Community and Local economy

[ravensgrove]

In case you haven't guessed it, we're not just Bug In folks, we're create community and localized systems NOW preshtf folks.

Someone recently pointed out on the forum: it is impossible to do everything yourself. The sheer volume of knowledge you would need is next to impossible.

In lieu of we have a group of folks akin to a MAG, but not really, who specialize in all sorts of reskilling: from brewing to black smith. We call ourselves Team Apocolypse.
Tonight I am attending a local barter collective where we are working today, to hash out the ways in which we collectively can not only exchange goods and services today, preshtf but also develop a community of like minded folks with specialized skills for post shtf. We have found this challenging, given the fact we aren't hippies and we don't have progressive leftist political views. It has taken me a couple of years to create a community of people that are like minded, thinking one could do so over night, should the world come crashing down tomorrow....is ill advised.

What do you do right now, to create the community you will need post shtf?
No man is an island and thinking you can survive indefinitely as an isolationist is extremely short sighted.

[ladyhk13]

I am in total agreement in what you say ravensgrove. We have been all over our state looking for a good piece of land to buy that we can build on and have it become not only our home but our BIL. We have a lot of requirements but one of the big ones is the views of the people in the area. We ask the listing agents specifically about it and suprisingly they are pretty willing to tell us. We have ruled out some nice pieces because the locals just weren't in the same mindset as we are.
Good luck tonight and have a great time! Let us know how the barter collective goes and how it is structured, I'm sure there are a lot of people here that would be interestedl

[izzyscout21]

Lady, you may want to check out the Monterey, TN area. Overton, Fentress, Cumberland, and Pickett counties. Our BOL is inside a Mennonite community called Muddy Pond. They have their own leather shop, general store, bakery, mill, sorghum mill, and they grow/ raise all of their food. They are super nice and willing to help anyone out. I've already traded some gun work for some leather goods.

[The Stig]

Raven, you are at such another level of prepping from most people.

I know this sounds like total ass-kissing, but it is these sorts of preps/mental exercises that clearly demonstrate the differences between sheep -> bottled water in garage -> maybe we should think about being prepared -> actual prepping life style -> true survivalist.

The terms might not fit but this is great stuff.

[LUNCHBOX]

I started to say something but then I just "liked" all the other posts. Sounds awesome.

[Stormfeather]

I totally agree with you Ravensgrove, but unfortunately, in my area, there just isnt a prepping mindset, and it chaps my ass to no end! These folks, while nice enough, and country enough, just arent as social about it, or maybe Im just not meeting the right folks. Its gotten to the point where anything Prepper wise pretty much happens if im the person initiating it. This gives me a little bit more exposure than I would prefer, so for me, its trying to walk that fine line of low profile and making people aware, which draws attention.

[ravensgrove]

Ok, I am now back from the barter meeting: we do it monthly and it also has a time bank portion which runs seperately. If you aren't familiar with the idea of time bank Google it. Its awesome.

Let me address each one of these responses:

ladyhawk: Ya see, this was also a primary concern for me. Big J and I went to HS here and when we started our world tour for the Army 17 years ago...this was a quiet, country folk, conservative area. Flash forward and we have the renowned progressive liberal GREEN university in the country just 15 minutes from me....this brings a different "tone" to the entire area. We actually left our farmer's market for this very reason in our area...different political mindset. Unfortunately, or fortunately this is home for us. We spent the 14 years before we bought this place longing for home. I am certainly not going to be run off by a bunch of tye dyed freaka farmer-wannabes. LOL. I would wager no matter where you go...there ya are. You aren't going to find the "perfect" community anywhere...so you have to work at it, build it.

izzyscout21 Big J is in upstate NY right now on duty and I spent two weeks there farm touring Amish/Mennonite farms in September. I would kill to live by either community post shtf. Upsettingly...VA won't loan on agriculture zoned properties in upstate NY...and three counties are all zoned agriculture. We actually looked at 70 acres of perfection with a working dairy barn for 1/2 what I paid for 7 acres here in WA...couldn't get any one to lend on it outside 20 percent down...which we of course do not have....so there Big J sits...and here we sit....until he retires or the Army sends him back whichever comes first.

Stig : Well gee shucks....*** blush *** I think I have so very far to go...but I keep chiseling away at it every day.

Stormfeather: as I mentioned above...there wasn't here really either...except politically opposing us. So I just did my own thing. I understand your concerns with OPSEC. I pretty much gave up on OPSEC the second we got our farm business license.

Lunchbox: TEE_HEE!

[mitunnelrat]

Wow. You're years ahead of me on this, and reaffirmed a flaw in my own plans, thank you. I need to get out networking more now, especially since I just put myself back in a decent community for it, and not wait for the infrastructure I want to be put in place.

http://www.shtfready.com/general-discussions/survival-planning-go-big-go-home-90.html

[Sniper-T]

wow! simply wow! I'll add more later, after I can process what level you're at.