Seeking people to form a commune in Michigan

Hi, I'm looking to form a group based on equality, respect for nature, and a focus on future generations. I think it's best to get together and conspire first, and then buy the land.

Are you thinking lower MI or the UP?  I'm not personally able to join you but I figured that distinction could help people know if they're interested.  I vote for the UP

Thanks, Mike. I'm in Northern Lower Michigan, Arenac County, by the Saginaw Bay. I don't want to go much further south probably. Other than that, I'm flexible.

This sounds like a good idea. I’m interested.

I’ll pm you.

Hello, my name is Steven Strong. I am super interested in this idea and would love to contribute. I dont have much money, but I am willing and able to work.
My email address is stevestrong776@yahoo.com

anyone in or around the grand rapids Kalamazoo area interested in these ideas?

I'm based in northern Indiana and am happy to help with Michigan permie projects. I like cooking for events and large groups. Drop me a line: joel.fath - at - gmail.com

I live in Michigan now.  Currently have a house in Allen Park.  I just bought 120 acres in Cheboygan county just last month.  It has over 80 acres of forrest and 3 large ponds.  I am currently working on setting up for my church to use for ceremony.  I am a member of Spirit Keepers Native American Church.  I am looking for like minded individuals that would like to develop a intentional community.

What do you mean when you say commune?  I know the dictionary definition, but what does it mean to you?

This is our church code of conduct - https://nativeamerican.church/code-conduct, these are the tenants by which we live.

In fact, if anyone else stumbles upon this, feel free to reach out at mmance at mmance dot com

I'm in Grand Rapids. This is exactly what I have been looking for.
I'm a maintenance man. If it breaks(anything) I can fix it. Just looking for like minded, loving individuals to commune with.

I'm a knowledgeable individual with an outside of the box way of thinking.
I'm experienced in working in close courters as well as multi tasking. I come from a large family (1 of 5 kids)
I know how to grow food also have no issue with hunting and fishing to provide.
I am the mother of 3 (12,16,22) I  have oodles of experience with children and love teaching and watching them grow. (I am an artist and would love to teach art to children)(my dream really)
I've recently experienced a traumatic loss (Will explain if necessary) and have had a pulling inside to get away.

I'd be interested.

Interested!!
Arolfes1987@gmail.com

Kjkwiat@protonmail.com

I cant do this anymore

Did anything come of this?

Jason Wakefield wrote:anyone in or around the grand rapids Kalamazoo area interested in these ideas?

We are in Bangor, MI and starting an intentional community along the same ideas 😁

https://atlantis-awakening-conscious-community.mailchimpsites.com

Or email me at atlanteaninfo@gmail.com

Noah

Hey there from the Detroit area, have quite a bit of experience growing organic vegetables and herbs outdoor and indoor. I also love to cook and forage, am a good shot with a bow or gun and would love to get better at hunting on foot. Hard working young man trying to sculpt my mind and body and live near similarly motivated people

Email : swiffery511@gmail.com

Depending on the region, I'd be very interested. I am currently working in Colorado but am saving up money to return to Michigan and buy land near the west side of the state. I have a lot of valuable skills I'd be happy to share - I'm indigenous to the region and have a lot of traditional knowledge regarding the climate and usage of native plants. I also grew up on a farm in the area - I am absolutely in love with Michigan and cannot wait to return in a few years.

I’m looking to form the same in The UP. The world is becoming too nuts. I want to be in nature and truly enjoy life instead of existing. How can I contact you

I’m interested in joining an intentional community in the Grand Traverse Bay Area.

I posted awhile back and I am not sure how many people were responding to me or the original poster.

We are still looking for people for intentional community.  I recently put up https://campdarling.com to be able to showcase what we are up to.

Anyone can reach me at marc@campdarling.com

I am interested in learning more if there is still any plans or anything happening yet.

I am young hard worker that is worried about what is going on in the world right now.

please respond.  

Hi I'd be definitely interested in a community like this, I like in mi in the newaygo county area. And am familiar with teaching, small scale farming, gutting animals, basic weaving and bushcraft. I'd love to hear more about it
suspendedspring@gmail.com

It’s been a while since I started this thread, and I am still seeking partners. My daughter, age 15, and I found a location in northern lower Michigan. The idea was to have a small group first, and together find land, but it didn’t work that way.
We’re in zone 5a; we intend to plant chestnuts, hopniss, sunchokes, grapes and a few others and hope to accommodate chickens this spring, and there are abundant wild foods as well: chokecherries, butternuts, sugar maple, acorns, blackberries, cattail, deer, fish, aronia, beech nuts...
We aim to live as simply as possible, using hand power rather than motors. What, no chainsaw?

i’m very interested

dexterletterman@gmail.com

I am SO interested in something like this but more of a landshare situation so that I can go between my urban home and somewhere more in the wilderness of Michigan.  More importantly I am desperately looking for likeminded people in Michigan- those who ideas like these appeal to!

I live in Lansing and I swear nobody here even knows what permaculture is

Since everyone that responded here is interested in Michigan, I also have an opportunity to share, but in the SW part of the state, 15 minutes from Lake Michigan and 40 minutes to Kalamazoo. I'm offering a room share in exchange for labor. You will be working on a 1200sf, 100 year old farmhouse and tiny 1/3 acre in a rural village surrounded by fruit farms. This will allow you to live inexpensively (with time left to earn cash elsewhere), design/plant/tend to ecoscapes and ancient trees, build habitat, remove invasive species, work independently, build community, engage in meditation, and much more.

The ultimate goals for this property include: growing/studying herbs and creating tinctures for multiple uses; creating habitat for birds, bugs and critters; growing fruit; low/no waste; creating space for a weekly gathering of (lonely) young people in need of old-time community; offering that same space for meditation and a weekly hour of silence (unplugged).

Labor includes a wide variety of tasks, light and heavy. Please be strong and comfortable performing dirty jobs as well as finish work, carpentry, painting, digging, hauling, cleaning, errands, etc. In exchange for 20 hours of work each week (flexible task list provided) you will receive a private/secure bedroom and your own sitting room. You are also welcome to camp outside in a tent or caravan. The kitchen and bath are shared, but large.

You will need to take care of your own food and any other needs besides shelter. I have tools, supplies, a Prius wagon, a small dog, and a kind/open heart. Please, no smoking, drinking, or drug use. I'm not against those, and there's a bar within walking distance, I just want the homestead to remain sacred. Speaking of which, we'll be keeping quiet hours, but you'll also have the place to yourself (other than pets) while I'm at work M-Th.

I look forward to hearing from you and finding the right person (man, woman, or non-binary) for this unique opportunity.

I’m very interested. I’m currently in Holly MI living off grid in a travel trailer with addition built on. Need to relocate by November. I am currently working from home and a blogger/affiliate sales marketing but have many interests/labor skills to offer. I have a 4 year old son who lives with me through the week as well. Email is Jade.hamilton@rocketmail.com

So did this ever pan out to anything ?

Very Good Chance I try to land somewhere outside Traverse City or the UP in the next few months, as it is time to flee the west before everyone else wakes up and smells the burning boreal forest Maybe the boundary waters too, somewhere we can get a permiefarm and deep winter greenhouse going...

My only worry with the commune thing is the laziness and greed that can set in - I've seen it firsthand even with small groups of 'friends'...

I’m not interested in commune living at the moment, but I thought I’d make myself known in this thread. I am looking for land in northern MI, EUP region….well, I was….and will be again. It would be nice just to know permie people near me.

Maybe we could help each other some way in the future. I’d prefer to PM here rather than use email initially.

Hi, I'd like some more info on this project

Our family of four plus a dog live in Canada at the moment, but are planning to move to Michigan late this year or sometime next year if everything works out as planned. We home-school our kids and are working towards being as self efficient as possible. We are looking for a community that has similar interests so that we can help each other succeed in this world. We may end up closer to Clare Michigan, but even if we don't move within the commune, it would be nice to meet people with similar interests.

nbrownfender@gmail.com

So what’s the word

I haven’t given an update in a while; I use the internet at the library when I get a chance.

We now have a driven well, thanks to our friend Mick who is also providing materials and expertise for the bath house which will be built around it.

Anyone interested should send a moosage with some info about yourself, beliefs and what has drawn you to seek community, for example. This is very much in the beginning stages, so not for those looking for something to join. We have humble accommodations for visitors; more visitors are possible with tents. Moving in would mean placing a tiny house of some sort (one person could possibly move into the little cabin with us, but it would be a bit cramped.) What modern conveniences are you attached to? We try to live with as little money as possible.

I will respond, though it may take a week or so.

Mosquitoes — we have them! I wear long pants, long sleeves, a wide-brimmed hat with a head net and they don’t bother me (oil-based botanical repellent on hands.)

Jessica

I would definitely have to consult with my other co-workers here, but we've got 40 acres in the Battle Creek area that we are starting to transform. Could definitely use some help and different skill sets.

Just let me know when and where

Hello,

First of all, so amazing that so many people share this same interest and have a desire to live in a more connected and supportive community! I read through and skimmed as many of these posts as possible, and one thing that strikes me is Detroit does not seem to be mentioned. Some questions I am curious to know the thoughts of others:

Questions/Thoughts:
- Would starting a commune in a city such as Detroit be more economically viable than a rural community? Detroit offers affordable land in close proximity to external amenities such as jobs, health care, and other communities.
- Detroit also allows for the homesteading opportunities. The vacant land can be farmed, the city has programs that allow communities to farm surrounding vacant land, without having to own the land. A potential negative is that farm animals such as chickens are not legal within city limits, but this is not heavily enforced and local groups are organizing to legalize poultry.
- With a changing climate, cities like Detroit are likely to become climate refugee zones, experiencing an increase in population and relevance. A communal community would have the potential to influence this growth to be sustainable and equitable.
- Large tracts of vacant land would allow a communal community choice in a location with room to grow.

I hope to hear your thoughts and learn from you. As we know, research shows that having a strong sense of community not only enriches our lives with fulfillment and purpose but can also improve our biological health. I have never felt a sense of community and I deeply desire to share this experience with many others one day. I get afraid of making big changes or commitments, and I am sure that you guys can relate to this fear too. Maybe talking about it with other people who share this desire is the first step in action.

Cheers guys,

Henry

Henry DuVall wrote:
- Would starting a commune in a city such as Detroit be more economically viable than a rural community?

When I was looking into cheap land I was interested in Detroit too. I thought buying a bunch of abandoned lots through tax sales, and then converting them into productive agricultural land would be one of the cheapest possible ways to build a small farm. The biggest problem was the taxes. The city of Detroit wanted to continue valuing abandoned houses and lots like they had $250k homes on them. The second problem I ran into in my research is that they'd never let you bury the homes in a hole on the lot. The cost of hauling the homes to a construction area of a landfill was obscene, and that was assuming none of the homes have asbestos in them. Land in incorporated areas is a nightmare, and it's basically impossible to remove incorporated land back out into the county, because the city wants the tax revenue, especially in cities that have horrible tax revenue problems.

The only idea I had to fix the tax burden problem was to not pay the property taxes, and continue to buy the property tax lien back at every tax auction. I think the only way that would be possible is if you had the support of the community to enforce "Penny Auctions" I decided that I wasn't going to pour that much time and energy into a piece of land that I'd have to constantly worry about losing.

Best of luck to you if you decide to pursue it, but I'd strongly recommend paying more per acre for unincorporated land in an area with friendlier building codes, and zoning laws.

Just wondering if this is still underway. I'm in Mount Pleasant MI. Would love to follow your progress and meet you.
Check out YT for the main reason ICs fail to avoid that. In one year, I'll be considering a major change. I'm on db.

My name is Emily. I’m in the Saginaw area and my fiancé and me and our Daughter are looking to join the community. Is this still under way?