Jae Lowell

Tomas Mansfield wrote:

I wrote this "book" to say this:  Owners, vet your workers.  We have several people that know how well we work, including our neighbors here (who we're on excellent terms with).  And workers - vet the owners.  There's nothing like getting settled and things start going downhill as you discover that the owner is a con artist (or a womanizing pig).

And to both workers and owners - get everything in writing!

I'm sorry for your garbage experience. Theirs garbage no matter where you go. I have been in management for the past 20 years and I plan to bring some of how I run a things at work to the plate as well. I vet all my employees, interview and all and then they are on probation for the first month or so just in case it's not a good fit. I appreciate you sharing your experience.

Alicia Reed wrote:

Let me know what you think and we can chat more to see if we are compatible for sharing this project. Good luck!

We can for sure chat more. My wife and I aren't quite ready to do it just yet. We are currently a year out on our lease for where we live now so we are taking the time to practice gardening techniques, building techniques, saving money, taking classes on green energy and anything else we can get our hands on.

Cimarron Layne wrote:

I appreciate your sentiment and understand you're just trying to warn me of how bad it can go. My wife and I have been through very hard times, we got this. <3

I sat on this message all day before I sent it because I was afraid I sound like an A-hole. Sorry if I do.

No, Jae, you don't sound like an A-hole, but you do sound very defensive.  We have pretty much the same skill set and apparently have done the same research into eco-communities, etc.  I've visited several but didn't find one I'd want to live in, so decided to start my own.  I've learned from this fiasco that compatibility is crucial.  So is communication.  Hopefully you are better equipped to deal with all sorts of people than I am.  I doubt I'll try this experiment again because I'm too old and set in my ways.  I'd rather do it alone or hire an occasional worker than build a community.  Maybe when I get out of this mess and get my earth bermed passive solar house built, I'll try hosting WWOOFers or mentor an apprentice or two, but won't take on any more long term commitments.  Good luck with your start-up community.  I wish you well.

Well, glad I'm not coming off that way. I'm not defensive either, just an observation. I have nothing to defend, lol. I love Earth bermed passive solar houses. Thats where I plan to start. :-)

Alder Burns wrote:There is a pretty wide literature now around intentional community, ic.org is a good place to start. I've spent a good part of my adult life in community settings of various sorts, and there are a few ways that it can succeed, and rather more ways to crash it, some of them spectacular.  Cimarron's story above is probably one of many many that could be heard and mined for their lessons.  Do the research.  If I were you I would try to visit some already existing communities...that website is searchable by keyword and location.  If possible stay a while, as in a few days at least, and try to get a feel for them.  Most smaller communities are usually happy to host helpful visitors, especially if they are game to camp or bring some $ or stuff to share; in exchange for helping out on the day's work, of which there is always too much.  Ask people what it's really like, especially if you find yourself one-on-one.  

Hey Alder, thanks for the information. I am actually on IC.org and I have been doing a lot of research for years and grew up around a lot of people who were into this lifestyle. I have helped my Grandparents farm, I built houses, I have been in a plethora of industries that have given me a lot of helpful skills. I am okay with failing because the only way to learn is to fail. The worst that can happen is I go back to life before but more wiser. I have noticed though, A lot of the people around the community are very discouraging, not saying that your intentions are bad. Obviously you and Cimarron are just trying to help and make sure people don't end up in these situations. But, to be fair, you have no clue what my background is, where I came from, the information I have or what I have done in my life. Why not welcome people and let them know that there are resources available? My ultimate goal is to create a resource center, both physically and digitally, of easily accessible information, how-tos, videos, classes, everything that one might need to know so that when they do enter this world they don't end up having these horrible experiences that completely put them off of a sustainable, eco friendly lifestyle. Because ultimately, it's about making the world better for everyone and the more people who can be convinced that this life is obtainable, and in some cases, if you just want to reduce your carbon footprint and get off the grid and don't care about growing your own food, it can be very easy with the right knowledge. I know this is the goal of sites like this as well, but one more couldn't hurt.

Again, I appreciate your sentiment and understand you're just trying to warn me of how bad it can go. My wife and I have been through very hard times, we got this. <3

I sat on this message all day before I sent it because I was afraid I sound like an A-hole. Sorry if I do.

This is incredibly useful, Thank you. I am in love with rocket mass heaters.

Thanks for the long thought out response Cimarron Layne. I appreciate all the advice. Also, those people sound truly awful, sorry you had to deal with that.

My wife and I plan to start this by ourself. I am saving up and have an inheritance coming to me. It just seems like the right time. After we get ourselves set up we plan to have an entire process for choosing people who live on our land, not in the same house as us. We will have a shared central area and they will have to sign a lease agreement that will outline some basic rules and responsibilities. Just run it as a business.

As for the Vermont thing. We really have our hearts set on Vermont. It's just fitting to our personalities. We have thought about the growing season and we are hoping to get a greenhouse that is heated by geothermal and thermal mass in the winter so we can grow all year. It's done in some Northern states by a hand full of people and their winters are pretty harsh. We will take your words to heart though and consider it when making our final decision. <3

Hey everyone!

Let me introduce myself. I am Jae, my family and I live on the west coast but seriously want to escape the madness of wildfires and overcrowding. We have been researching eco, sustainable living and building techniques for some time and are ready to pull the trigger. I have built houses in the past and look forward to building more in the future. We are currently researching land to purchase in Vermont so we can get the ball rolling. We plan on building houses similar to earth ships but using cob instead of wood and cement. We hope to build a community on the land and have the community be a part of educating people on this lifestyle and show that you can live comfortably off grid with little impact on the environment and have a much more fulfilling life as well. I hope to chat with people in this community and build some long lasting friendships.