Finding our hippie home

October 4, 2021 11:15 PM

Can you recommend intentional communities focused on place-based sustainability (aka "back to the land") and community-building features like group dinners and cooperative childcare systems, or regular cities or towns with a lot of that influence? I'm based in northern California now but would be willing to relocate.
posted by slidell to Society & Culture (18 answers total)

Well, I'd say not to look in rural areas, which often have sustainability challenges (if you build a development in a rural area, you're essentially recreating the suburbs), but urban areas. Maybe cohousing is for you? There are cohousing communities all over the US. It's not back to the land so much as living lightly on the land.
posted by bluedaisy at 11:39 PM on October 4, 2021 [5 favorites]

You could try joining the WWOOFing website. They occasionally have spaces as described for visit/work trade etc. Totally worth joining. Check Hawaii, NorCal and maybe Alaska. Many others I'm sure.
posted by firstdaffodils at 11:43 PM on October 4, 2021 [1 favorite]

I knew someone who lived (& maybe still does? - we're only in touch occasionally) at Dancing Rabbit, and seemed to love it.
posted by inexorably_forward at 12:43 AM on October 5, 2021 [1 favorite]

I've browsed around on this idea before... there's this website: https://www.ic.org/
posted by stormyteal at 1:30 AM on October 5, 2021 [2 favorites]

Twin Oaks Community, an intentional community in Virginia.

Ecovillage in Findhorn in Scotland, a community based on sustainability in architecture, food, etc.
posted by sizeable beetle at 5:08 AM on October 5, 2021 [2 favorites]

Not an intentional community per se, but Wendell, MA is a small rural town with "a lot of that influence." A really substantial number of the residents moved there during the 70s back-to-the-land movement, and while few live communally now, many used to. In many ways it still feels culturally of that era, at least to me: oldschool environmentalism, varying degrees of off-the-grid-ness, and lots of neighborly bartering rather than buying new.

(Disclaimer: I don't live there, but my partner does.)
posted by nebulawindphone at 6:41 AM on October 5, 2021 [2 favorites]

Have you looked into cohousing?
posted by mareli at 7:15 AM on October 5, 2021 [1 favorite]

I disagree about not looking in rural areas. There are plenty of rural land co-op homestead communities that exist sustainably without turning into suburbs. I live near one myself in eastern BC and there are lots of others scattered around this region. These the kind you have to know the folks living there to be able to get a spot there. They usually have years-long waiting lists, but everyone I know who lives on them really loves it. Especially since the land prices are fixed at the 1970s prices they were originally bought at and you can't resell for more than you paid (plus the cost of improvements, like building or enlarging a cabin).

I myself live in a rural village / neighborhood that is not a co-op or commune at all, but we all certainly do live off the land, mostly off-grid and share childcare and so on. I dont think this is unusual for remote rural communities. The closest town in over an hour away, and its not exactly a booming job center, so there's not many ways to live out here other than living off the land and helping each other out. It seems to work out pretty well, though :)
posted by ananci at 7:51 AM on October 5, 2021 [6 favorites]

Ithaca, NY--I linked to the Ecovillage, but that vibe permeates the whole town.
posted by dizziest at 8:53 AM on October 5, 2021

Outside Tallahassee, Florida is the Miccosukee Land Co-op which has some of the features you're looking for. The location itself is "rural" but it's a fairly short drive into the city. There's a grocery co-op in town if you're into that.

Since we're a university town you can have the advantages of lots of different things going on around that. Culturally a mix of liberals (in the 1960s some at FSU called it "the Berkley of the South"), and Southern (both liberal and conservative). We're a short drive to the Gulf, or a 90 minute drive if you want great beaches. Five hours to Atlanta, or Orlando.

I will tell you the weather here is hotter and more humid than Northern California.

Note that I don't live in the co-op but I have friends who do, and who like it.
posted by TimHare at 9:15 AM on October 5, 2021

Also suggest The Yellow Deli just outside San Diego as well as Redway if in NorCal. Poke around Redway and the eel river area. You may not find your space right away, but you may find some very rich or depthy experience regarding your interests.

Consider searching "non schooling communities." There are impressive communities who have networked their own schools or firesheds etc in the area. Bizarre/interesting place. Have fun and good luck!
posted by firstdaffodils at 10:52 AM on October 5, 2021 [2 favorites]

Let me expand on my earlier response: I meant don't only look in rural communities. I lived in a wonderful rural community and could never get past how incredibly car dependent we all were, and cars are some of the worst contributors to climate change. A friend of mine lives in a cooperative household/homestead on an acre in a suburb and is completely exhausted by how much he has to drive. This could be even worse with kids.

So that's why I wanted to suggest you look at cohousing communities. Living in an in-town, denser development with space set aside for a playground, gardens, and community space can be a great way to build community and live a bit more lightly, and you can take advantage of city living and not have to drive so much.
posted by bluedaisy at 12:37 PM on October 5, 2021 [2 favorites]

I suggest getting in touch with the Kidsville camp from Burning Man. at the event it's a "cooperative village" of more than 150 families, and seems absolutely kindred. I'm sure some of the families are part of similar communities in the default world.
posted by changeling at 6:12 PM on October 5, 2021 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Hi all, I'm appreciating all of these answers. It looks like two cohousing communities near us might have space, so I'm going to do some more research. Thanks for all the food for thought. I also appreciate the rural / urban debate, as I have that exact back-and-forth with myself a lot, so I'm deeply sympathetic to both sides. Thanks again.
posted by slidell at 12:24 AM on October 6, 2021

Please check DMs. Enjoy process.
posted by firstdaffodils at 1:01 PM on October 6, 2021

I also appreciate the rural / urban debate, as I have that exact back-and-forth with myself a lot

Well, let me also add this: my kids are older now, but I have two friends with young, preschool-aged kids who live in a relatively new co-housing development (with maybe 20 townhouses?) who really seem to have an ideal set-up. I'm not anti-rural at all! I just think there are some really great urban models, especially when you're talking about living in community with others. Good luck!
posted by bluedaisy at 2:39 PM on October 6, 2021 [1 favorite]

Davis, CA is heavy on both student housing co-ops and their "grown up" relatives like Village Homes or N Street. I never lived in one, but spent a lot of time around those communities when I was a student at UCD and some of them would probably meet your needs. I really liked that community...

Portland, OR has Tryon Life Community Farm - didn't spend much time there, but I think they have both the back-to-the-land and the cooperative childcare elements. If you're coming from somewhere in Humboldt or elsewhere on the NorCal coast you might find Portland's climate comfortable, but compared to most of Northern California you will likely find Portland to be dark, dreary, and grey most of the year. Some people love that; I didn't.
posted by sibilatorix at 8:58 PM on October 6, 2021 [1 favorite]

Here's an article for you.
posted by mareli at 4:36 AM on October 24, 2021 [1 favorite]