Dust-To-Dust Commune
A reference page for those who are considering joining a community
based on love for one another, and respect for the natural order of things.News - Commune - Ideologies
Land Management/Costs - Standard of Living - Typical Day - Government - Religion
The Mission
The waters are getting to polluted to drink, the air to smoggy to inhale, and people continue to distance themselves from the Earth and it's purpose. We live in a materialistic society that has us buying things in big stores, from big corporations, and the next week it has us throwing those things out and buying new. There are a few of us that have a problem with that, and wish to change it but have no outlet. Emma and I (the webmasters of this fine corner of cyberspace) have set out to create an outlet for people like that.
We have set out to start a commune. That word we use with hesitance, as it tends to conjure up bad feelings with some people. They think Hare-Krishna, Branch-Davidians, and Heaven's Gate. We can assure you we are none of those, as we have no religious affiliation, no kool-aid to drink, and don't think the mothership is coming for us. We instead are just two people who have a thing for the natural order of things, and believe in being close to nature and it's amazing way of supporting life. We believe in taking care of the earth, and living in harmony with it. We envision a community that supports the simplistic life of farming.
The goal is to set up a community of like-minded people, who wish to grow their own food, make their own clothing, and live a life of peace. Below you will find information on how we plan to do that, and what is in store for our community and the people who choose to join us.
Emma and I are glad you have chosen to stop by, and if you have any questions, just e-mail me (Wilson) and I will get back to you as quickly as possible.
News
I'm not a web designer, I just play one on the internet! - Posted by Wilson on 1/2/05
I can hear many an internet savvy screaming, 'Oh my!' right now as they look at this webpage. It is rather bland and dull, not that the first template of this website was much better. I'm taking away the graphical interfacing I had, for this dull version currently for right now for two reasons.
With the site being new, and us constantly adding fresh information, building a new page meant we had to go back through every pre-existing page and change the links around. I'm sure that Microsoft Frontpage has a command that would do that for us, but I wouldn't even begin to know where to look. Anyhow, this made updates very time consuming. So, with this new format it will be a little easier.
Without the need to line up graphics with tables and such, we can concentrate more on the substance within the webpage than the look of it. Once everything gets stable with this webpage, and updates get less frequent, only then will I start building graphics and such and making it look professional. Until then, you're stuck looking at something that looks like it comes from an intranet college website.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I am a man of the sun, and the soil. These new-fangled computers make me scratch my head, and I'm sure they have the same effect on many a farmer. So, bare with us for now, and enjoy the fast loading time without all the complications of graphics. After all, this is a website about simplistic living, why clutter it up?
Emma and I appreciate you stopping by and looking around.
Dust-To-Dust Commune
Below is everything pertaining to how the commune will be sat up, and run.
Land Management/Costs - Standard of Living - Typical Day - Back to Top
Land Management/Costs
One of the things that needs major thought before any of the property bidding, the supply stockpiling, and the finding of willing pioneer environmentalists is the use of land and it's development. I'm not a city planner, nor am I a master of graphic design so bare with me on this, and just remember that this is a general idea of how the land will develop and in no way a set plan.
I have broken it up into three stages, each will house more people, grow more food, increase the community's efficiency, and, unfortunately, cost money. With each, I will list the approx. cost of the stage and each buildings purpose and design.
Land Management Stages -
Stage One - Stage Two - Stage Three
Standard of Living
Each person or couple has the right to have 200 square feet of housing.
For each kid, accommodations of 50-100 square foot of additional housing will be made for.Each house comes with:
A woodstove, a chest to keep clothing and personal items per person, and a water pitcher and basin.
Free education, and free medical care (the best that can be provided by the community)
A job for all people age 14 and up until they are no longer able to work.
- Apprenticeships are encouraged, so that the skills of the trade are passed down.
7 Sets of summer clothes, 10 sets of winter clothes.
A winter coat, gloves, and a hat.
Summer sneakers, winter boots, and a pair of thongs (sandals).
Two sets of bedding, with extra blankets for winter.
Free food, rations depending on the harvest. Children eat first, then elderly.
Soaps, toilet paper, shaving equipment, toothpaste/brushes, sanitary pads, and all the many other toiletries will be handed out as needed with no cost.
Free firewood to heat with, as necessary.
I can not take credit for a lot of these ideas, I modified them to fit the communes needs. The originals were presented by Diane Fitzsimmons, the link I lost! If anyone knows it, please send it to me so that I might give her proper credit.
Typical Day
A few people have written, wanting to clarify some things about what a normal day would be like in the Dust-To-Dust Commune. I'm going to give the vague agenda, as what is done during the day will change as community needs change and what is going on around the community. If you would like something cleared up about anything you have seen on these pages, shoot me an e-mail!
Sunrise - The morning bell will be rung, and people will have a chance to get up and make their way to the bathhouse, to clean themselves up, and get ready for the day ahead.
Around 8AM - The bell will be rang again and people will have a chance to come to the community building to eat a healthy breakfast. Once breakfast is done, and any morning issues concerning what is going on that day are discussed, the people will part and go to their jobs, whether that be chopping wood, building houses, schooling the kids, etc.
Around noon - The bell will be rang and people will have the chance to come to the community building for a quick lunch. Then back to work.
Around 3 - The bell will ring again, the end of the work day. Kids and parents alike are free to do as they please.
Around 6 - The bell will ring for the final time, and everyone will have a chance to eat dinner. After dinner, everyone can go back to relaxing for the next day.
Monday's are a day off that the community shares, and will be the day community meetings are held on. Then everyone can pick an additional day off on any day they choose. This is to allow two days off, and to allow people with different religious ideologies to be guaranteed sabbatical/days of worship off.
Also, if you note, the work day is only about 6 hours long. These keeps people from working long days in the hot summer sun, and in the cold winters.
Most afternoons there will be live music and dance at the community building. This allows people to relax after a hard days work in either a social atmosphere, or at their houses for more of a quiet private relaxation.
Dust-To-Dust Ideologies
Below is everything pertaining to what the initial community will run on.
Government - Religion - Back to Top
Government
The community's government will rest on two things.
The first one being that everyone can vote on anything. This is a true democracy, where the person is their own representative and isn't represented by a politician that doesn't have their best interests at heart. Everyone above the age of 14 is eligible to vote on any issue brought up at the community meetings.
The second being that everyone can raise an issue during the weekly community meetings. No need for a petition or fancy wording. A time will come when anyone can raise new issues and causes. The person will stand and give the issue, the floor is open for debate over the issue, and if it isn't an urgent issue the community will be given a week to discuss the idea amongst themselves and it will be voted on at the next community meeting.
In the beginning there will be minimal, framework responsibilities, things supporting the environment, a close knit family life, and a close knit community. Those three things we hold are more important than anything else.
Religion
The community holds no affinity to one religion over the other.
People can worship what they believe in, without prejudice. While religion is an open topic for discussion within the community, it should never become an argument. We all come from different backgrounds, and must learn to be open about other people's beliefs.
The two founder's themselves come from different religions background, with Wilson being a devout Catholic, and Emma being agnostic. This sets as proof that people can live and work together productively while having a different take on life.
Remember that one of the things we stress in the community is love for one another.