New Eco-Village Opens Near St. Louis

For nearly 15 years I lived out in the country in a little shack by the river. There were some good things about living there like coming home, chopping some wood, and sitting by the fireplace in the winter.

Or taking long walks through the woods in the summertime and going fishing right outside my front door. And my nearest neighbor was more than a mile away. There was a small town a few miles up the road from me and most of the people there were friendly.

The worst thing about it were the frequent floods. Although the water never came into my house when I lived there, the house I once lived in has now been washed away by the big flood of 1994.

There was also the roads that needed a 4x4 to get though when they washed out or became covered with snow. There was no cable and you spent many evenings by candlelight when the power went out, which was pretty much every time it stormed.

So, eventually I moved back to a suburb right outside of St. Louis. I like it here. I'm a lot older now and just don't have the energy that is required to live out in no man's land anymore. I don't like driving and where I live now is close to everything in the metro area.

But it is kind of boring. Every house in the neighborhood looks just like mine. I am a child of the sixties and seventies and sometimes I think back to what it would have been like to live in a commune.

There were quite a few of them back then and the concept sounded good: everybody get together and share all the work that goes into making a living and just plain living. Everything in the commune would be shared and be environmentally responsible. No power companies, supermarkets, or pollution. Some communes even went as far as sharing the babysitting duties and the intimate relationships.

But most of them didn't work. People will be people and even though there wasn't supposed to be leaders in a commune (it was all supposed to be shared) somebody always stepped up and decided to be the boss. That usually caused strife.

The new commune of the period we now live in is called an eco-village. But it's quite a bit different from the hippie communes of old. According to The Healthy Planet Magazine:

"Looking for water, food, energy, health care, housing and employment security? Integral Urban Ecovillage living may be for you! Of course, it isn't for everyone, at least not at this point in time. That may change as it is perfected and becomes better known and even a standard housing, employment and lifestyle option."

Culver way is the first Integrated Ecovillage here in the St. Louis area. They are looking for proplr who are interested in living in one of the first chartered villages here. One of the differences between this ecovillage and the old communes is that most of the members will be established members of the community with their own incomes.

The co-ops will operate under charters that are agreed upon by the membership before the co-op is established. If you are interested please contact them at:Culver Way Ecovillage:
Tom & Carol Braford,
www.CulverWayCohousing.com,
braford@sbcglobal.net,
314-534-4780.

Source: http://www.thehealthyplanet.com/jan2011_irresistible.htm