It's worth noting that while, yes, the original communes may have come and gone, there are currently at least a dozen intentional communities in Vermont, and at least another fourteen forming. It's part of a global trend, with over 1500 in the US alone. Having lived in several of these over the years, I can tell you that we learned a lot from the previous generation of communards--mostly about the need to be truly and specifically intentional. This is the Golden Age of communal living!
(http://www.ic.org/directory/listings/?cmty-country=United%20States&cmty-state=Vermont)
I moved here from western Oregon, where so many folks still prefer to let their colorful freak flags fly high and wide (elders and young alike), so it took awhile to realize how much the back-to-the-landers and the woodchucks have influenced each other here in Vermont over the years. It can be hard to tell them apart! Much less divisive than on the Left Coast. The fusion is a beautiful thing--rural AND progressive--making this a great place to experiment with more sustainable living. It's one of the reasons I'm so glad to have settled here, and so happy to see that the VHS is preserving a part of Vermont history that's been too often neglected (e.g., Jan Albers' Hands on the land).
Re: “Historical Society Explores Impact of Back-to-the-Landers on Vermont”
It's worth noting that while, yes, the original communes may have come and gone, there are currently at least a dozen intentional communities in Vermont, and at least another fourteen forming. It's part of a global trend, with over 1500 in the US alone. Having lived in several of these over the years, I can tell you that we learned a lot from the previous generation of communards--mostly about the need to be truly and specifically intentional. This is the Golden Age of communal living!
(http://www.ic.org/directory/listings/?cmty-country=United%20States&cmty-state=Vermont)
I moved here from western Oregon, where so many folks still prefer to let their colorful freak flags fly high and wide (elders and young alike), so it took awhile to realize how much the back-to-the-landers and the woodchucks have influenced each other here in Vermont over the years. It can be hard to tell them apart! Much less divisive than on the Left Coast. The fusion is a beautiful thing--rural AND progressive--making this a great place to experiment with more sustainable living. It's one of the reasons I'm so glad to have settled here, and so happy to see that the VHS is preserving a part of Vermont history that's been too often neglected (e.g., Jan Albers' Hands on the land).