Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

For discussion related to emergency preparedness, survival, self-sufficiency, food and water storage, guns, heat, light, building, gardening, etc.
Post Reply
User avatar
FreedomWorks
captain of 50
Posts: 87
Contact:

Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

Post by FreedomWorks »

Seems to me that a very valuable way to be prepared and achieve self-sufficiency would be in a small cooperative community. The closer that community got to 100% self-sufficiency, the less painful a national economic depression or collapse would be to them. Remember the old saying, "United we stand, divided we fall"? As people who value preparedness and self-sufficiency, we might want to consider uniting for our mutual benefit and take advantage of the principle of power in numbers.

Newsflash: Brigham City, Utah, in the 1800s, achieved 100% employment (around 1,000 workers) and sailed through a great recession, having their best expansion year during that recession. We can do the same, or better.

Brigham City achieved "85 percent" self-sufficiency, in other words, 85% of goods were produced locally. They worked into that by doing three things:
1. They built a central co-op store, and invited all the local farmers and tradesmen to sell their goods there.
2. The profits were used to set up cooperatives to produce goods that had been being imported.
3. The cooperatives then sold all their goods through the co-op store.

Brigham Young was so impressed with their system, that he encouraged cooperatives to be built throughout the Mormon settlements -- and they were. In fact, he saw the cooperative movement as a steppingstone to building Zion.

I'm proposing we do the same thing as Brigham City, but start it out virtually, then gradually build the community in reality. Here's one approach:
1. Establish a virtual co-op store online.
2. Sell goods produced (or purchased wholesale) by co-op members, retaining a fixed percent of the profits.
3. Use those profits to:
- Establish worker-owned cooperatives to provide jobs and produce goods to be sold in the co-op store.
- Buy land (say 40 to 250 acres),
- Develop water resources: wells, solar water stills, etc.
- Plan and plant a large "forest garden" to eventually provide most of the community’s food.
- Build the community’s first (multi-family?) home.
- Build a central warehouse for the co-op store and move its operations there.
- Start building physical facilities for the various manufacturing co-ops.
- Build more homes for those whose jobs we’ve moved on-site.
- Continue tweaking until the community is as close to 100% self-sufficiency as possible.

And that community could slowly ween itself off the grid by:
- building energy-generating equipment (windmills, solar power generators, water wheels with generators, etc.)
- building super energy-efficient homes that require only $100 of electricity a YEAR (yes, they exist),
- finding alternative means to accomplish what we typically use electricity for. One example would be the old ice house concept to store ice for ice box refrigerators. Another would be solar water heaters.

The Gentiles Are Doing it Already, Why Can't We?

"Intentional Communities" are [Gentile] settlements set up on purpose -- "places where people have chosen to share land and resources in all kinds of creative ways". There are over 200 such self-sufficiency-oriented communities in the US and more abroad. See IC.org

The most successful Intentional communities have one or two businesses (cooperatives) where the residents work. They grow and store all their own food, and find great fulfillment in living in a small, tight-knit community. I think if we Mormons set up such a community, using Brigham City's pattern, we could make them thrive much better.

Here's a video of a person who toured several intentional communities. You'll see the residents tend to be a tad... odd, but as you watch, ask yourself, "How could a group of self-sufficency/preparedness-minded Mormons make this better?"

User avatar
mes5464
Level 34 Illuminated
Posts: 29570
Location: Seneca, South Carolina

Re: Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

Post by mes5464 »

I have been wanting to do this for years.

User avatar
FreedomWorks
captain of 50
Posts: 87
Contact:

Re: Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

Post by FreedomWorks »

mes5464 wrote:I have been wanting to do this for years.
Awesome! Now you don't have to wait any longer. :ymparty:

mes5464, as a programmer you'd appreciate this:
I'm currently programming an online decision-making tool to be used by our "Deseret Cooperative Development Board" (or some such name). This board, made up of resourceful, proactive people, will make and implement plans to launch the initial online co-op store.

User avatar
mes5464
Level 34 Illuminated
Posts: 29570
Location: Seneca, South Carolina

Re: Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

Post by mes5464 »

FreedomWorks wrote:
mes5464 wrote:I have been wanting to do this for years.
Awesome! Now you don't have to wait any longer. :ymparty:

mes5464, as a programmer you'd appreciate this:
I'm currently programming an online decision-making tool to be used by our "Deseret Cooperative Development Board" (or some such name). This board, made up of resourceful, proactive people, will make and implement plans to launch the initial online co-op store.

Please remember to send me the link when it is done. If you want help just ask.

User avatar
Desert Roses
captain of 1,000
Posts: 1017

Re: Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

Post by Desert Roses »

FreedomWorks wrote:
mes5464 wrote:I have been wanting to do this for years.
Awesome! Now you don't have to wait any longer. :ymparty:

mes5464, as a programmer you'd appreciate this:
I'm currently programming an online decision-making tool to be used by our "Deseret Cooperative Development Board" (or some such name). This board, made up of resourceful, proactive people, will make and implement plans to launch the initial online co-op store.
I hope you will post a link! My husband and I have talked many times of how great it would be to live in a community with an idea of self-sufficiency, as well as being faithful to the Church (and live not too far from a temple!) Don't know how realistic moving to such a community would be--we'd have to be prompted by the Spirit to do something like that, since we're moving pretty well toward self-sufficiency here in our home in Southern Utah. But I'm very interested in your project and would love to know more.

jwharton
captain of 1,000
Posts: 3067
Location: USA

Re: Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

Post by jwharton »

I would love to take part in such an effort.

One thing I learned from past efforts is DO NOT have multiple families under one roof. Just don't do it.

User avatar
FreedomWorks
captain of 50
Posts: 87
Contact:

Re: Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

Post by FreedomWorks »

jwharton wrote:I would love to take part in such an effort.

One thing I learned from past efforts is DO NOT have multiple families under one roof. Just don't do it.
Point taken! :)

User avatar
Sirocco
Praise Me!
Posts: 3808

Re: Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

Post by Sirocco »

Don't the Mormon Fundamentalists have things like that but... you know more oppressive and crazy.
I certainly think a community of likeminded people could make such a thing work, people have in the past.

User avatar
FreedomWorks
captain of 50
Posts: 87
Contact:

Re: Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

Post by FreedomWorks »

After sleeping on it, it occurred to me this morning that maybe there was an interim step between individuals prepping on their own and the self-sufficient communities proposed above. When I realized that interim level would include loose organizations of preppers, I remembered I had already proposed such an organization! I even built a website for it years ago and made a video outlining Disaster Prep Clubs.

"A Disaster Prep Club is an self-governing council of neighboring families who work together to make active preparations now so they may survive man-made or natural disasters with dignity."

Those of you interested in taking your preparations to the next level should seriously consider joining (or creating) such a club. Here's the intro video: DisasterPrepClubs.org/intro-video/

Now that I think about it, the online decision-making tool I mentioned above would be an even better way to conduct the Prep Club meetings than the simplified parliamentary procedures I recommend in the video. I think I'll work on getting the tool finished this weekend!

Nebguy
captain of 50
Posts: 88

Re: Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

Post by Nebguy »

It would be cool if things were organized at a ward/branch or stake level. Probably ward/branch level as our stake center is nearly 200mi from here as it probably is elsewhere.

User avatar
dlbww
captain of 100
Posts: 729

Re: Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

Post by dlbww »

.

Army of 8
Hi, I'm new.
Posts: 1

Re: Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

Post by Army of 8 »

Is anyone actively attempting to put together a community or cooperative with LDS principals and values in mind, preferably next to a temple? I'm interested is there anyone else?

Ezra
captain of 1,000
Posts: 4357
Location: Not telling

Re: Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

Post by Ezra »

I've been trying to make something like that happen.

I have 125 acres. 28 farmable. I'm working to acquire another 900 acres beside me that has a really nice year round live trout stream. Ponds and 70 acres of farmable ground. Has a small orchard that could be expanded really easy. Has walnut and almond trees. It would be a nice place. I think I'm about 6 months away from making the deal.

Its county out here though. 2 hours from the Boise temple..
1 hour from the closest ward building/ city. There is a little town near by but it's little pop 400.


Already have a warehouse.

Both property's have really good micro hydro power possibilities. That could easily power everything. And then some. Could build quite a few house on the 2 property's.

The 900 acre already has 2

And can put more. It's already permitted for 8 rv camp spots on the lake front. Which has good fishing.

User avatar
harakim
captain of 1,000
Posts: 2819
Location: Salt Lake Megalopolis

Re: Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

Post by harakim »

I have wanted to do something like this for years. In 2013, I attended a meeting of an intentional community which eventually fell apart. I am not sure where to start on this but I have some ideas.
I think the first thing to do is find people and the distribute the necessary skills. Everyone can have an idea of the skills needed but it would be better if one person, or group or however you distribute it, would be the expert who knows everything about a subject and is responsible for teaching others.
I'm not sure how well this would work online for the following reasons:
#1 If a disaster happens, who is to say you can connect to the internet
#2 It is hard to coordinate stuff online
#3 I don't want to discuss my preparations in a trackable medium like the internet

However, I do think I will do something like this in my life. And I could even be persuaded to do something like this on the internet if it could work.

gardener4life
captain of 1,000
Posts: 1690

Re: Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

Post by gardener4life »

I...could use advise.

I don't know what to do for this food prep and emergency preparedness stuff. I believe its inspired. I seek the spirit and take the sacrament as much as I can. I've always paid my tithing. But all this preparedness stuff just hasn't been possible to even get to. Some of us have tons of health problems that make doing emergency preparedness and food storage practically impossible; that's me in that group. What are you supposed to do when you've had chronic respiratory issues your whole life and just getting out of bed is your battle for the day? I have gardening skills for my parents home, but it's not my home. And my parents sometimes want to baby the bad siblings so sometimes I get squeezed out of things too. And because I look like a young guy I slip through the radar, people think i look healthy on the outside and might think I'm just lazy or able bodied. Yet some of aren't able bodied and I don't think we could survive going to some tent city if something bad happened and we had to use these preparations.

So I don't understand how I'm supposed to do these things asked of us. I also have this sleep problem now too where my body kind of shuts down and I sleep 12 to 14 hours a day.

How am I supposed to be prepared when all these events we're preparing for unfold?

Matchmaker
captain of 1,000
Posts: 2266

Re: Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

Post by Matchmaker »

gardener4life wrote: July 19th, 2017, 2:59 pm I...could use advise.

I don't know what to do for this food prep and emergency preparedness stuff. I believe its inspired. I seek the spirit and take the sacrament as much as I can. I've always paid my tithing. But all this preparedness stuff just hasn't been possible to even get to. Some of us have tons of health problems that make doing emergency preparedness and food storage practically impossible; that's me in that group. What are you supposed to do when you've had chronic respiratory issues your whole life and just getting out of bed is your battle for the day? I have gardening skills for my parents home, but it's not my home. And my parents sometimes want to baby the bad siblings so sometimes I get squeezed out of things too. And because I look like a young guy I slip through the radar, people think i look healthy on the outside and might think I'm just lazy or able bodied. Yet some of aren't able bodied and I don't think we could survive going to some tent city if something bad happened and we had to use these preparations.

So I don't understand how I'm supposed to do these things asked of us. I also have this sleep problem now too where my body kind of shuts down and I sleep 12 to 14 hours a day.

How am I supposed to be prepared when all these events we're preparing for unfold?
If you need medicine to stay healthy, store that up first. At the same time, buy one gallon of bottled water each week until you have at least 2 weeks supply of fresh drinking water stored. Go to your local thrift store, like Deseret Industries, Goodwill, or whatever is in your area, and buy extra warm things at a very low price such as, shoes, boots, coats, hats, gloves, quilts, sleeping bags, etc. Get a couple of cheap second hand backpacks too. Get a decent flashlight with batteries, a radio and a first aid kit. When you can, buy a comfortable air mattress and maybe a decent tent on sale.

Designate a separate area in your house or room for food storage. It could be a bookcase, a closet, or under your bed. Every week when you go grocery shopping, plan to buy at least 1 item to put in your food storage. It could be a can of soup, a jar of spaghetti, or a can of tuna, for example, if you like these types of food. Make sure the expiration date is quite a ways off so you can store the items for a while. Before you know it, your food storage will increase and you will have enough food stored to last for 3 months.

JohnnyL
Level 34 Illuminated
Posts: 9830

Re: Self-Sufficient Communities, the next level of preparedness

Post by JohnnyL »

gardener4life wrote: July 19th, 2017, 2:59 pm I...could use advise.

I don't know what to do for this food prep and emergency preparedness stuff. I believe its inspired. I seek the spirit and take the sacrament as much as I can. I've always paid my tithing. But all this preparedness stuff just hasn't been possible to even get to. Some of us have tons of health problems that make doing emergency preparedness and food storage practically impossible; that's me in that group. What are you supposed to do when you've had chronic respiratory issues your whole life and just getting out of bed is your battle for the day? I have gardening skills for my parents home, but it's not my home. And my parents sometimes want to baby the bad siblings so sometimes I get squeezed out of things too. And because I look like a young guy I slip through the radar, people think i look healthy on the outside and might think I'm just lazy or able bodied. Yet some of aren't able bodied and I don't think we could survive going to some tent city if something bad happened and we had to use these preparations.

So I don't understand how I'm supposed to do these things asked of us. I also have this sleep problem now too where my body kind of shuts down and I sleep 12 to 14 hours a day.

How am I supposed to be prepared when all these events we're preparing for unfold?
Up, it can be done! Are you at home still? Are your parents doing it? If so, that's a great way.
I have been using energy healing for serious health problems. I would very likely be dead if I hadn't.
Some things, like iodine, can be purchased and stored.
As Matchmaker was saying, a little a day, a little a week, a little a month. Learn about it, do one thing. Repeat.

Post Reply