Anyone want to help start a small, family-friendly village/community in SW Missouri Ozarks?

This is a tentative question at the moment--we don't have any concrete ideas about who or what we want, but my husband and I have kicked around the idea of having a family (possibly 2 or 3) or young couple(s) to come out and live on our land and be part of making it into an organic, permaculture heaven with lots of pristine natural spaces for wildlife, quiet walking and contemplation (with the area for homes and communal gardens limited to about 10 of the 75 acres we own in SW Missouri). We live adjacent to many thousands of acres of Mark Twain national forest near Hercules Glade Wilderness as well and within walking distance (about a mile or so) of Bull Shoals Lake--so plenty of recreational and foraging opportunities. My grown-up sons are city boys with lives of their own and no interest in living here, and we have no plans to leave the land to them. So ...

If you are a young(er) person, couple or family with a true love of Mother Earth and all her creatures great and small, preferably vegan or vegetarian, non-smokers (definitely NO drugs beyond legal medications and alcohol in moderation) and you would like to help create a village along the lines of those people used to have--where everyone had their own private space but worked in cooperation with everyone else to do whatever was needed (gardening, fence-mending, trail-clearing, child-rearing, and schooling, building, preserving the harvest, etc.) shoot me a pm and lets talk.

Like I said, we haven't worked out how we want to do this yet--this is the planning stage. We just want to know that this place will go on being a safe haven for wild things when we are dead and buried and that it won't be chopped into lots with trailers or condos on it. We need someone or some entity we can trust to leave it to. (Like a community land trust of some sort.) Help us work something out that we can all love, cherish and be proud of.


By the way, I have a lot of posts on this website, so if you want to know more about me/us before contacting me, you might want to go read some of those.

Does this mean that your sons will be completely disinherited, because they don't wish to farm? What happens, if later in life they decide that they would like to spend some time out there?

My daughters are in their twenties, and neither have shown great interest in my place, except when I mentioned moving there with a partner. Just last month, my daughter and I talked about the possibility of creating an educational facility out there. She is a teacher. Sometimes, family dynamics change

Dale Hodgins wrote:Does this mean that your sons will be completely disinherited because they don't wish to farm? What happens, if later in life they decide that they would like to spend some time out there?

My daughters are in their twenties, and neither have shown great interest in my place, except when I mentioned moving there with a partner. Just last month, my daughter and I talked about the possibility of creating an educational facility out there. She is a teacher. Sometimes, family dynamics change

Thanks for your interest in my family affairs, but believe me, my sons are not being mistreated in any way. They are both in their 40s with homes of their own and they have zero interest in this place. I have offered it to them many times--always with the caveat that they cannot sell it except with a specific conservation easement in place. They do NOT want it or the headache of dealing with an easement. If we died without a will (or something already in place to protect this land from development), it would likely be sold by the courts and the proceeds divided between them. We love this place and we don't want that to happen. My sons understand and agree. They did not grow up here so it means little to nothing to them.

We have also considered leaving it to a local conservation group. Our only goal is to ensure it stays wild, not to cheat anyone out of an inheritance. However, you can't make someone accept something they don't want.

Welcome to the family.  There are more of us here.  Hmm are you already connected in to the other homesteaders and land owners in the area?  It's funny people bought land out here and in some cases didn't meet other like minded individuals for their 1st 3 years out here, some that ended up being located 20 mins away.  If your not dialed into the "progressive network" more lights in the darkness I like to say, I can keep you up on events to attend to make the rounds.  ...Oh your quite far.  I don't know anyone that lives south of ava.  Maybe you know but once a year there's a regional gathering called oacc.  It's $50 to attend 3 day event meals included.  Good way to meet extend groups of people that live out here.  

Josh everhart wrote:Welcome to the family.  There are more of us here.  Hmm are you already connected in to the other homesteaders and land owners in the area?  It's funny people bought land out here and in some cases didn't meet other like minded individuals for their 1st 3 years out here, some that ended up being located 20 mins away.  If your not dialed into the "progressive network" more lights in the darkness I like to say, I can keep you up on events to attend to make the rounds.  ...Oh your quite far.  I don't know anyone that lives south of ava.  Maybe you know but once a year there's a regional gathering called oacc.  It's $50 to attend 3 day event meals included.  Good way to meet extend groups of people that live out here.  

I'm sorry Josh, and no offense intended, but I really have no idea what you're talking about. Welcome to what "family"? More of who, here? What is OACC, and what extended groups are you referring to? By the way, we've lived here 25 years and I am from Missouri originally (closer to St. Louis) so I'm not exactly a newbie. I am interested in what you are saying, but I just don't understand it. Could you be a bit more specific? Thanks! :)

There has been a number of people who have come here and bought land.  They call them selves transplants, they are homesteaders (progressive hippies) wanting to grow food and be stewards of the land.  It's a loose network of like minded people.  Figured you were one too that maybe didn't know of others out here.  oacc is an acronym, not sure for what, but it's a gathering once a year where us like minded individuals get together from far places and catch up, host talks on sustainability or harvesting mushrooms or whatever.  You could probably find it online.  It's a way to be connected in.

Josh everhart wrote:There has been a number of people who have come here and bought land.  They call them selves transplants, they are homesteaders (progressive hippies) wanting to grow food and be stewards of the land.  It's a loose network of like minded people.  Figured you were one too that maybe didn't know of others out here.  oacc is an acronym, not sure for what, but it's a gathering once a year where us like minded individuals get together from far places and catch up, host talks on sustainability or harvesting mushrooms or whatever.  You could probably find it online.  It's a way to be connected in.

Hi Josh,

I did a quick search on the acronym and it pulled up a tech company. So ... I knew that wasn't right, and tried adding Ozark before ACC and found it! It stands for Ozark Area Community Congress. It looks like a fantastic resource based on the limited amount of time I had to skim through the website. I have been following up some links from that site to some other great resources as well, and it looks like I am going to have a lot to look at and think about. I think I may actually try to attend the annual meeting too. It sounds like it would be a great experience. Thanks so much for the info!!!

Hmm, the OACC does look interesting, I got on their mailing list too!

Yes i am interested, i Cant do much work physically. Im trying to find land i can live on and eventually be self sustainable. Doesit have a creek or River? Have you looked into micro hydro power? Id líke to discuss it with you my email is rosegardner373@Gmail.com i Will give you my cell number.

Also, there os a group in Facebook that is looking for land in  the Missouri ozarks to create a sustainable community but im in so many groups it Will take me awhile to find it

That group has since moved to the northeast I found out.

Michelle Peterson wrote:Yes i am interested, i Cant do much work physically. Im trying to find land i can live on and eventually be self sustainable. Doesit have a creek or River? Have you looked into micro hydro power? Id líke to discuss it with you my email is rosegardner373@Gmail.com i Will give you my cell number.

Michelle, We don't want to exclude people merely because they are not in perfect physical condition (I would have to exclude myself if that was the case!) but at this stage of the project, where we are in every sense "building" a community, it is going to be necessary for everyone to do a lot of physical labor constructing the architecture of the place (not only housing, but community spaces, fences, gardens, etc.) and being unable to contribute to that would leave little else for you to do. Later on, there may be less physically demanding work, but at the moment, there isn't really a lot for someone to do that is primarily sedentary. I will discuss it with you further in a private message. As for creek or river ... yes, there is a small, seasonal creek and we have a lot of fens (seeps) and springs on the place, but those tend to be seasonal as well. Unfortunately, there would be no way to create hydro-power, however much we might wish for it. Solar is our best bet, but wind is also a distinct possibility.

Sent you a pm

I just wanted to expand the idea.... as I have the same.... even clearer: I have no children, and I want the land to go on living! I even think there should be an international project joining older and younger folks for permaculture continuity!

Not everybody has children, not everybody has children who want to continue the parents' project, and land tenders want their place to stay in good hands.
Some people lack the land and the money for their dreams...

That should make a nice far-reaching project.... "Mutual adoptions"!!! I am ready to "adopt" children in their 30's!

Senior lady that has lived off grid has lived on a creek used a ram pump for water added to 69 pigs on 5 Acres I now have 6 maybe 7 or 8 goats by the time someone responds to me because mine are breeding right now so these are Nubians and right now I have two in milk I would be interested in joining a homestead that could accommodate my goats I've done some aqua culture heugelculture culture gardening my entire life I recently used a shovel to stop a murder so I'm looking for a quiet Homestead with at least a female there. We run the Appalachian range but open to other areas. Drug free but have made wine on previous caretaking job, also do propagation. Have done extensive greenhouse work like to eat fresh all year, seedsaver as well. Paint sew can put up some types of fencing, can homeschool littleones, enjoy teaching painting and cake decorating also. Taught my eldest how to cook grandson describes his fathers cooking as awesome. Fishing is a hobby i love, especially trout.  Worked for more than 1 alternative practitioner natural healing and clean living for me is best. Grandma shovel and goats can travel.

Hey its my dream to have everything you describe. I'm a vegan and passionate about growing organic plants. I'm in very good physical condition and would love helping build or whatever is needed. I want a community of people who value nature as much as myself. Id love to join

I am vegan and have been so for over eight years and was vegetarian before that for half a dozen years. I don't drink alcohol and have not done so for even much longer. I don't ever smoke and would avoid any who are smoking. I want to grow vegetation for food and for all things needed that can be had from vegetation. I collect seeds for growing for this where I can do so. I want to be in a place with others who are doing this, and if it is a sure thing, Missouri would be alright for this. It is not great to stay with civilization as the world is worsening quickly with it.

Family of 4 in the Ozarks seeking community/farm/ranch/greenhouse
Andy: 417-293-7473

I'd really like to speak if you're still looking

Just wondering if a community was started. My family is looking to buy some land in SW Missouri and be more self sustainable.

Alicia Budz wrote:I'd really like to speak if you're still looking

have you found a community yet? Send me a message