Commune, anyone?!!! ( trip , lease, jobs)

[ColoradoHereWeCome]

This is something I have been looking to do with my boyfriend and our friends for a LONG time. We are looking for a group of about 15-20 young adults (ages 18+) working together to live freely and happily. Ideally, we would like people around our age (your children and pets are MORE than welcome) working and living together as a family, having fun, enjoying the beauty of our earth and without having to give into the high-rising prices of living in society. Preferably, we would like to use little to no electricity and grow about 25%-50% of our own food.

As of yet, we have not worked out any annual/monthly fees but depending on the amount of people interested in helping us build this family, it may not be too much at all (this means the cost to live AT our commune would be probably under $100/month per person at the very most). Money is what should matter the LEAST here; we want this place to be as stress free as possible. There is no lease or contract involved with this.

Here is a little bit about my boyfriend and I. I am Maggie, he is Jerry. We are both twenty years old and very fun. I am looking to eventually get my license for Massage Therapy/Mental Wellness and he is just about to graduate College majoring in TV Production. We laugh a lot, love the outdoors, adore animals, we smell alright, we work hard, we make everyone laugh, we love everyone, and everyone loves us. We drink on occasion, we smoke cigarettes, and we are extremely 420 friendly (being high is fine just do it with respect for others. We don't want ANYONE to be uncomfortable or feel pressured). Mainly we are looking for an easy-going, fun, LOVING, free, respectful, happy, "all the money goes into the pot" lifestyle. The less we have to work, the more we can really live, right? Right!


We already have a few people from around the country messaging us begging to leave some room for them - is anyone else interested? We are looking to start really trying to look for land, purchase land, and move out there next Spring (around April 2009) at the latest. We have a trip to Amsterdam that starts November 7th of this year and we aren't sure how long we are staying. Until then, we are saying April 2009! If all that are interested can't afford to make the trip or pay initial fees by April then everyone bring your tents, blankets, friends, clothes, and snacks and we will see you in the mountains!!





"You may say I’m a dreamer,
But I’m not the only one.
I hope some day you’ll join us,
And the world will live as one"

[Lilybeans]

Wasn't this tried in the 60's? Aren't those people working at Ben and Jerry's now?

[ColoradoHereWeCome]

Yes it was tried in the sixties. And it depends on what they had going for them before hand (we both are high school graduates with college under our belt, he already has his degree). A few of them still exist and I'm willing to try and be one of those. It also depends on how hard they tried to make it work, why their commune failed and what they did when it failed (did they go back to school, go back to their career choice, etc...) If we can all live freely and be happy - there is no failure in that.

[Lilybeans]

A commune will not work in a capitalist society. It just won't. You will still need money, and where will that come from? The people with the money will get resentful. Always happens. It's a nice idea and fun for a while, but as a long term living arrangement, it's not realistic.

[tkln]

Well, I don't know about communes per se, but Vermont has several cohousing villages and intentional communities that you could look into...I've read a little bit about them, not enough to know the differences and whether they are exactly what you are looking for, but here are a few links just for reference....

Home

Champlain Valley Cohousing

Sweet Pond Eco Community - A Green, Sustainable, Cohousing Community in Southern Vermont

You can do a search - there seem to be many of them spread throughout the state (and many other states as well). Good luck!

[dmyankee]

Geesh! Communes were done way back in my era, Vermont and anywhere else. Just find any 50-60 something who lived in one and ask them. I doubt, in retrospect, they would do it again.

Just my 2 cents.

[ColoradoHereWeCome]

DMYANKEE, I have heard the same thing. That people don't necessarily look back in "nostalgia," but in regret. That's a wonderful idea though, thank you.

[rickers]

Sorry but I think you may be way out of touch with reality ! Your figure of no more than $100 per person per month is impossible and you will end up with a few folks working their butts off and a bunch of others getting a free ride and never being able to contribute work or money-wise. In my neck of the woods (North Central Montana), there are groups of people living in communes and they are Anabaptists called Hutterites.
If you really want to live communally study these folks you may be able to learn something from them. They seem to be doing OK. We have made friends with some members of the New Miami Colony and regularly buy chickens, eggs and bread from them.
They are a bit like the Amish but they employ modern methods for living etc. Each member does not have personal money at all. The men wear black suits, top hats, and a beard. The women wear prairie dresses and head scarfs. They have separate deals with the government as far as tax issues go.

[doc1]

Originally Posted by Lilybeans

Wasn't this tried in the 60's? Aren't those people working at Ben and Jerry's now?

No. They grew up, got real and owned Ben and Jerry's.

Those who forget (or don't know) history are doomed to.......

[in_newengland]

It's pretty unrealistic, if you ask me. We already did that back in the '60s and these utopias don't work very long. You tend to get free-loaders and you will always have to deal with the real world, like it or not.

Who's going to pay for the land? The two of you? The taxes? How is everyone going to stay warm in the long VT winters? You'll need vehicles to go out and get food and other things in winter. Who pays for that?

It might be ok in the summer when you really could live in tents and grow vegetables -- maybe you should try that first. Having college degrees doesn't make much difference--most people seem to have degrees these days -- jobs are few and far between in VT, degree or no degree. Good luck but I'd suggest getting more realistic.