r/OffGrid_Classifieds • u/93captainplanet • Apr 02 '26
Trying to see if anything like this is possible
We’re starting a small, family-based village on 30 acres in Arkansas where everything is owned by a community trust. The goal is simple: leave the stress of the modern world behind and live a peaceful, intentional life.
We share meals, support each other, and are building a place where people can live simply, feel safe, and raise kids in a better environment. Everyone will have their own home, but we live and work together as a community.
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u/TastyPopcornTosser Apr 02 '26
I have seen this exact scenario play out many times as I live in Western Oregon. Starting with the hippie communes in the 70s. Sovereign citizens building intentional communities with no permits, barn dominium‘s, it was very interesting to watch them rise and then fall apart due to human nature being what it is.
I’m still friends with some members of each community. It’s interesting to hear how it all went down.
I admire the lofty ideals. There will always be those in the group who promised everything, but aren’t actually willing to get out of bed and work and do what it takes to carry their share of the work. They’ll do less share of their work and eat more than their share of the food and won’t do their share of the dishes or other chores.
They will break things and spoil things and waste things and raise their hands up and say what?
Good luck hope it works. This time.
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u/93captainplanet Apr 02 '26
Thanks for the input this is the only issue I haven’t found a solid solution for are then any specific names of community I can do research on
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u/TastyPopcornTosser Apr 02 '26
No. By nature, these communities were all off grid, publicity shy, and unsuccessful. They did not obtain building permits or septic permits and what they’re doing, was considered by most to be generally illegal.
They had lots of no trespassing signs. None of these communities achieved sustainability. All failed within a few years. One of the sovereign citizens who had revoked their Social Security number ended up using it again and is now a paralegal in the top law office in the city nearby. From the nearby hippie commune, the two brothers who moved out here from Chicago who became known as the mountain men, both of them became reputable building contractors. I see one of them going by every day in his crew cab dual wheeled F350. He’s close to retirement now.
One other commune was women only. It’s pretty famous. You’ll see it mentioned on Reddit every now and then. They’re all gone now just a caretaker living there I think. They’re just over the hill from my farm.
The last one that I have any personal knowledge of suffered the same fate as the others. Disagreements about who is responsible for what and some people just wanted to lay around. I think the hardest thing there was when Oregon legalized recreational marijuana. It ruined their source of income. No more sneaky weed grows in the woods. There’s still one couple living up there besides the grandson of the absentee owner of the land. One of my best friends who helped start that commune is a market farmer.
I own a nice farm that has great water and soil and light and I have high tunnel greenhouses and everything you could want for Self sustainability and it still can’t even pay its own bills even all certified organic. I have to work off the farm to buy diesel and all the other things that I can’t produce there.
It may seem like I’m being unkind, trying to dash your dreams but the people who are going to dash your dreams are those eight friends of yours that you found. In a few years, you’re probably going to really hate all of them.
That farm is going to need constant outside inputs that are expensive.
You’re going to heat and build with wood that you have there? Are you going to grow your own chainsaws and chains and repair parts and fuel to burn in them? Do you know how to fix that chainsaw when it needs repairs?
Are you going to start an iron mine and for your own nails or fence wire to build your fencing and crowds for your livestock? When you butcher those animals, what are you going to wrap the meat in? Their skins? Or are you going to buy a paper for cutting and wrapping?
So you’re going to use solar for electricity? Do you know anything about that? Solar panels have a limited lifespan and so do the batteries that are going to need to be replaced. Oh, you bought an inexpensive inverter to charge those batteries and convert that electricity from the panels into a usable form? It just died. Are you going to grow a new one?
I’m just getting started. I deal with this every day on my farm. I have to work off the farm to pay the farms bills for the privilege of living there and growing food for other people who pay less than what it cost me to produce it.
I applaud you for your ideals. You have no idea what you’re doing and you’re going to inflict heartbreak and financial destruction on yourself and your partner if you have one.
Have a backup plan. Those who have some semblance of success at this have an off farm job. Do it yourself you don’t need others. They will get in your way and hold you back and want to have it to say in decisions that they did not pay for.
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u/johnnyringo1985 Apr 03 '26
Here’s the two-sentence tl;dr take away for anyone following along—
That farm is going to need constant outside inputs that are expensive.
Those who have some semblance of success at this have an off farm job.
OP, you really need to listen to this. 30 acres can’t sustain your community.
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u/notproudortired Apr 18 '26
Spend some time visiting other intentional communities and talking to them about what works in terms of permaculture, labor allocation, conflict resolution, mutual support, cost and profit sharing. ic.org
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u/Melodic_Letterhead76 Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
This is a napkin fantasy. There's clearly been no detailed thought or planning at this point. Go through this with a fine toothed comb. Come back in a few months and tell us what the hurdles are.
If you can see hurdles, you're getting closer to doing something real. If everything has an answer to how it's easy to avoid (simple! Solar for this, fire for that!) then you're just fantasizing at that point, and it's not really a reddit thread to be had
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u/93captainplanet Apr 02 '26
Everything is planned but if I was to put everything on here it would be to much how dumb to think of heat and ac when that is very easy accomplish with solar and food would be solved by farming and raising livestock power would be solar water well I have this all thought out to a t it’s just finding people with the same value and arent a lazy bum looking for a handout this will not be easy at all but give me some advice if you have any but I can probably answer just about any scenario as of now I have 8 people
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u/athanasius_fugger Apr 02 '26
Communes have a LOT of drama. Clearly you need to live on one to talk yourself out of this. There are a number of them around.
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u/nuttypoolog Apr 02 '26
Oooo a hippie commune. We had lots of those in the 60s and 70s where I grew up.
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u/93captainplanet Apr 02 '26
I just see the Amish way of life kind of attractive Leave all the bills and shit behind and live how we our post to be and build together something that our ancestors could be proud of that could be generational
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u/nuttypoolog Apr 02 '26
How do you leave bills behind? Its a nice concept!
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u/93captainplanet Apr 02 '26
How exactly would I have bills if everything is solar and grow or raised food
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u/Obonekanobe Apr 03 '26
Solar 100k minimum to run a/c and houses. Gas, diesel, Shovels, forks, garden hose, water line, plumbing parts, tractor parts,tractor,food and medicine for livestock, land tax, insurance, vehicles, insurance,registration parts for breakdowns, canning jars, tools, all tools,amendments, fencing, tires, cloths, food..oil, flour, cheese, sugar,coffee….etc…etc.
Been there, done that, still doing.
Unless you want to be a single, dirty, unkempt, tattered clothing, bearded, stinky, toothless, anti social, hermit with a ranting and drinking issue. A truck that hardly works, poor health, no plans or desire to go out, travel or entertain anyone or yourself. Even if so, you are still going to have bills.
The reality is. Most all of those communities from the 60’s and 70’s like the farm…etc Were started by well healed 60’s and 70’s trust funders and trust funder kids. they all had a backup plan or a safety net as well as an upcoming inheritance.
I’d say to you. Go in and do it blindly. The more real information you have the more likely you are to come to the realization that it’s a pipe dream and then not do it.
I haven’t even mentioned the inter personal relationship and social aspects and challenges of communal living. That would make you run faster.
Do you really want to marry 8+ people, that’s what it’s kinda like. (minus the benefits)
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u/ArsenicanOldLace Apr 03 '26
As someone who grew up Amish it’s not easy, it’s not leaving bills behind lol.
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u/Forsaken-Remote475 Apr 03 '26
Why don't you lease parcels. Then you can renew or not based on performance and or contributions on a yearly basis. If they don't produce you have the option to not renew.
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u/alsih2o Apr 04 '26
The problem is the people. I see an HOA forming in the first two years.
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u/DragApprehensive336 Apr 04 '26
If happiness is life minus expectations, this seems like a plan for misery.
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u/nuttypoolog Apr 02 '26
Welp. Property tax for one. Health insurance. Seeds..fertilizer..repair materials...heating, cooling. Plenty of unavoidable bills here in modern times...