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  • From: Uriel <uriel@nasalam.org>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] artificial families? commune way of living
  • Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 08:11:03 -0500

Paul,
I have enormous respect for the job you do with this list in expanding all our knowledge of living on the land in an intelligent and productive way. But I must question how well you understand the community movement. Having been involved with community for 35 years I've seen a lot and think I've gained some understanding of why communities seem to have had limited success. The biggest single handicap that I've observed (and my own prejudice shows here, I'm sure) is that in order to live in community you have to be able to relinquish many of the concepts of ownership and control that are basic to capitalist philosophy. I do believe that we are seeing the beginning of the demise of international corporate capitalism and that its collapse will result in many changes, eventually, in how the survivors view those concepts.

BTW, you sneer at communities that only have 3 or 4 members. Do you sneer at families that have only 2 or 3 children as failures to reproduce more abundantly? We in community have the luxury of choosing our families and it's an ongoing process that can lead to immensely rewarding experiences and relationships. I would not for anything trade it for the confining environment of the nuclear family that has devolved from the traditional extended family tribal grouping. It is that sense of the tribe that many of us are searching to reproduce as best we can.

Uriel / SW Missouri

TradingPostPaul wrote:
Doing more checking to see if there are agricultural ICs I missed in the
past. Going through the "A"s, I find Alpha Farm at Deadwood, Oregon, and
it looks promising. Been around since 1970. Then I scroll down and see they
have a grand total of 4 adults.
http://directory.ic.org/records/?action=view&page=view&record_id=34 .


They include upscale real estate developments like
http://www.altadore.com/covenants.html . Alchemy Farm is an elite
development on Cape Cod
http://directory.ic.org/records/?action=view&page=view&record_id=3878
.
And here's Bear Creek Farms
http://directory.ic.org/records/?action=view&page=view&record_id=1555
:
"Couples and homeschooled children in wholistic resolve! No pacifist,
religious guru, racist, dopers, TV, caffeine, booze, sugar, or para
military types. We're happy in the 16th century & prepared with high tech
in town apartments over our health food store, martial arts & gym. We enjoy
a pristine aquifer, abundant solar, family wholesome videos * huge library
of alternative medical. We own the ultimate tools, equipment,
blacksmithing, timber-framing, construction items necessary. Our strictly
organic orchard-refuge sanctuary is in a million acre private timber
preserve, off the electric grid. We're into Amish buggies, non-electric
items, and ready for when "Mad Max" strikes. We enjoy 4,300 miles of
Pacific Ocean that purifies our air at 3,400 ft eleveation set in neat
meadows — ideal for: alpacas, horses, cats, dogs, all the critters for
gardening. Accomplished artist, craftsmen, and writers will marvel at how
well set up our studios are for such. A concise rundown on your individual
spirituality is a must, together with what you'll bring that will enhance
this micro community. Best to come with a self-contained home on wheels and
be ready to assist in finalization of our huge community structure (half
completed)."

They have 4 adults.
I give up. Maybe it's the urge to live close to people we have something in
common with. Or lesser motives. In a past age we had extended families for
a support network, many were born and died in one place, they knew each
other, they had a sense of place. But do artificial families - ICs or
communes, whatever - take the place of real families? You're born into a
family of some kind, you'll always be in that family no matter how far away
or estranged. In ICs you opt in, you opt out. Usually you put up money to
join or pass some trial period.
We do need community, don't we. We need to know people where we live, not
like the city where you get lost until you join something and pay your
dues. We need people we can work with, swap with, help out and go to for
help. And just enjoy good times. We need family though. Working and living
on the land can be a dreary time without other people involved.
paul, tradingpost@riseup.net



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