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Formed: 2005 Established: 2005
This page last updated:2/8/2013
Red Earth Farms
Rutledge, Missouri,
United States
 Humankind is entering a difficult era, when fossil fuels—the basis of our opulent Western lifestyles—will become increasingly scarce. At Red Earth Farms we believe that the optimal solution lies not in scrabbling violently for the remainder, but in developing systems, technologies, and cultural practices that are sustainable*.
Members of Red Earth Farms are dedicated to developing sustainable lifestyle choices that offer a high quality of life. We enjoy the close relationship we are fortunate to have with the planet that sustains us, and we do our best to honor the non-human beings around us and take good care of them.
In order to gauge our progress toward ecological sustainability and highlight areas to work on, we perform detailed ecological auditing (like footprinting) of our activities on and off the land. This is our way of holding ourselves accountable and learning how we can do better.
We believe in taking care of each other as well as the earth around us. Our guiding principle is “Love the land; love your neighbors.” In our actions we endeavor to do to others as we would have them do to us. This translates into a deep support for cooperative projects, a growing gift culture, and a practice of sharing any surplus with each other.
It also means we respect the diversity among us. By fostering this diversity we are encouraging a variety of approaches to sustainable living. We hope this freedom of implementation will result in a number of different models of sustainable systems, yielding many solutions to the problems with which humanity is faced. For this reason we each enjoy a high level of autonomy on the land we steward.
The structure of Red Earth Farms incorporates these autonomous entities into one overarching land trust. Individuals, families, and income-sharing communities each have internal decision-making freedom regarding their own acreage, and everyone has the opportunity to participate in decisions affecting the wider Red Earth Farms community and the land trust. These decisions are made by consensus.
The issues upon which we seek full community agreement are few. Although we encourage cooperation, it is rarely obligatory.
Many of us value self-sufficiency highly, especially in the area of food. We are aiming to generate a high percentage of our own food, as well as shelter, fuel, clothing, tools, and other essentials. We love the close connection this allows us to have with the source of our sustenance.
Our community is located on 76 acres of rolling hills, with five ponds, several wooded areas, and a small creek. We are on a gravel road less than a mile from Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage and about three miles from Sandhill Farm. Our relationships with these communities are close and neighborly; we share potluck dinners, frisbee games, and gardening tips. The small town of Rutledge is three miles away, and the hardware stores and public schools are about 12 miles away in Memphis, MO.
Nonviolence, permaculture, feminism, and our personal spiritual paths are important to us. Among our interests are planting trees, caring for our pets and livestock, playing with fermentation, dancing, meditating, doing yoga, sharing meals, and relaxing in the evening after a full day of gardening, building, and cooking.
Currently our group consists of 10 adults and seven children. We are open to visitors, and we welcome children, families, and those of non-traditional lifestyles. Please contact us if you are interested in visiting.
*Sustainable - A sustainable society would, within the area occupied, consume resources no faster than the rate of replenishment and would not contribute to the non-sustainability of outside ecosystems.
 
Contact:
1 Smith Rd
Rutledge, Missouri 63563 United States
Phone: 660-883-5870
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Community location is placed at the center of the zip/postal code, city/state, or city/country (not based on street addresses)
This page last updated:2/8/2013
 
Visitors Accepted
Visitor Process: Contact us (email preferred). Please see http://www.redearthfarms.org/visiting/ for more info about visiting.
Statement of Housing Non-discrimination:
Our community does not discriminate in regards to housing based on race/color, national origin, religion, sex/gender, family status (i.e. having children, not having children, or being pregnant), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, ancestry, source of income, age, creed, personal appearance, political affiliation, HIV infection, military/veteran status, unfavorable military discharge, gender identity or expression, receiving public assistance, or being the victim of domestic abuse.

Population
Members(adults and children):
17
(10 adults and 7 children)
Non-member Residents:
1
Open to new members:
Yes
Government
Decision Making:
By consensus
Identified Leader:
No
Leadership Core Group:
No
Labor and Money
Financial Style:
Members have independent finances
(There are income-sharing subgroups.)
Open to Members with Pre-existing Debt:
Yes
Labor Contribution:
(We meet labor needs voluntarily on a case by case basis.)
Join Fee:
Yes
(The amount is variable based on land use; financing options are available.)
Regular Fees:
No
Land and Buildings
Rural
Area:
76 acres (30.8 hectares)
Land Owned By:
Community-controlled land trust
(In 2007 we formed a community-controlled land trust, which bought the land from a board member in January 2008.)
Number of Residences:
5
(Five year-round residences and three summer cabins.)
Cohousing:
No
Food, etc.
Percentage of Food Grown:
6-20%
(some of our members aim to approach 100%)
Share Community Meals:
1 time/week
Dietary Choice or Restrictions:
Diet is up to each individual
Dietary Practice:
Omnivorous
(many are mostly vegetarian, one family is gluten-free)
Alcohol Use:
Used occasionally
Tobacco Use:
Seldom used
Social Factors
Common Spiritual Practices:
No
Which Spiritual Traditions(s):
Eclectic (integrates pieces from many religions)
Educational Style(s):
Home schooling
(Public schooling is also available.)
 
 


Become an Editor Current editor(s): alyson, kimscheidt
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Comment from Joan on 10/19/2010 (Reader Rating: 0)
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red earth farms is beautiful! my first visit was in the fall of 2008, and i found their response time via e-mail to be quick and the information provided helpful and thorough.

i lived at red earth for three months in 2009, and have gone back several times since then to visit. the members are friendly, make wonderful neighbors, and have a lot to offer in the way of building knowledge, gardening and permaculture, and transitions to simple living.

seasonal advice - mid to late october is Ladybug season! there are tons of japanese ladybugs (not normal ladybugs) that swarm around from nearby soybean fields, and they sometimes bite. also, april is very, very wet, cold, and windy. red earth usually discourages visitors during these less accommodating times, which is considerate!

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About these ads
We happily link to the following organizations, all of whom share our strong commitment to promoting community and a more cooperative world:
Cohousing The Federation of Egalitarian Communities - Communes Coop Community Cooperative Sustainable Intentional North American Students of Cooperation Global Ecovillage Network
Special thanks to the sponsors of our Art of Community Events.
Bryan Bowan Architects California Cohousing NICA Wolf Creek Lodge