Agristin Mills

@Jim:

You might have already learned much more about the second model than have I.

So I really can't comment much. All I know is that when one person holds the cards for selling people plots of land (with no alternative to buying-in such as renting or caretaking only) I feel the contradiction already.

The privacy factor would be a detriment to the need for sharing. And what happens when community projects are met with apathy because, well, if people have all they need on their "private plot", why bother with the larger community at all?

At Dancing Rabbit in Missouri there is a more sophisticated mix of models, including prolonged work-exchange sessions where people pay nothing but get to live and work there. Also some people rent a room in their rooming house because they can't afford to build a private house. Others build houses and there is a tremendous variety in types of homes and the expenses involved.

But ALL must contribute to the community's well being involving dozens of kinds of projects. If they don't do that, they can't be a member at all. They also contribute financially.

Personally I recommend this kind of model. The emphasis is on the ability to join up regardless of personal income and that is a huge plus if you ask me. Once the person is there the rest can shake out and does or the person disappears.

I believe Dancing Rabbit operates on the Community Land Trust model (the first basic model I mentioned) If a person gets a plot and invests in a house they can sell but only if the buyer succeeds in perpetuating the work and concept of the IC itself. But the original land
was purchased outright by a few IC professionals a couple of decades ago and has gradually expanded. That is because the community itself can grow and prosper from all the work members contribute collectively. It is a good place with a solid theoretical foundation and lots of learning going on all the time. And a rare success. Nonetheless they are always in need of new members.

A MAJOR concern these days is total personal expenses. I am sorry to have to say this but similar to the phenomenon of RV parks, campgrounds and the housing shortage, prices have increased in these places to be almost equivalent to average apartment rentals.

The same thing is happening in co-housing projects and other IC projects so if you don't have portable work with a substantial income you will be priced out of the IC movement entirely...and that is with FEW exceptions. The smaller Social security pensions rarely are sufficient.

At The Farm in Tennessee, some long time respected senior members were allowed to build little cabins on community (not privately owned) land, only to find out the larger community planned and succeeded behind their backs...to take back those houses without buying them! The excuse was they were needed for the Farm's now famous home-birthing work. So much for the battle between the generations and why cooperative living can maybe mitigate that!!! So you always must research carefully before plunging in.

Gone are the days when people could buy a small farm or plot of land and invite any and all to join up and watch the results. Mostly they are long gone and forgotten for good reasons.

But people still have a right to dream, and so I suggest reading up the publications of the Federation for International Community and find out why the various models work better or less well...before deciding how to proceed.

These days everything is getting harder, at least all virtuous activity, and the idea of sharing to build more meaningful lives is at the FOUNDATION of all of it. It's worth the effort to get it right.

I would be interested in applying....maybe write to me at Morebeautifulquitters@gmail.com??

If I hear from you then I can move ahead and answer any questions you have of me.

Thank you.

@Jim Dee....

A successful intentional community is built on trust and mutual respect and a clear and FAIR business plan. And now there are two major competing business plans for such projects and one is built on Community Land Trust and basic sharing, and the other one is built on the standard real estate model of buying your own plot and building your own dwelling but after that,  the person doing the selling usually has more to gain than the buyers for obvious reasons. So this feels to me like the same old isolating, private-property-and damn- anyone-else-model.

Everyone needs to be very aware of all these issues and more. The IC's which succeed are VERY rare. And anyone who looks at the successful ones closely can see that there is a TON of intelligence and HARD WORK going into these projects every single hour and day.

So I think I'll pass on this one. Besides the summer is a third over already.

But I am still interested in pooling resources with a few people and starting something completely equitable with some new friends in Colorado or northern NM, please feel free to respond to Morebeautifulquitters@gmail.com and tell me your hopes and dreams. I NEED THIS!!

I and the rest of us need a follow up to this post. All respondents need to know now how to proceed so please, the original writer needs to come back and connect to us so we know what to do at this point. Any others who contributed here can also talk about how to contact them as well in case the original writer does not come back. Also my email was written wrong in my other post. It is actually Morebeautifulquitters@gmail.com. I want to be part of an intentional community in northern New Mexico or southeastern/southern Colorado. Much to offer.

I read "The Man Who Planted Trees" in the eighties and today I contacted the Community for a 2 week  trial residency ;=)

Dear Homesteader,

I enjoyed your ad and would love to meet you. Morebeautifulquitters@gmail.com

Sincerely,

Joanne L

(Similar age, energetic, willing, can move soon)

I am interested in this project. Have a variety of skills (including organic gardening) and love low on the foodchain. Please contact me at Beautifulquitters.org so we can talk more ;=)....joanne

Hi Sam Sammy...and everyone!
I am also looking for some small intentional organic/permacultural community for basic shared living, so if anyone here is (still) looking still looking please drop a line a morebeautifulquitters@gmail.com
Interested in discussing community land trust and other issues. I know the history of intentional community in America. Fun loving, film-loving, reader, builder.