I am in the process of starting a commune, nad there are several things that I have discovered.

1. Being exclusive, while not ideal, is a neccesity of communal living. If you have a group of people working to stay warm, well-nourished, and happy, everybody has to work together. If one person is not willing to work, there is going to be resentment towards them within the group.
Communal living takes incredible hard work and patience, as well as self-sacrifice (something not everybody is willing / able to do). There is no TV, there are no days off, there is no overtime pay, in fact, ther is no pay at all (in many cases). In investigating the topic, I have discovered that the reason most communes only last for about 5 seconds is due to a lack of discipline. This free-wheeling hippy nonsense of everybody living harmoniously and happily off the land is bologni. Communal living requres that you work hard, and it is my observation is that not everybody is willing to do this. You live off of what you raise and you are self-sufficient. If nobody is willing to tend the garden, nobody is going to eat. You had to work hard to live 200 years ago, and you have to work hard now.

2. It takes money. While money can be procured through different avenues, it must be there. I have found that it is going to take approximately 25,000 dollars to get the commune in working condition (this is not including land costs). There are ways to minimize your expenses, such as building your own shelter. I am building three structures through cob building ( aa method using clay, straw, and dirt). This dramatically cuts down the cost of housing, because it is from the earth and free. In my research I have found that you can apply for grants. I am using mine, and other members personal savings to finance our adventure. This is ideal because this way it is nobody’s business except for the groups as to how the money is spent.

It also takes an income source. You must find a way for your commune to be profitable. You do not have to start a fortune 500 company, but you must have some income. I have realized that there is no way to completely live outside the civilized world. We are going to make pottery from the clay on our land to sell at craft shows and to exploit hippies at festivals and concerts.

3. You have to be smart about it. If you plant your commune on infertile soil, it (and your plants) will not grow. You must have good old fashion American ingenuity, or else you will fail (ironically it is the ingenuity of America, that made us so complacent, and surrounded us with the creature comforts that now run our lives). There are lots of practical questions to ask yourself. How do you dispose of waste, how do you get electricity, if you get it at all, how do you get heat, how green is it, completely or are you willing to sacrifice that, and how do you make it self-sufficient. These are all questions that must be answered in order to live.

4. You have to be committed. there is no wishy-washiness in this business. This is your livelyhood. This is how you put food in your mouth and shelter over your head. There is no messing around.

5. Don’t circumvent the law. With you buildings, get them inspected, it is a pain, but I think it is well worth it. I have found that Virginia has plumbing codes condusive to experimental waste disposla, this works well for the recycled waste water system, I have designed. Pay your taxes. These are all things that can shut you down, so don’t dilly-dally and try to skip this part. People are going to figure out whrere you are , and what you are doing

I hope to be fully operational and self-sufficient, by 2008. It is going to be in rural VA, and I cannot wait. If you have questions just ask.

I recomend reading the Last American Man, it will open your eyes to the hardships of this, but will make you dream of self-sufficiency.