for the fsp movement.
in general offsite work is fairly mainstream...retail, yardwork, construction, teaching seems popular

at dacres we are trying to make enough revenue to support the needs of the residents though value adding cottage industries based upon our natural resources. we use diversity of revenue streams based upon the farm and forest resources. farm products, overnite accomodations, courses, grants, donations, food events, and now a book are part of the income possibilities and everyone helps do part.


come on out for a visit...more good neighbors is good

yes there are age and interest distinctions that must be made as we move forward...there have been several over 50 residents and volunteers here throughout the years...in addition to the work, housing is also something that older folks need different opportunities...older folks are less inclined to sleep in treehouses, caravans and bunkrooms

we have proven to be flexible by adapting and offering allowances for elders to be included in residential programs for shorter durations. much like internationals we have made a point of welcoming elders for the benefit of the diversity to all residents. in general the allowances have been not costly and consequential to the organizations and elders have typically pulled more than their own weight in "soft" labors.

that said i have little experience beyond my family with dealing with the transition from elder functional to elder infirm and in need of care and assistance onsite...while we do care for infirm in the larger community we have had only one onsite end of life care experience with my aunt

with our economic model elders can still participate in the model economically without the field and forest work though forms of manual labor such as cooking cleaning participation would be always be appreciated...

to me this is part of the ongoing negotiations of community...as life and death proceed the community must evolve and adapt

i like the nearing concept though i have not seen it replicated...

i like integrated buildings...use of materials based on many factors including local vernacular and resource base...what is in abundance? carpenters or masons? for materials is there forest, clay, rocks, sod, straw?

but in general i like round wood timber frame construction with strawbale on the north, cordwood on the east and west and earthen or stone walls with extra glazing on the south...

whats your latitude? alot of the actual design would depend on the seasonal incidence of the sun through the year on your building location

also how big? is this for a family or an individual?

i would be a little hesitant with earthbermed beyond the arid sundrenched southwest considering annual groundwater fluctuations and difference is daily sunlight averages in other parts of the world

in addition we should note that dacres is not intending to set up a isolated community rather our goal is to connect and strengthen the existing community

ic.org has some great resources for helping you find the right place

if i was thinking of joining a place like dacres there is alot to consider
1) do these folks want me? can i be helpful to the situation?
2) discuss the history of people involved with the community and discuss the trials and potential pitfalls of participating in the project...why have people left?
3) use caution investing resources that can not be recovered
4) does the community feed you spiritually and philosophically? there will be sacrifices so what is the glue that keeps you passionate about community
5) talk about trial and evaluation period - align expectations for what would be a mutually successful & positive evaluation
6) discuss day to day operations and expectations
7) discuss your role in decision making within the community

i would also ask for references from former participants and discuss issues with a wide range of current residents

or just trust your gut and follow your instinct...

YES...this is a huge part of the community-scale permaculture concept..it is definitely not just about the people living onsite..we interact with loads of people who live in the area, we serve as a hub and offer services to community at large like bulk food buying club, group seed & bare root purchases and bulk animal feed..
many of our volunteers and community participants have been coming to dacres for years..they help with gardening and dishes and we share potatoes and campsites.
families come use the trails, playground, and library...visiting to spend the afternoon as a public facility...
it is like a combo of all the social clubs and business clubs such as masons, ymca, grange but with a farm based community concept...

let me know if you wanna dig deeper on this...

to add to this thread.. i think the biggest success is actually doing it, making the leap from talking about it to getting in the dirt. even if the project had only lasted for a week we would have made a success just through the attempt. failure is not trying.

hmmm the picture is bit clearer though i am still uncertain if you are interested in being a part of this "community" or are you offering design consultation and kits? maybe a further assessment of your goals for integrating with these people and the landscape as you migrate back to SA

ok this is about juggling, seasonality, and flexibility
one of the benefits of our latitude is the growing season is very short...there is frozen ground and snow from october to may...
as such we have a short window of opportunity for growing food but many months for other activities...in the winter more time is spent reading, creating art, woodworking, forestry, fundraising, administrative, program development, and recreation

we prioritize our needs as a community based on the urgency and the practicality...the major projects are defined on an annual basis and we work towards them by discussing implementation plans on a weekly basis...

our community outreach and education activities are often integrated into fundraising and product sales...we offer tours as a fee based service thus providing outreach and revenue. onsite visitors for monthly community food events support us through donating funds for food...thus a pizza and movie night can be relaxing, productive outreach and revenue generation

typically we work between 26 and 80 hours per week...the work week is only 3 days...heres how it functions...mondays are meetings and cleanup, rest and relax, tuesday-thursday are coordinated works days generally from 8-5, friday is housecleaning chores and saturday and sunday are public events free time...throughout there are the daily chores of the farm and running the organization

also each resident has different areas of specialty and interest so some may spend additional time in certain areas of interest or responsibility...

let me know if i answered this sufficiently or if you have further questions