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  • From: Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Jersey cows
  • Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:04:31 -0700

The lesson I've learned from observing the plans and attempts at community
over many years is that people think joining a community will make up for their
weaknesses and deficits. The opposite is true, it will all such to light and
test them sorely.

Certainly such is often the case in what is called "intentional communities," of which there are hundreds in America, some tiny (city apartment buildings), some large (The Farm in Tennessee). Many start up each year and most fail or change substantially from their initial direction. Often they are simply a large landowner's way of marketing their land.

I wrote: Community does not come without direction or planning. It must be
created and nourished.

Sometimes trying to use fewest words backfires, although if it leads to meaningful discussion then I feel successful. In this case I was too terse. The direction and planning that I think of is less conscious organizing and agreement than individuals seeing that helping neighbors makes sense--if for no other reason than that in an emergency your nearest neighbors may well be your lifeline. Which brings to mind a specific example, the network of volunteer fire departments scattered throughout my Ozark County. I think of nourishing community as simply being good neighbors, sharing challenges and solutions. It must be a conscious condition, like any relationship, to last, it must be attended to. I grew up with that kind of community in an area of Wisconsin dairy farms. I am fortunate to have something similar in my part of the Missouri Ozarks, an area of small-to-large landholdings, of long-time farmers and urban refugees.

I have never desired to be part of an intentional community. I need full freedom in my daily activities and require rising or falling according to my personal choices and efforts. I do not even mesh well with homeowner's associations. For some people planned/intentional communities are excellent. In my Ozark County there is a successful intentional community called East Wind. Through smart planning and strong efforts of members some years ago they are now a very successful community. You may have eaten some of their nut butters.




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