Cohousing-L Mailing List: Co-Farming Community

[Diana Leafe Christian (diana]

I'm writing to respond to Kay Spencer's most recent post.
	Thanks for saying more about what you do and don't want in the  
community you'd like to join, Kay.
	You wrote: "the cohousing there [in Port Townsend Washington]  
illustrates some of the conflicts with the cohousing model I run into  
-- they have a very stringent pet policy (I have three herding dogs at  
present, not even one of which would be acceptable there). They have a  
relatively small plot of land (7+ acres) . . ."
	Well, you've just described Port Townsend Ecovillage -- a seven-acre  
ecovillage. (There is also a cohousing community across the road from  
them in Port Townsend:  Rosewind Cohousing, on 9 acres, and which as  
far as I know doesn't have a policy of absolutely no dogs. )
	With all due respect I'd like to suggest that Port Townsend  
Ecovillage does not exemplify "conflict" by having a no-dog policy.  
Rather, like most ecovillages, they're probably restricting dogs in  
order to not scare off wildlife. (However, some ecovillages do allow  
working farm dogs that are fenced, or pet dogs on leashes when being  
walked -- wanting to both protect wildlife and use dogs to help herd  
or guard livestock.)
	I believe you may be using the word "cohousing" interchangeably with  
the term "intentional community," which is a common error when people  
are new to this field. Cohousing is a very specific kind of  
intentional community, and probably 99% urban or suburban. While I  
assume you've seen the Coho/US website, if not, please see http://www.cohousing.org 
 for a thorough description of what cohousing is and isn't. The only  
rural farming cohousing community I know of is Cobb Hill in Vermont,  
on 260 acres. I assume you've checked them out, but if not, please do.
	Also, please check out http://www.directory.ic.org -- the website of  
intentional communities (including cohousing)  to find rural farming- 
style intentional communities in the areas you're considering. For  
example, please check out Dancing Rabbit Ecovllage, and Red Earth  
Farms, both agricultural-based intentional communities in northeast  
Missouri.
	Lastly I'd like to suggest that you please not rule out the Midwest  
and rural South. As farmers you probably need rich soil (as in the  
Midwest) and plenty of rainfall (as in the South) more than you need  
cool, hip neighbors, and many places near university towns in the  
South and Midwest probably fit your description of "relatively  
liberal."  Good luck!

Diana Leafe Christian
http://www.EcovillageNews.org