Building Intentional Communities

When you hear the term, “intentional communities” it may bring up images of half-naked hippies running around stoned in a compound setting. Or maybe it brings up images of bougie white folk that changed their name to something like “Sunflower Petal”, who just happen to love saying “Namaste!” to you. I can assure you that the intentional community that I suggest and envision is something quite different.

The intentional community I believe we should create going forward, is one where we as like-minded individuals purchase property tracts out in the boonies (that’s the rural area for you city folk) and set up RV’s or tiny houses. If you have ten families who want to get out of the city or just simply want to have a backup location in case things get nasty, this type of setup can work out very well.

Across the United States, we see that there are numerous dilapidated towns where large plots of land are actually reasonably priced. What you would need to do is contact whoever owns that land and see if it’s possible for them to sell that property in individual 1–2-acre plots or if they are unwilling or able, then a real estate lawyer could step in and advise you on the best way to section up a piece of property for purchase by multiple families.

Now you might believe that moving into one of those already set up communities is the way to go, but after much researching I’ve found that many of them just don’t survive. In theory, it sounds great for everyone to live together on one piece of property and work together in one happy harmonious family. The reality is that you are still given a set of rules to live by on property that you don’t completely own.

If you move into a commune, you don’t know what skills (if any) the individuals living there might have and a commune full of artists and musicians don’t make the food grow nor are they capable of completely medical procedures. Something else to consider is that if the community is already established, this means that everyone else knows their neighbors and you will be the one playing catch up in an attempt to integrate your family.

An additional benefit of having this type of setup is that you are personally responsible for your own little plod of land. It would be your (and spouses) name on the property’s paperwork, not a collective of individuals. You would decide where you placed your domicile, the chicken coop, vegetable garden, orchard and yet you would have neighbors nearby who ideally would help you construct these things and share similar ideals.

Before you consider inviting an individual to purchase land with your other neighbors, consider the list below and see what they have to bring to the community that you are trying to build. Keep in mind that not every single person will have a college degree or have gone to a trade school for that particular skill set. There are some individuals who participate in community training in first aid and CPR that would still prove that person quite valuable.

• Farmer
• Physician
• Nurse
• Herbalist
• Pharmacist
• Bee Keeper
• Ranches
• Butcher
• Carpenter
• Baker
• Blacksmith/Welder
• Mechanic
• Ham Radio Operator
• Seamstress
• Mason
• Potter
• Rope Maker
• Leathercrafter
• Woodworker
• Cobbler
• Gunsmith
• Chef/Cook
• Moonshiner/Brewer
• Farrier
• Basket Weaver
• Teacher
• Hunter/Fisher
• Forager
• Chaplin/Priest
  

I’m sure there are numerous other skills that we can add to this list, but this should be a nice selection to start you off with and allow you to start asking what abilities your closest allies have that could assist a growing community that you are a part of.

If you have any questions, feel free to connect with me on social media via Gab, MeWe or Facebook.