Intentional Communities in Indiana (Bloomington, New Harmony: work, custom home, move)

[kirkifer]

Hello,

I am wondering if there are any intentional communities established in Indiana and to what degree are they cooperative. How are they legally established and so on.

Thanks,

Kirkifer

[domergurl]

Do you mean like New Harmony Indiana?

[magellan]

Originally Posted by kirkifer

Hello,

I am wondering if there are any intentional communities established in Indiana and to what degree are they cooperative. How are they legally established and so on.

Thanks,

Kirkifer

We have one similar to that concept here in Grand Rapids. I know the guy who founded it. They are just about sold out I believe.

Newberry Place | A Grand Rapids Cohousing Community

It's the first co-housing development here in GR. I don't think I could talk my wife into it, but it's an interesting concept.

[sweetana3]

I too would love cohousing in Indiana but there are only some thinking about it and none in central Indiana. A Bloomington group dissolved. I think the low cost of housing here does not generate a big demand like the areas such as California, Boston, etc. or highly urban areas.

cohousing.org gives the most information on the movement.

[kirkifer]

Originally Posted by domergurl

Do you mean like New Harmony Indiana?

I do not guess I know much about New Harmony. Do you have a link?

Actually, I had never heard the term until I started looking into alternative energy sources after paying $350 for one month of heating last season. Yes, for a 2000 sq. ft. tract house.

My thought was a community that was receptive to properly designed, (read: aesthetically/attractive) homes with solar heating/power and wind turbines maybe one or two large communal wind turbines (1mW = 100 homes) to produce much of the needed utilities.

One of the ideas is also properly insulated well built custom homes that will be home to less transient sorts of people. The suitable location would have large trees and fresh water on site (well or spring), etc.

Conservation techniques such as plumbing in gutter drainage to cisterns/ponds for use as lawn watering, etc.

There are intentional communities with their own farms. Worrying about all of the growth hormones in the livestock and the availability of the products in crisis got me thinking. I can grow lots and lots of vegetables/fruits, etc. but it is better if the work/consumption/cost can be shared.

Maybe this is just too Utopian and will not work. Then again, setting it up properly might make it happen. Are there any opinions out there?

[billman5000]

here ya go !

Communities Directory Online[state_prov]=Indiana

watch out for cults:

Communities Directory: Padanaram Settlement

[kirkifer]

Originally Posted by billman5000

here ya go !

Communities Directory Online[state_prov]=Indiana

watch out for cults:

Communities Directory: Padanaram Settlement

Cults?

Yep, that is part of the stigma associated with such ideas.

[dumpstermcnuggets]

Originally Posted by domergurl

Do you mean like New Harmony Indiana?

I think what the poster is looking for is 'communal/intentional/co-housing' communities, as mentioned on the 2-3 websites that other posters have talked about. They obviously aren't talking about historical Shaker communities that may've, for all I know, had some similarities to the intentional housing concept, such as New Harmony, Indiana(which btw, I have heard of New Harmony, but sadly have never gotten around to visiting there).

If it makes you feel any better domergurl, I've never heard of this movement either, but more power to them if they like it.

[kirkifer]

Originally Posted by dumpstermcnuggets

I think what the poster is looking for is 'communal/intentional/co-housing' communities, as mentioned on the 2-3 websites that other posters have talked about.

What I am interested in mainly are any communities practicing some amount of self-sufficiency. This obviously would require a group of people with similar ideas, values, goals, etc.

One of my primary motivations is to get away from dependence on fossil fuels. This way, myself and others in the community would be much less subject to the violent swings in the fossil fuel markets that are causing so much strife the world over. If a community farm could be established, then I am okay with that too.

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by kirkifer

What I am interested in mainly are any communities practicing some amount of self-sufficiency. This obviously would require a group of people with similar ideas, values, goals, etc.

One of my primary motivations is to get away from dependence on fossil fuels. This way, myself and others in the community would be much less subject to the violent swings in the fossil fuel markets that are causing so much strife the world over. If a community farm could be established, then I am okay with that too.

They are called the Amish. Not to be smug, but you are defining what the Amish practice. They live in groups (entire groups have been known to pull up stakes and move to another community together), they take care of each other in times of need. They have communal telephones, they use horse or people power ... no cars or motorized vehicles.