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[VAN DELL JORDAN <vdjor AT yahoo.com>]

The Amish-type community is sort of like what I am
suggesting.  It is the type of community that my
parents and grandparents grew up in.  In the case of
my ancestors they were able to make a living on small
farm operations. (medium 20-40 acres for gparents, 
40-80 for parents).  They really didn't do anything
communally but just helped the neighbors and neighbors
helped them so work and resources were shared.  
Just brainstorming here.  Start with an area with
small acreages in proximity and encourage interested
people to move.  To create this community purchase a 
larger parcel of land and subdivide it appropriate
sized parcels then try to find buyers who are
interested in homesteading.  One way to discourage
yuppies would be with deed restrictions limiting the
size of a house or the amount of lawn that could be
mowed, or private roads that would not be built to
suburban standards.
For this to work it would still require the right
people and some would not work out so well, just like
rural areas of 5 generations ago there would be some
co-operators and some not.  But I'm guessing it would
be easier to ignore the non cooperators in this model.


--- "Lisa K.V. Perry" <lisakvperry AT gmail.com> wrote:

> On 6/21/07, VAN DELL JORDAN <vdjor AT yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > Instead of commune type organization, perhaps a
> > community.  I'm thinking of a number of properties
> > close or even adjacent.  If your next door
> neighbor
> > was interested in sharing chores / trading work
> that
> > might homestead life much better.  If the neighbor
> > turned out to be a dud, it would be no different
> than
> > any other neighbor who is a dud.
> 
> 
> This is what most of the IC's are in Floyd County.
> They may or may not have
> a common house where they share a couple meals a
> week, but they co-garden
> and share maintenance on the property both in effort
> and with expenses. They
> own one tractor, bush hog or dozer among the whole
> community.
> 
> The IC we are the most interested in is on 100+
> private acres with a huge
> pond and frontage on a river, they co-garden and
> live independently (you
> take over an existing cabin or house if one is
> available or build your own,
> or bring a yurt), and share 2 meals per week (not
> mandatory). They are also
> just 4 mi. from town on a state maintained but not
> very busy road. This
> sounds good to us. Since we've lived here for 8
> years, we know everyone that
> lives there and have been to potluck parties they've
> had in the past on the
> Solstices. We don't mind pitching in with gardening
> or yard maintenance, we
> actually like to work outside, we just don't think
> we're cut out to take
> care of 36 acres, lots of fruit trees, blueberries
> and our own big garden by
> ourselves. My husband wants to gig on weekends.
> 
> My husband says the drawback is the lack of complete
> privacy. I tell him he
> could throw on a towel around his mid-section if he
> needs to get clean
> laundry off the line in summer. Then remind him that
> he wouldn't have to
> prune fruit trees anymore, ha!
> 
> We're also interested in moving to a place where
> every one has a separate
> house on a small plot of land and a large commons
> area, with walking trails
> and a co-garden shared among all. Lots of these
> communities being built here
> and there.
> 
> Gene, maybe a "homesteaders subdivision" might be a
> > project for a reformed real estate professional. 
> One
> > who does not have the "max out" mentality of
> > developers.
> 
> 
> The wave of the future?
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