Hello friends - I hope everyone is doing well this Monday.
For my part of this Wednesday’s class, we will be discussing some aspects of intentional farming communities!
In our collective process of learning about farming practices, responsible and reciprocal relationship to land, and indigenous and westernized food ways, I have been thinking about how the principles of honorable harvest, sustainable farming and living, and, of course, capitalism relate to one another and might apply themselves to potential future lifestyles and practices. In this, communal living, intentional communities, and sustainable communities - several names for similar ideas - are all very easily romanticized yet interesting to me in their practical application, benefits, drawbacks, and potential functions as part of anti- or peri-capitalist ways of living and sustainably producing food in community.
From my brief research, there is surprisingly little material on intentional farming communities, and apparently no material on ties they might have to indigenous ways of living, indigenous food ways, and indigenous resistance to capitalistic colonialism. While this is an issue for many reasons, I would also like to take it as an opportunity to discuss intentional communities in terms of what we understand them to be as well as what they could be - imagining new alternatives.
While there are some intentional farming communities which do not promote themselves as contradictory to, or outside of, capitalism (such as co-housing communities) there are some which promote themselves as - and to an extent operate - outside of the capitalist system. Many of these surviving communities originated in ‘back-to-the-land’ movements of the 60’s and 70’s. Here ( https://youtu.be/351TKxYg7M4 ) is the link to a short video about one such community and its relationship to the ‘mainstream’ world.
I also find interesting the ways in which these communes affect human-human relationships (if we can pretend it’s that simple). Here ( https://youtu.be/EusOgAAlFG0 ) is the link to a Ted Talk by Bianca Heyming and her story of founding and living in an intentional community. And here ( https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/07/commune-farm-sustainability-mineral-virginia/ ) is a photo-essay and brief article about life inside another community.
Some discussion questions: Pick one.
- What relationship do you have to intentional farming communities or communes? How have they been represented in your exposure to them or the idea of them?
- Do you think that intentional farming communities are a viable way of living? Why or why not?
- Do you see connections between the ways in which intentional farming communities live and indigenous ways of life and resistance?
1)
ReplyDeleteMy first experience with intentional farming community was at Earthen Heart in Bangor, Michigan. I visited and hung out with Julian Luzzana a few times in Summer 2018. Earthen Heart is a 20 acre rural farm home with a collective eco-habitat which is guided by the principles of permaculture. Not only are the a farm community but they are an intentional community that offers a place to stay well below the market rate through living resourcefully.
This is Julian’s mission statement: “To develop a community homestead, as a lean rural alternative, that reduces consumption while increasing quality of life.”
Here is his website if anyone wants to apply to live/ work there post graduation:
http://earthenheart.com/
2)
To me, the representation of the intentional farming is great, but a bit too removed for my taste. Though, if I had all my people working and living together in one large intentional farming community I would VERY HAPPY. Earthen heart was covered with kids, and teenagers and middle aged adults but there were no elderly folks so I was confused as to how they would care for elderly populations on rural farmlands as I would assume that would present challenges.
3) To be honest, I am not very familiar with indigenous ways of life and resistance. Though, I see resistance against capitalist systems in intentional farming communities and thats dope.
What relationship do you have to intentional farming communities or communes? How have they been represented in your exposure to them or the idea of them?
ReplyDeleteI've always been a bit suspicious of intentional farming communities or communes because of their "cultness" (that they often resemble or are similar to cults). Additionally, I've been suspicious because it often doesn't seem to be a viable option that can really function with the "real" world (the first video hinted at the end about a "different kind of capitalism," which I thought was interesting and a good way to acknowledge what can seem hypocritical) Despite my suspicion of these communities, when watching the TED talk, I realized that often people do/can live in "intentional community" if they choose, but it may not be in structure of all living together. Instead, it is the idea of truly caring for people and "sharing life" with them. At the same time, I wonder what truly holds people accountable, because it seems like you really have to trust the people you are living with, and I can't quite imagine what it would be like if that trust is broken (i.e. someone spreads personal matters/issues outside the community...yet personal matter/issues would also be the group's issues...).
For awhile after college I lived in an intentional farming community. Like Twin Oaks, it was founded as a Walden II community, but by the time I got there, I don't know how much of Skinner's ideas were really in practice. Even though I was only there for a year (I moved on to an opportunity on a different farm), I'm really glad I had that experience, since it gave me a taste of both the great things and the challenges of communal living.
ReplyDeleteThe great things: I was never afraid when I lived there. There were times when I lived in an apartment in the city that I felt vulnerable as a young single woman without family or friends nearby. In the community there was always someone around to ask for help or advice or to borrow things from. Which was another great thing—I was pretty broke but I didn’t have to buy all of my own household stuff. People were happy to loan tools or cooking equipment or whatever. And I loved living on a farm where chores were shared with the community. On my family’s farm, I had to milk cows every day. In the community, I milked goats and did other barn chores twice a week so I still got to enjoy the animals but I wasn’t tied to them every day. And I had access to land to wander and gardens to play in that I never would have been able to afford on my own. For all of these reasons, community living makes so much sense to me. If I found the right community, I’d like to try it again someday.
The challenges were the people—egos and personalities. I was really surprised by the focus of the TED talk and I appreciated it a lot. I think that for communities to work long-term and to truly be egalitarian, probably some of the mediation work she describes is necessary. The community I lived in definitely had a hierarchy of personalities and if you didn’t get along with those people, it wasn’t going to be a comfortable place for you to stay. I do think this can be a viable way of living, for sure, but cultivating functional human relationships seems to me to be as much of a key to long-term sustainability for communities like this as is economic stability. And that relational work can be tough.
I do not have much experience with intentional farming communities or communes. I have some personal experiences with farmers markets and CSAs but not with anything close to a self-sustaining commune. Although I have heard about the idea and am genuinely interested (THIS COMMENT IS ACTUALLY A PERSONAL AD FOR MY IMPENDING COMMUNE HMU IF YOU FEEL SO INCLINED).
ReplyDeleteI would really like to believe that this kind of community is a sustainable way of living, and I do think it is for some people. What that looks like (where it is, how many members, at what scale, etc) probably varies and I have no idea how to envision that. BUT theoretically yes I think it is doable.
Yes I think that many (if not most) indigenous communities fit the description of an intentional farming community. With that in mind probably all indigenous communities fit that description before colonization.
Do you see connections between the ways in which intentional farming communities live and indigenous ways of life and resistance?
ReplyDeleteI think it really depends on the way you frame it and how it gets enacted. I think very easily an idea of indigeneity can be something that is.. misconstrued and misrepresented if done disingenuously or without intention.
For some reason I feel myself hesitating to answer this question.
Very easily, I feel, an 'intentional farming community' can take the lessons from indigenous communities and then entirely negate them and just cast it as lessons of survival... no acknowledgement of the people that worked to bring that knowledge to you. Even within these anti- capitalist/colonial/etc projects, these things can still exist.
Perhaps you could cast indigenous communities within the frame of 'intentional farming communities' but even then I hesitate even more because of the dynamism of different peoples and the different histories that prop them up.
I am still thinking about these things, but it still sits weird with me to make any equation.
I definitely believe that intentional farming communities are a viable way of living if done properly. Yesterday on the farm Amy was discussing her experiences with Lake Village Farmstead which I have also had some experiences with. I would say that they are a great example of a viable farming community within our own community (15 minutes away). On the farm they have a small community of people who provide labor to care for the animals (goats, cows, pigs, horses, chickens, ducks, etc). I think that on this farm in particular they raise their animals to be sold as meat to local restaurants such as Crows Nest. They have been a successful cooperative since 1971 with 300 acres of land and are dedicated to the preservation of the natural habitat and to sustainable agriculture.
ReplyDelete1. Prior to this blog post, I had not had much personal experience with intentional communities or communes. I had never known of any in my area or known anyone to live there. Therefore, a lot of the information I know or believe surrounding communes is from the media. I would say I had a bad connotation with communes as I have watched far too many documentaries about cults and that was my belief, that all communes were cults or thinly veiled cults. Further, within my Psychology classes, there were several case studies that examined women who would enter these communities and be assaulted.
ReplyDelete2. I am not sure if I believe this is a viable way of living, and this may be partly because I can not picture myself thriving in an intentional living space. The first thing that comes to mind is access to medical systems and the multifaceted interactions that come in play with that (healthcare, prescriptions, etc.) I also wonder how these systems could support those differently abled, the elderly, and mental illness.
3. I can see possible connections with indigenous ways of life, however, I am not sure I am well educated on either of the subjects to make a claim that isn’t rooted in a stereotype or generalization. I am excited to hear from others this week on their knowledge in these areas.
When I hear of intentional farming communities I become immediately suspicious. I think part of it ties into a portion of Ayla’s question about community during her presentation in which we discussed how complicated forming them was because people get left out. I am suspicious because they, to me, have been represented as White and usually middle to upper-class folks that are tired of capitalism but can return to that at any point given their capital. I always think about how that liberation that they might see within their communities stays there, isolated. How can they engage with intentional farming cross-culturally? Because what does it mean for them to have this knowledge but keep it to themselves?
ReplyDeleteI think they can be viable ways of living, but when only when those skills are being shared with others. There is no liberation if it is an isolated group that does not communicate or act in exchanging knowledges.
I think it is 50/50. I think some intentional farming communes don’t seem to confront the land they are in, how they contribute to systems of oppression, etc. and some might and despite being in a community actually step out and challenge their positions.
I personally don’t have any familiarity nor exposure to intentional farming communities. To my knowledge, these communities have always been represented to me as a very spiritual and peaceful way of living. I appreciate and appreciate the underlying principles of these intentional communities, however, I do not think they are a viable way of living. Yes, to a certain extent, intentional communities have several aspects of resistance to capitalism and the social injustice at large. It certainly also has great healing elements and sense of connection that bring people back to land without being constricted in a hierarchal system. On the other hand, I think the focus and larger question at hand is what to do moving on forward, in the hopes of dismantling the systematic oppression? I don’t think that living in an isolated community, being separated from the society, and solely working inwardly is a progressive and fruitful approach. I also think that there is an underlying assumption of social privileges in order to enter into these communities, and at some point, folks have to make a decision to either stay or re-enter into society? Then, what goes on afterward?
ReplyDeleteWhile I have no personal experience with intentional farming communities, and have very little knowledge on their workings (apart from the resources you have shared), I have frequently found myself idealizing, and wanting, them for myself.
ReplyDeleteIs it escapism? I think about this a lot. I’ll find myself frustrated with an aspect of “mainstream” life, such as our education system, and imagine the type of education that could be offered in an intentional community. Education that truly fits with my own ideals…that encourages a love of learning and exploration, centers the child and their own needs, and promotes the wellbeing of the community as a whole.
Apart from education, I think about growing my own food, being surrounded by like-minded individuals, and the sharing of responsibilities. There is, for sure, something romantic about communal living.
Is it really outside of capitalism? I suppose it depends on the community. This is something I am still working through.
1) Before taking this class, the only things I had heard about intentional communities or communes were the warning stories of failed communes that were products of a twisted 'hippy-dippy' logic. I had always felt uncomfortable with that logic, that there was more to the story that wasn't being said, and I think the things you have shared with us this week have helped provide a more well-rounded picture in my mind by showing the possibilities for intentional communities.
ReplyDelete2) I do think intentional farming communities are a viable way of living; history has shown us that societies centered around farming have been self-sustaining and able to flourish. That being said, I don't think we can recreate the past--the world is a different place--but we can use intentional farming communities to re-envision our present and future. In Dr. Garriga-Lopez's class Humans and Nonhumans, we read a book called The Mushroom at the End of the World (I believe that's the title) which examined the matsutake mushroom foraging communities in Oregon which existed in the perimeters of capitalism. I was reminded of this when I was watching the first video, where the man was talking about how this community was formed and sustained by people disillusioned with capitalism, and yet they still participate in the markets albeit with more freedom over their labor. I think intentional communities give us the ways of creating sustainable resistance to the capitalist system around the edges.
3) I think my answer to question 2 touches on this a bit. While we can look at indigenous communities and draw connections and potential guidance from them, the time and place in which we exist prevents us from fully understanding the apparent connections between indigenous communities and intentional farming communities. At the very least I think it is super important to know where your community gets its influences from and honoring and remembering those knowledges often.
What relationship do you have to intentional farming communities or communes? How have they been represented in your exposure to them or the idea of them?
ReplyDeleteAs you all know (I think), I grew up in an intentional community built around spirituality. Now, it is actually moving more towards farming because we have this amazing young group of farmers that came in maybe 5 years ago, and they have really done wonders with the land and have become a staple of the community. So I really respect and am grateful for all they've brought and all the love they have put into their work and our community.
A lot of what Bianca said in her TedTalk really resonated with me. My understanding of my community and the wider representation of it are often drastically different. I understand it as a really raw, complicated, challenging, and loving place. Other people (like Bianca mentioned) equate it to a hippy commune or a cult lmao (we are not, I promise).
I never realized how challenging it would be for me to move away from that community. There's something really real and genuine about seeing those people every day and the way we check in with each other. It can also be incredibly difficult to be there because of drama and all that. I really appreciate you bringing this topic up and am excited to talk more about it.
2) It depends on what an individual wants out of their life. There was one statistic where the first video said "the Twin Oaks community rakes in $600,000 a year of profit". But, divided by 100 people, that is $6,000 a year. That still is not bad; after all the year's expenses, many people can't save well enough to have that much left over. But it depends on what is important to you.
ReplyDeleteIt also depends on the individual community. For example, if someone is a little more interested in monogamy and less interested in loose sexuality, then the community from the first video might not be the best fit. But if someone wants a very close, family bond, one like the community from the Ted Talk could be perfect.
I do think intentional farming communities can provide a viable and alternative lifestyle for people who are interested- and the articles and videos provided show some pretty cool examples of these. Also, I imagine there are many other examples of communal living spaces such as this across the globe. Which is great! The back to the earth mentality and creation of communal living spaces provide another option for people who are bogged down with how society is functioning or simply want to try something different. I think they also create an important contrast from our contemporary society. Interestingly enough, I recently became interested in the formation of similar communities in the United States during the 19th century (New Harmony, Indiana for example). While it may be dangerous to romanticize notions of an ideal society, I do believe experimentation in communal living spaces has the potential to break down interhuman and human/ land relationships in an insightful and powerful way.
ReplyDelete1)I have never been suoer exposed.I hate to say this but the only times I can remember hearing this is when people talk about communes that were cults and violent. It saddens me that those contexts are the most prevalent.
ReplyDelete2. Yes I do! Especially if they are run mindfully with an understanding of everyones strengths and weaknesses and that understand accountability. I think this is a beautiful and super supportive/non traditional way of living. It is so viable and I wish it were practiced more.
3. I do but I also think that current modes are tinted with teh sanguine reality of reverting when indigenous communties started off valuing and maintaining this way of knowing. I think we begin at a disadvantage and with alot to unlearn but I believe it is possibl. And I believe that we have a duty to attempt to relate in these ways that reject white supremacy, patriarchy, and heteronormativtiy.
1. I’ve never really been exposed to an intentional community in my life- but I have witnessed certain communities that do live slightly more outside the confounds of capitalism than usual, although they still do participate. I tend to find these communities mostly outside the U.S. There is still a need for money to get by but there is much less a sense of hierarchy- people are more equal and things are constantly shared. I think people in intentional communities are often represented as very sheltered and wanting to keep more traditional ways of life so they see cutting themselves off from society one of the most fit ways of doing so. However, I can see it being a great place for people that feel confined by others plans to escape to, even if just for enough time to figure out what they truly want out of life.
ReplyDelete2. I think intentional communities are definitely a viable way of living but that they aren’t necessarily for everyone. In many ways I think they’re actually way more viable than other ways because like mentioned in the video, they are offered learning opportunities for certain skills that are directly involved with survival rather that seem to be lost within our current education system. However, it’s important to note that these intentional communities are definitely taken as these utopian different world-like places and they too are simply just figuring it out.
3. I think the whole idea of being loved because you are loved through your ugliness aligns very well with some indigenous ways of life and resistance. I liked the quote- “societies should be about having fun, not being marginalized,” or something like that. However I have to say it seems as though the emphasis of respect is placed much more on the other people in the community, rather than onto the land around them- because many of these communities must still take advantage of the land to get by.