Mystique Farms
Yahoo Group

Vision

Introduction

Mystique Farms Community intends to be an innovative, low-energy use, small, sustainable community.  We believe that with global oil production peaking soon, it is going to be necessary to evolve our way of living to meet the needs of the coming decades.  We aim to use less fossil fuels and more alternative, renewable energy sources such as micro-hydro, wind, geothermal and solar.  Our goal of sustainability is to operate, as much as possible, with minimal inputs and outputs by creating our own energy, growing our own food and creating cottage industry within the community.  We desire to live in a way that resources are not consumed faster than their natural replenishment so that we can continue indefinitely without degradation of our resource base or standard of living.  We see community as a way of living together that emphasizes co-operation rather than the current competitive way of living. 

Our hope is that Mystique Farms Community can act as a model for similar developments across the country.  The organic gardens, low-energy building techniques and other aspects of the neighborhood-community design will be strong educational tools and even sources of income for some of the community residents.

Philosophy

We believe that as oil and gas diminish, society will require far more farmers to produce organically grown food.  We aim to protect and develop the agricultural land, using the techniques of organic and biodynamic growing.  With future possibilities of significant increases in the cost of food due to transportation costs, we believe it is essential to be producing as much of our own food as possible.  In addition, we believe that growing our own food and consuming it as fresh as possible is the most healthy option available to our bodies.  As the commercially available food supply becomes more and more weakened and nutritionally void, we are committed to building our bodies with the very best food possible and the most wholistic healing techniques.

Our desire to live in community stems from wanting to help resurrect many of the skills and traditions that have been lost in the rush for industrial urbanization.  We believe the skills will be necessary for survival and sustainability in the future and will make every effort to revitalize them now.  We see living in this manner as part of evolution, not a return to the past.  There are hundreds of ways to use less energy that represent much of the accumulated lore of centuries of wise living.

There are many reasons why we desire to live in a small community this way—social, physical and emotional.  Physically, we yearn to leave the smallest ecological footprint possible on this earth and to work with the energies of the planet to be in harmony with all living things.  Socially we desire to be part of a small, like-minded group that is dedicated to working for ecologically balanced business.  Being part of a community where there is camaraderie between neighbors, compassion and a common desire to celebrate life is also important.  On an emotional level, we desire less fear training of ourselves and our children and less need for censorship of mainstream media and fashions.

General Description

Homes.  The homes of Mystique Farms Community will be built using modern, ecologically friendly and low-energy building techniques such as straw bale and earth ship homes.  Many of the common energy-using services may be grouped together within the framework of the community building, such as laundry, food processing facilities and internet/computer terminals in order to reduce energy needs.  Energy will be supplied to the homes through a variety of alternative sources including micro-energy coming from the creek, geothermal, solar panels, wood heating and wind energy.  Root cellars will also be a part of the community design to reduce the amount of refrigeration/freezing required, as well as the use of canning and dehydrating.

Automobiles.  At Mystique Farms Community we will do our best to reduce the amount that automobiles are driven through the development of a car-sharing program, car-pooling, use of the local transit system, encouraging people to work locally and by having local entertainment and recreation available.  A new value of “rootedness” shall replace the value of mobility.  In addition, we will strive to have vehicles that have increased efficiency and utilize alternative energy sources besides fossil fuel.

Food.  Community structures for the production of food at Mystique Farms Community will be of the utmost importance.  A large, alternative-energy greenhouse is planned, using the principals of the Solviva greenhouses and bubble technology.  The community will also include barns, storage sheds, root cellars, community organic gardens and orchards and a community food preparation and dining area.  Sustainable approaches, such as permaculture and organic growing will be the basic methods of agriculture.  The use of animals will eventually be used as oil and gas become more expensive for both cultivation and transportation.

Sewage and trash.  Mystique Farms Community will be taking an aggressive stance on recycling, beginning with reducing the input level by doing away with excess packaging coming into the community.  It will continue by direct recycling of metals, plastics, paper and glass.  Organic wastes will be composted for use in agriculture.

Education.  The majority of children living at the Mystique Farms Community will be home schooled or unschooled.  Having a number of adults living and working in close quarters, with a variety of skills and life experiences will provide the children with an array of useful skills and an appreciation for a sustainable lifestyle.

Health.  Members of Mystique Farms Community will be like-minded in their desire to achieve excellence in health.  This will manifest through eating the very best food possible prepared in a life-giving way, regular cleansing of our bodies, regular exercise and meditation/spiritual development.  We also hope to provide a learning environment for non-members to visit and expand their awareness of health choices.

Celebration.  Community members of Mystique Farms Community will be given the opportunity to gather together regularly to celebrate the beauty and magic of life.  We hope to have members with a variety of talents, including music, theatre and dance, and wise elders to lead us in ceremonies and celebrations.

Community Buildings

Mystique Farms Community will be a neighborhood-community, rather than just a housing development, that fosters community and implies a high degree of social interaction among residents.  Some of the areas included in the community building are:

• canning and food processing area
• commercial kitchen and community dining area
• social area for parties, ceremonies, common dinners, musical and theatrical performances
• offices
• teaching and lecturing facilities
• community library and internet stations
• lounge
• exercise gym
• laundry facilities

Other community buildings include:

• tool and equipment building
• barn
• workshop/woodshop
• guest cabins

Recreation Facilities

Recreation is a very important part of life.  Taking this into consideration will result in more social cohesion and better health.  Some of the spaces and facilities listed below will be developed in the long run to meet this need.

• tennis court
• basketball court
• squash court
• handball court
• pool tables
• horseshoe pits
• weight-lifting gym
• swimming pond
• skating pond
• hiking and biking trails

Sustainable Occupations

Mystique Farms Community supports the concept of local economies.  “Local Economies” suggests a major change in the current distribution of goods and services.  This change will be a move from highly centralized production facilities owned and managed by large corporations to decentralized facilities managed by small business owners.  The focus will be on products with a low content of energy and a higher labor input.  More labor intensive jobs with a high level of manual skills will replace high energy consumptive jobs, thereby using less fossil fuel energy and more human labor.

Craft products will replace low-cost manufactured goods meaning an increase in trade and craft skills.  Classic woodworking skills will be reborn on a local level, as well as farming, food preserving and other cottage industry.  There will be people involved in wood lot management, health and wellness education and the education of the children.  A community is more than a set of houses—it includes skilled people.

Cultural Values

A low-energy life-style is not simply a question of economics.  High-energy use living has not only changed the way we live, it has changed our values, beliefs and attitudes towards life.  At Mystique Farms Community we hope to foster:

• emphasis on relating not competing
• face to face communication
• conversation as an art-form
• learning from each other
• emphasis on people not possessions
• joy of belonging rather than having belongings
• learning and development as life purpose
• community values not consumer values
• pleasure in working with one’s hands and outside
• convenience and comfort are not the highest priority values
• community support:  interconnectedness replaces isolation
• a strong sense of ecology and working with natural habitats and wildlife
• living closer to nature

Conclusion

This vision is a preliminary description for the low-energy neighbourhood community which we desire that will use energy in limited amounts, be sustainable through agricultural & economic development and food storage and provide a strong sense of bonding and community for its members.  We hope that this vision and its subsequent development can act as inspiration for others to develop similar communities and move towards being part of a sustainable, healthy society.