What do you think of a community being set up with a structure similar to the Amish, but with a hippie type culture instead? A community of around a dozen households all within a few miles of each other, economically independent but regularly helping each other. Agreements about what technology to use, avoiding fossil fuels being a major goal; things like electric golf carts instead of buggies. Maybe developing a distinctive culture and style of dress, very different from the Amish style of course.
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I think the most unique thing about this idea is the concept of everyone having homes that aren’t necessarily all on the same land tract.
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Yeah, that’s the main structure difference; when you don’t live on the same land you’d need more other factors for it to be an intentional community. Limits to transportation technology is probably a big part of what keeps the Amish close-knit as a community.
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This aligns with my vision very much. Do you have many people?
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It’s just an idea, we’re not part of an intentional community. I’d be happy to talk more about the idea if you want, just send me a message.
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This sounds fabulous!
Another major factor for the Amish is spirituality: their community (and what makes them “Amish”) is held together by a shared faith/belief structure/worldview which makes their technological self-limitation sensible. They have a Shared Story that makes community work.
I Dream of a community that makes that work via “hippy” spirituality and values!
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I’d love to be part of a big community that builds together and cares about each other.
I guess hippy means lots of things to different people.
I want a high tech eco community. Meditation, empowerment, logic, science, happiness, music and dance.
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@DoeValley This seems to be promising. Do you have any other thoughts to shape this idea? How will such a community run? Do you have experiance working with the Amish?
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We’ve lived near Amish all our lives, and we’re part of a (progressive) Mennonite church, so yeah it’s somewhat familiar.
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@DoeValley That sounds good. What would be asked for people who are interested? What kind of supplies would you need? Would you intend to ask assitance from the amish?
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The only help we’d look for from the Amish is things like if we need some logs sawed into lumber they have sawmills, and we’ve taken maple sap to them to boil into syrup.
The community I’m imagining would be somewhat less structured than a lot of intentional communities, since people would mostly own their own homes and not be on the same property, though there should be some cabins available for work trade for visitors or members who haven’t bought a place yet. If the community was large enough there should be some kind of financing available for buying land since it’s so hard to get loans from banks.
What would make it an intentional community could mainly be regular get-togethers to help each other on projects like gardens and home improvements to help get off grid and such, with a meal and games too. That and discussions about what kind of technology and culture we want.
Our church has a little of that, we’re quite focused on sustainability and have occasional events like potlucks, quilting, and other activities, but while some of us have solar panels we’re still all connected to the grid and use cars, etc. A lot of the church are getting older and would like to attract more younger families, and want to make a difference for the environment, so they’d probably be helpful for getting something like this started.
If anyone wants to visit, I have an off grid cabin available, here’s the helpx listing: HelpX
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We are actually called high-tech Amish or Amish Hippies…lol so funny to find this post. Yes in our community we all have seperate homes mostly tiny seperate money and coop artisan shops and gardens, we use eco junk to provide the other raw materials that we can’t grow for the artisans. We usually do ghost towns that need help by placing in low income that needs a business for income. https://wanderersend.org
Think Bill Nye , Mythbusters and MacGyver with Mick Dodge
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sounds (U just sketched out w/o much detail) much like what co-ho brought to FIC in '92 or so - fora community. We thought quickly “no, that’s nota community. Its justa buncha ppl who live close. Seems like an attempt to bring back the '50s neighborhood.” (the last part my own then). But no, now the biggest section of Community. So I have much of the same thought. where’s the intentionality?
Didnt learn my lesson yet? Yup unfortunately (even the 50s concept I personally had then). So I would have to (in my eyes) water down the idea and say “It’s something like the FEC.” and “They work together.” etc. Its just my concept is deeper personal involvement than that is community to me. But THAT’s MY concept (need/want).
In essence what you suggest is what I seek in CULTURE writ large and work toward weather in community or outside (localize, DIY, small is beautiful, participant democracy, direct democracy, municipalism, dual power, coop, time bank, CLT, village 2 village movement, social permaculture, etc, etc).
Good Luck w/it. Check some of my post in the parentheses after “…in community or outside.” for current pieces (those working w/it elsewhere) of what U mention.
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I know I’m a bit late to this thread but what a lovely idea! This is very similar to what we’re trying to build. Though we hope to share land if possible. We’re now starting to build a small tiny home village as the start to our community. Next is buy more land and relocate to meet the goals you mentioned here… it’s so cool to see that similar ideas are being had all over the place, so relieving.
Hello everyone, I just signed up but have been searching many sites to find like minded people. I love the hippie idea. Permaculture would be a great way to produce food.
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