East Wind

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East Wind

Located in Tecumseh, Missouri, United States

Mission Statement
Cooperation and Sharing

Community Description
We are a 70-member collective located on 1,045 acres of rural Ozark Hills in southern Missouri. We are a member of the Federation of Egalitarian Communities, and as such, we put great value in cooperation, nonviolence, and sharing. We support ourselves through two industries: East Wind Nut Butters and Utopian Rope Sandals. Our membership is very diverse, we have no central leadership, and we practice democracy. Our work lives are busy and varied, but we always find time to relax and enjoy community meals, music jams, and Ozark sunsets. Our land is one of a kind, very rural, and filled with all sorts of wildlife. We encourage individuality and diversity in our members. We are looking for skilled, hardworking, responsible and self motivated individuals that share in our values. Prospective members are encouraged to contact membership; currently we are most in need of plumbing skills, electrical skills, and carpentry. Drop ins are not accepted, you must contact membership to visit.

Housing
Status: We have land we have developed on
Area: 1045 acres
Current Residence Types: Multi-family homes, Room(s) in a house or building, Yurt, tee-pee, dome, treehouse, or tent, Mobile homes, RV’s, converted buses
Current Number of Residences: 15
Housing Provided: Included in Membership
Land owned by: The entire community membership

Membership
Adult Members: 70
Child Members: 5
Percent Women: 31-40%
Percent Men: 51-60%
Percent Transgender: 1-10%
Visitors accepted: Yes
Visitor Process:
Prospective visitors are encouraged to contact someone on our membership team to arrange a visit, but email first, as dropping in unannounced is not permitted.
Open to new Members: Yes

Economics
Dues, Fees, or Shared Expenses: No
Shared Income: All or close to all
Required Labor Contribution per Week: 35
Open to members with existing debt: Yes
Additional Comments:
35 hours/week, members are required to work a designated number of these hours per week in our businesses.

Sustainability Practices
Energy Infrastructure: We use both systems.
Current renewable energy generation: 0%, or close to 0%
Energy sources: Solar
Planned renewable energy generation: Up to 25%
Current food produced: Between 26-49%
Planned food produced: Almost All, around 90%
Food produced locally: Between 26-49%

Lifestyle
Common Facilities: Common House, Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Vehicle Share, Library, Workshop, Outbuilding(s), Swimming pond or pool, Outdoor Kitchen, Large Scale Kitchen, Tractor & Farm Equipment, Stage or Auditorium, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Waterfront access, Gym or sports area, Internet
Internet Available: Yes, community provides it
Internet Fast?: Yes, it’s fine.
Cell Phone Service: Good for some people.
Shared meals: Approximately all meals
Dietary Practice: Omnivorous (plants and animals), Local (food sourced within 150 miles), Organic (no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers), GMO Free (only non-genetically modified organisms)
Dietary Choice or Restrictions: No – people may eat however they wish.
Special Diets OK: Yes
Alcohol Use: Yes, used occasionally.
Tobacco Use: Yes, used often.
Additional Diet Comments:
We have an organic garden and full working ranch with cows, pigs, chickens, and goats.
Vegetarian and vegan options are served with every meal
there are designated smoking and non smoking areas
Education Style(s): Home Schooling, Public Schooling, Up to each family or individual
Healthcare Options: Community Plan

Culture — Life at East Wind

While our bylaws and Legispol lay out the backbone of how we function politically within community, our culture is defined in many ways by our commitment to The Federation of Egalitarian Communities (FEC). The FEC is comprised of six intentional communities in the United States that have joined together in a common struggle to create a lifestyle based on equality, cooperation, and harmony with the Earth. As an active member of the FEC, we are part of a larger network of communities, each of us contributing what we can to mutually benefit one another for the greater good of all. We are also able to share and receive labor with other communities through a labor exchange program that allows members to receive labor credit at their home community for work done elsewhere. Labor exchange opportunities arise frequently (chiefly to Sandhill and surrounding communities in Missouri, and to Twin Oaks and Acorn in Virginia).

We hold our land, income, labor, and other resources in common. The community assumes responsibility for the needs of its members, from food and shelter to medical care and entertainment. We work hard, because we understand that each one of us is responsible for ourselves as well as the group. We are part of a system that rewards cooperation rather than competition. We ensure that our members have an opportunity to participate in the decision making process by using direct voting methods such as petitions, proposals, and ballots. As a community, we hold meetings for discussion on topics relevant to community. All are welcome and invited, and everyone’s voice is heard.

We practice nonviolence. We believe that every person has the right to be free from the threat of physical violence, and incidents of violence within the community are not tolerated. We consider ourselves stewards of the land we use, and are working towards creating a more sustainable lifestyle while reducing our impact on our environment. A big part of our garden, ranch, comptoil, and forestry teams’ goals involve using our resources as effectively as we know how to, and reducing our ecological footprint.

Community meetings remind us that we all have something to say, and this teaches us to listen and be open to other perspectives. As much of our work takes place in the woods, the pastures, and the gardens, we very conscious of our environmental impact on the land. Because we recognize and respect everyone’s right to nonviolence, we are reminded to be respectful of others’ personal space. Because we realize that everything we do benefits ourselves, our friends, and the community at large, we put a lot of love into our work. And because we hold what we care for in common, we are all more willing to strive to make it better for all of us.

Source: https://eastwindcommunity.github ... 015/12/12/home.html
             https://www.ic.org/directory/east-wind-community/