Hello to those reading this. This is my first post on this site, and I regrettably have only recently become active here.
I will start off with the short version, then continue with the longer version.
The short:
We (mainly myself and my wife), are moving to Missouri (SW to SC) this year with the goal of finding land on which to start building an off-grid life. Though we will if left with no choice, embark alone, we would much rather be going into it with a core group of like-minded individuals/couples/families who are serious about pursuing this life. So we're looking for others who are interested in and committed to finding land together and building a life there, which, God-willing, will grow beyond just our generation.
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The long:
First, a quick introduction (which always feels awkward and difficult for me but nonetheless):
I'm 33, and my wife is 23. We currently live in Colorado. We are Christians. We enjoy the outdoors – hiking, backpacking, bushcrafting, foraging wild edibles and medicinal plants, hunting, etc. We love gardening and growing food, and my wife has learned a lot about herbal medicine, mushrooms, and caring for trees. I have a wide variety of interests and skills, but I mainly enjoy working with my hands. I love to create and build just about anything, but particularly more primitive crafts and methods. I don't think we can call ourselves experts on anything, but we're always striving to learn more.
We love connecting with people (though I am the more extroverted between the two of us), and ultimately I think the people are what really matter. I believe we as humans are meant to live in community, and that within the context of a close loving community is where we are able to live out the best and fullest version of ourselves.
And that's really the main thing we seek, is community. Everything else, in my view, is just a means to sustain that community.
What we want to create (in a nutshell):
In the earlier stages, a small group of individuals and/or families living in multiple small homes (or one large one) with shared common spaces such as a communal kitchen, dining area, hangout areas, firepit, etc.
Off-grid power sources for electrical needs, but also living with no electricity when and where reasonable.
Growing, raising, and hunting as much of our own food as possible
In the long-term, my dream would be to see the community grow to around 30 people, and perhaps eventually to 100. These are not random numbers and there are a sociological reasons for why 30 to 100 people is the ideal range for a “tribe” or community. Too much less, and the workload-to-reward ratio is tougher, and when you get much beyond 100, it becomes much harder to maintain a cohesive community and conflicts are harder to manage.
I see permaculture being an important component of the whole thing. Lots of fruit and nut trees, and other perennials, then our annuals. Ideally all irrigated from a pond and/or creek diversion or other method that requires no power.
Raising various kinds of animals for food and other purposes.
I see us continually improving our spaces and the land, and using regenerative farming techniques.
I see the place also becoming a sort of retreat center, where churches and other groups can come to hold events and spend time together, or rent out space for camping and airbnb. I would also see us running classes teaching a number of different skills – anything from welding to wilderness survival to herbal medicine, etc.
I see us spending our days working, laughing, crying, and eating together, and being involved in the greater surrounding community as much as we can.
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As for you:
In the beginning, I imagine us starting with a core group of 5 to 10 people. These people must be like-minded (by that I'm not saying that we're all clones, but we agree in the ways that really matter, and have generally similar world-views, perspectives, and goals) and serious enough to dedicate their time, energy, and money towards what we're trying to build.
If you resonate with any of the following , then perhaps you would be interested in reaching out and taking things to the next step.
You may be in the right place if -
You are not contented with your current way of life. You think about your typical day-to-day life (which perhaps involves commutes to a 9-5 job, grocery store trips, rushing to do errands, lots of screens, little time for hobbies, less time outdoors, and most of all - a lack of community and time spent in meaningful connection), and are not content with continuing that forever.
- You're tired of being so busy with "life" that you have no time left to really live. Time for the things which matter more.
- You see the problems with our hyper-individualistic, lonely culture, and understand that it is contrary to human nature, that we are meant to truly live life with others. You want to spend more time with others and have deeper relationships and more shared experiences.
- You see the problems with our reliance on the industrial food systems, and want to establish freedom and independence by being more self-reliant with your food procurement
- You have connected the dots and see the direction society is moving, and you wish to establish a safeguard for your children and provide an alternate way of life for them.
- You understand that the lifestyle we seek (off-grid, homesteading, living in community, etc) is not necessarily easier. That it will require a lot of hard work and dedication, but that the potential rewards will make it worth it in the long-run and have the potential to provide far more fulfillment than our current way of life.
What we're we're looking for land:
We love many things about Colorado (mainly the climate and the mountains, and the amount of public land), however we have slowly come to the realization that the life we want to create will likely never be possible in Colorado because of land costs, water rights, and other practical issues. Which is why we zoned in on the Ozarks, and eventually southern Missouri specifically.
What we're looking for in land:
-Probably a bare minimum of 20 acres, but more is certainly preferable as funds allow (the more people we have to contribute, the more we can theoretically get)
-At least one reliable water source, preferably a river/creek that flows year-round, but having a spring, a well, and/or a pond as well is obviously a plus (ponds can be built, and wells dug, but a river can't really be made).
-I personally would prefer mostly wooded, and my reasoning is this: it's an available resource for building (I plan to build my own house with traditional timber frame techniques), and it's easier to make there be less trees than to make there be more trees, simply put. The soil will likely require amendment regardless.
-Terrain which allows for reasonable construction of gravity-fed irrigation techniques and houses, etc. (not just a narrow strip on a steep hill with a creek at the bottom, for example)
-Within an hour, perhaps 2 hours max of Springfield, since that is where we plan to live untilable to transition to living full-time there
-no building codes or weird zoning restrictions that would be a hindrance to us building off-grid housing, and raising animals, or anything else we would reasonably want to do.
-A big plus would be bordering national forest
As I close, understand that I'm the first to admit I don't have it all figured out (and probably never will), and in my book that's ok, and I don't expect you to have all the answers either.
I'm sure there's a lot I left out or didn't think of at the time of writing this, but hopefully I've at least communicated my vision enough for a basic understanding.
Now, if you've read this far and you're thinking that anything you've read sounds to “fanciful”, that it's just not realistic, that's fine but you're probably not what we're looking for right now.
Right now I'm not interested in those who want to make excuses for why this can't be made a reality. I'm interested in connecting with those who want to find reasons why it CAN be done. I'm looking for those who are bold enough to dream beyond what others tell them is possible.
One thing that I feel is worth mentioning: While I've never personally visited any of the other intentional communities, ecovillages, etc that I've encountered online, I often get the impression that they may not be particularly gun-friendly (I could be wrong). I do believe that this is a very important aspect. I strongly believe in the “warrior poet” ideology, that good men must also be dangerous men. I think having weapons not only for hunting, but also having men who are armed and proficient and of good character, who are able and willing to protect person and property is essential to any community. Without that, you're ultimately at the mercy of evil and malicious men. So if that makes you at all uncomfortable, then you may not be the right fit.
If you're still interested, please reach out to me and tell me briefly about yourself, why you're interested, what your vision is, and what skills, knowledge, and resources you can bring to the table, or ask any questions you'd like.
