Ecovillager Wannabe

I have said for probably about four or five years now that I want to, more than anything (sheesh, that's a bit much, but I do want to quite a lot), go check out the Dancing Rabbit ecovillage, here in Missouri. I want to move there, I want to be a Rabbit, I really do. It's not even very far from where I am in Odessa; Rutledge is only just over 211 miles away, three and a half hours. Much obliged, MapQuest.

Here's their deal:

"[E]cological sustainability is the primary focus of our long-term vision and our daily lives. Residents agree to follow ecological covenants and sustainability guidelines. We build our homes using alternative techniques such as straw bale and cob, powering them with renewable energy from sun and wind. Vehicles at DR are owned cooperatively and powered by biodiesel. Overall, we eat an ever-increasing amount of local, organic, and in-season foods, including many home-grown vegetables.

"We strive to be good stewards of our land, with much of our acreage reserved as wildlife habitat. In the grasslands we are reintroducing native prairie plants to help revitalize our region's biodiversity. We have planted over 10,000 trees to restore our land to its pre-settlement ecology [...] and provide a sustainable source of wood for our community in years to come.

"In addition to being a wonderful home for us, DR is a model for social change. Outreach and education are integral to our mission. Rather than isolating ourselves completely from the mainstream, we promote DR as a viable alternative. We enjoy sharing discoveries and ideas of sustainable living with people who have a wide variety of lifestyles."

Since I first heard of the place, I have regularly kept up with some of the folks already living there, through members' blogs and newsletters, so the yen keeps getting stronger for me to go. It's been bumming me out lately, in particular, since now is the time of every year they start up the tours and work exchange opportunities to go throughout the summer; of course, that's certainly out of the question, me being flat broke and all.

Why I never managed to get around dropping in on Dancing Rabbit back when I had money and the chance, who knows? I swear, though, one of these days I will somehow be headed up there, feasibly falling in for the long-term with a community of like-minded wacks such as myself. From what I know about the village and the goings-on, being a part of it would make me very happy. Not to mention making your own humanure, that would be awesome.

Bunch more videos at Dancing Rabbit's YouTube channel: