Homestead mailing list

["Lisa K.V. Perry" <lisakvperry AT gmail.com>]

On Sun, Dec 14, 2008 at 9:00 AM, Robert Walton <waltonrp AT gmail.com> wrote:

> Acorn is not that far from me, and I'd considered looking into it at
> one time. I'd never be able to be a vegetarian, first, but I think I'd
> go nuts in one of those where people live communally.
>

No pun intended, or perhaps it was.  ;)

Most places you either live in a large building with separate bedrooms or
you have separate housing like at Abundant Dawn.  As best I know, the group
sex stuff is a thing of the past, Bob. The people range in age from 30 - 75+
in age, with a child here and there. To all of the communities below the
word 'community' means sharing land together and living sustainably. That's
it.

At Abundant Dawn <http://www.abundantdawn.org/> the rule is you share two
meals per week together, otherwise you eat with your family in your own home
on shared land. You do not share incomes, though they used to have one group
(out of three) that did so. We know several of the people who live here,
they used to have a pot luck invitation only party every Summer and Winter
Solstice but haven't held one for a year or two.

At Light Morning <http://www.lightmorning.org/Intro/closer_look_1.htm> you
share all meals together and there are fewer individual homes but a very
spacious main house with separate bedrooms and a very large kitchen and
common area. They have one of the most spectacular gardens I've ever seen.
There is no income sharing. We know several of the people who live here,
they have an open pancake breakfast every Sunday morning from Spring to
early Fall (we go once or twice a year) and the occasional summer party.
Visitors are to bring toppings or something to share.

Floyd Co-Housing <http://directory.ic.org/21687/Floyd_Cohousing> is just
getting started. I know the people involved with it.

There are three more co-housing communities in Floyd but they are all in the
just forming stages or so 'out there' to not mention here.

There will also be a *Floyd Eco-village*, they plan to begin construction of
small, sustainable houses in 2009 on 75 acres of mostly open land (for
shared gardens, aquaculture, pasture to raise animals, orchards) about 2
miles from the center of town. We know the owners of the land and the
project, actually they are our employers (Wall Residences LLC).

Highland Haven <http://www.vahighlandhaven.org/> is truly an Airstream park
open March 1st to October 15th, which means we'd have to find a place to
winter. We think about this as an option down the road after the boys have
left home. Our home base could still be in the County, it's likely that one
or both of our boys may stay or end up here since it's their home town.

Lisa