Voluntaryists establishing TN Ecovillage/homesteads for health and economic independence.

Landhunting in TN (no restriction counties only, as we intend to use eco homes or CEB building techniques for our structures in order to have superior structures and massive lifetime savings.)

Open to having space set aside for the right people to join us, in exchange for equal value (Be it cash labor or growth)

land will be strictly organic, non chemicals. Plenty of fertility as we intend to actively manage soil fertility from the beginning, including mineralization and worm farm, rabbit and pig and chicken rotations. Eventually goats.

Open to splitting land for additional savings with the right people as well!

Most of those currently in discussion of this are fellow Voluntaryists, we seek a village culture that shares in the values of freedom. If you agree that "Taxation is Theft", and bring value, you'll fit right in.

hey, are you still searching for land? Are you fairly committed to the TN area?

Yeah, I was going to ask as well if TN is a requirement. Have you heard of the Free State Project? We have plenty of voluntaryists here now and more coming all the time. We have a good amount of folks that are into permaculture, and we're educating more. Lots of community. Right now there's bulk orders being worked out for chickens and seeds.

Hey guys,

Sorry about the late reply the website was sending my messages to an old defunct email address!

https://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/commerce/attachments/FireResidentialOptOutCounties.pdf We opted on TN for the no building code (better, cheaper homes) and decent state metrics (freedom and no state income tax, much like NH, but also warmer)

I have made some connections in the FSP and enjoy what they are doing.

Dustin,
We have sold our house in the city and are looking for a small homestead.   We are looking at Tennessee!!!   How can i find out more about your situation?  

Hey Becky.

I found a few other 'voluntaryists' types and we bought land in lawrence county TN, outside the city limits.

No building code in this county, as in about half of TN's rural counties, esp the more west you go and south you go.

I'd love to help with any questions you have, about TN, (i am from NC myself, so weather is similar and culture is just more appallachian)


I did most of the homework for you, I'll send you a private message as well with my email.

Update: month 2 off grid in rural Tennessee, loving it. Carving a home out in the forest. What an experience. Just my wife and I on land so far and a baby on the way!

Kudos and congratulations Dustin.

let me know if any more land in your  area comes up for sale.   I am still looking for land ....finding myself near Bowling Green KY.   But really liked Lawrence CO and Lewis CO TN!  

Becky

It seems like a great country town here and I enjoy simple living, Internet is harder to get but a good cellphone plan and signal booster or satellite net work. Are you looking to homestead alone or in community? Land is fairly cheap around here and no building codes in many counties. We want to find just a few more people or families who bring something to the table, be it contributing funds towards the ecovillage (I steer away from the word rent as the goal is really to find people to join our community who mesh with us, but how else other than getting to know them over time?) or bringing skills and labor into the mix towards those goals. We want it to be about shared experience and bringing value to one another and maybe even cooperative businesses to pay the bills. We are looking forward to establishing a plentiful permaculture landscape and potlucks and movie nights and sharing the laughter and the tears of this thing Called life.

Dustin,   I think we are on the same page. I think my first choice would be to have good neighbors that are also interested in living lightly on the earth.   But I certainly have given lots of thought to joining a community.   What have you got there that you say you are interested in bringing in new people?

Yes internet and even cellular is difficult for us on the road.   But maybe we could arrange a visit?

Becky

It's very rough and in beginning stages but there is strength in numbers I have spoken to the others in group about letting like valued people rent a place on the land and see if they mesh well with us and from there if everyone likes the idea moving to a permanent 99 year lease. We have agreed to that desire but not discussed specifics (if have to do that with them too) but I imagine that as long as your contributing to the community in some way and not bringing strife or risks you'd fit in well. If this interests you let me know and I'll try to figure out a way to do a group discussion and set up a time for you guys to visit.

See our IC.org Community Post here - http://www.ic.org/advert/voluntaryist/

"Our community is young, with only a few families having bought into a piece of land in central Tennessee (abundant natural resources, no state income tax, low cost of living, and no building codes in this county make for ease and simplicity in low cost eco housing, plentiful jobs and low unemployment rate in nearby areas – predominantly conservative culture)

We share the values of Voluntaryism (www.Voluntaryism.com) and seek to bring other like-minded (and like-valued) people into our community as we begin the long, arduous, and fun experience of building an ecovillage from the ground up. We are hoping to bring in serious people who will stick around for the long haul and be our lifelong friends neighbors and enhance our community with their skills, their voices, and their hearts. We hope to bring a healthier culture and community to our members as well as Organic NON gmo food options. (Independence from the system is a goal)

While we get to know new members through a workstay or rental program, our goal is to sort out any bad apples and bring in the best people (after all – we will be neighbors the rest of our lives quite possibly!) We are particularly hoping to attract people with a skillset in organic agriculture (especially the business side of it!) and seek to create income-producing businesses here on the land in the form of co-ops to employ members.

This is a wonderful place to live, and wonderful people involved – we hope to meet the next member of our small family soon! If you feel like you might be a fit with us, please don’t hesitate to drop us a line.

*Statement of Purpose: Voluntaryists are advocRender Notates of non-political, non-violent strategies to achieve a free society.  We reject electoral politics, in theory and in practice, as incompatible with libertarian principles. Governments must cloak their actions in an aura of moral legitimacy in order to sustain their power, and political methods invariably strengthen that legitimacy. Voluntaryists seek instead to delegitimize the State through education, and we advocate withdrawal of the cooperation and tacit consent on which State power ultimately depends.*"

Finally got a chance to update this post.

I'd love to visit at some point in the coming year. 

I have spent some time, off and on, in an intentional community called The Farm...in Summertown, TN over the last 2 years. I've taken workshops in photovoltaics, learned various forms of natural building, and even co-hosted a bottle wall workshop there. I've also spent some time at The Dancing Rabbit, near Rutledge, Missouri, this year and learned quite a bit about the governance of an intentional community, conflict resolution, non violent communication, alternative currency and natural building vs green building techniques. I've visited and work exchanged at the 1st Tennessee earthship, in Galatin,TN and also spent a weekend at The Tennessee River Arts Village,in Parsons,Tn. 


I've dedicated the past 2 years and the upcoming year to learning as much as i can about intentional communities, off grid living and natural building. I'm intending to either find a community in which i can happily exist and feel comfortable moving my family of 3 into...or finding a pc. of land in which i can build my own community. Either way,  I'm absorbing as much info and experience as i can and I'd love to visit your community perhaps this coming year.


I am a glass blower/glass artist and educator...i currently live in Memphis,TN...i identify as female, sexual orientation is lesbian, and i have a wife and one male child who is 8 years old. My website is blownfuseglassart.com, email is blownfuseglassart@hotmail.com, phone number is 901-336-6555.


Please feel free to contact me and send me any info about visiting your community, getting involved in your community,  including costs, fees, items to bring, applications to fill out, work exchange opportunities, volunteer gigs, scholarships or grants to offset costs, or anything else you think may be useful to me.  

 Thanks for your consideration,  Teresa/Fuse is my nicknane.

Hey Dustin, it's been a while since there was any activity here. Are you still looking to grow your community? If so, would you care to email me at Brandonbrown9113@gmail.com ? I'd love to hop on a call with you and get to know you a bit.

In good health,
Brandon