Bringing home the harvest at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage
Ever wonder what it is like to live in an ecovillage? It’s hard to believe that it has been nearly five years since I moved to Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in northeast Missouri. After all this time, I’m still learning the ins and outs of community life and what it means to live ecologically. But that’s the way it should be, I think. Learning is an ever-present process.
I wrote up a guest post for Earth Easy about what it’s like living in an ecovillage, how I spend my time here, and some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way.
Perhaps the most important lesson I’ve learned about living environmentally is that it does not happen in isolation. You cannot do it alone. Living ecologically is a collaborative process, and community is the key to creating a sustainable lifestyle. I would not be where I am today without the support of my fellow communitarians. We grow and learn together, and in many ways, are dependent on each other.
Check out the full post for a glimpse of what it means to live in intentional community.
p.s. Want experience living in a sustainable community? Our natural building workshops will give participants a glimpse into sustainable living models, and our 2012 internship offers folks the chance to spend a full summer here at Dancing Rabbit.
Photo credit: Ramin Rahimian
Hi Ziggy I have been following your web site since the beginning and I always look forward to your next post, anyway I have a question. My father retired and bought a machine that makes block out of clay & sand on site in compresses the dirt into a large block it is pretty cool it can make up to 150 block an hour as long as you have people to shovel & strain the clay, but anyway he uses the block machine to build houses for people for free in these very poor villages in Mexico these people would not have a place to live or should I say a shelter. let me get to my question I have been thinking about joining him however taking it to the next level and creating ecovillages that are capable of sustaining themselves however the question is how many people do you think an ecovillage like dancing rabbit could sustain, and my next ? is where do you get your water, that is a big issue in alot of these villages fresh potable water. You can dig wells however one well can only sustain so many people very interested in what your opinion on this would be
Hi Ziggy I have been following your web site since the beginning and I always look forward to your next post, anyway I have a question. My father retired and bought a machine that makes block out of clay & sand on site in compresses the dirt into a large block it is pretty cool it can make up to 150 block an hour as long as you have people to shovel & strain the clay, but anyway he uses the block machine to build houses for people for free in these very poor villages in Mexico these people would not have a place to live or should I say a shelter. let me get to my question I have been thinking about joining him however taking it to the next level and creating ecovillages that are capable of sustaining themselves however the question is how many people do you think an ecovillage like dancing rabbit could sustain, and my next ? is where do you get your water, that is a big issue in alot of these villages fresh potable water. You can dig wells however one well can only sustain so many people very interested in what your opinion on this would be
Water is very important. I took a permaculture course – and learned a lot about water management. Water storage is everywhere: from building swales that feed into ponds, to building soils, planting multi-level food forests and rain water harvesting. Also, not wasting a drop, we use waterless urinals, composting toilets and gray water systems. My place is in the hills above Santa Cruz California, which has seasonal rain. I do have a spring, which can go dry in the summer during a drought. However, with some the above techniques, we are hoping that we will get through the next one. I have decided not to dig a well – the water table is 400 feet down, which it too far to pump with the size of my photovoltaic system. Using a gasoline generator to pump water is not an option – too noisy, too expensive and unsustainable – and I want to figure stuff out while life is still easy.
Water is very important. I took a permaculture course – and learned a lot about water management. Water storage is everywhere: from building swales that feed into ponds, to building soils, planting multi-level food forests and rain water harvesting. Also, not wasting a drop, we use waterless urinals, composting toilets and gray water systems. My place is in the hills above Santa Cruz California, which has seasonal rain. I do have a spring, which can go dry in the summer during a drought. However, with some the above techniques, we are hoping that we will get through the next one. I have decided not to dig a well – the water table is 400 feet down, which it too far to pump with the size of my photovoltaic system. Using a gasoline generator to pump water is not an option – too noisy, too expensive and unsustainable – and I want to figure stuff out while life is still easy.
Hey Michael: We do rainwater catchment and store the water in underground cisterns. (We also have several ponds, although we don’t use them for drinking.) Wells are too expensive and the chances of striking water here are too slim. Rainwater catchment is an excellent alternative, and can be employed almost anywhere. (You could do above-ground cisterns in places where the ground doesn’t freeze, too.)
Have you ever considered rainwater catchment?
Hey Michael: We do rainwater catchment and store the water in underground cisterns. (We also have several ponds, although we don’t use them for drinking.) Wells are too expensive and the chances of striking water here are too slim. Rainwater catchment is an excellent alternative, and can be employed almost anywhere. (You could do above-ground cisterns in places where the ground doesn’t freeze, too.)
Have you ever considered rainwater catchment?