Betsy Merbitz was an intern at Dancing Rabbit in 2002 and returned last weekend for our 15th Anniversary (aka Land Day) and Reunion. Betsy shares her impressions in this week’s column. Thanks, Betsy!
In 2002 Dancing Rabbit was a small community with about fifteen permanent members and approximately five inhabitable homes on the land. I was an intern that summer and fall, and haven’t been around much during the ten years since. It was awe-inspiring (and a bit overwhelming) to return this year during the Land Day celebration and get a glimpse of the community that’s there today.
Of all the incredible growth and change that’s occurred, buildings are by far the most visible. I remember meetings in the rented trailer to discuss winter housing and who would be sleeping in the not-yet-converted grain bin or the outdoor kitchen with strawbales piled up to hold in meager heat. Now, with about 70 residents, there are more houses than I could count! During a tour, I saw an eclectic-looking yurt made of brightly colored recycled awning material, the textured brown earth on Gobcobatron, and the vibrant yellow and red washes on the lime plaster of another house, to name just a few of the many new homes (and new styles of homes) that weren’t there ten years ago.
In addition to all the beautiful successes I saw, I learned of the mistakes and failed experiments. There were earth berms causing mold problems and reclaimed lumber that couldn’t withstand harsh weather conditions. I heard about layers of cob being stripped off a woodstove that had been covered in too much thermal mass and many other tales of arduous efforts that ultimately had to be undone.
But other projects thrived. Peach trees that were young saplings are taller and bearing fruit. There’s a gravel road going through a village of homes in what was formerly all grass and dirt. In addition to the common house that was built in 2004, there are now community social spaces. The spacious La Casa Cultura with its shiny finished dance floor and the cozy dining room of The Milkweed Mercantile where there’s pizza served every Thursday night are a long way from the carpeted living room of the double wide trailer.
With all that’s changed, so much was still the same. People were stomping mud, sand, and straw into earth plaster and pulling nails out of reclaimed lumber. Others steamed local greens on woodstoves for the community dinner or greeted us visitors and helped us set up our tents. We admired the fall colors reflected on the pond in the morning light or chatted around the bonfire under the stars after dinner. This basic pulse of collaboratively accomplishing daily tasks and sharing simple joys paralleled the community life I’d experienced ten years ago.
As I ate home-cooked locally produced meals or bid on hand-crafted auction items to help raise money, I was continually reminded that the abundance that has been created at Dancing Rabbit comes from their ability to work collectively towards one common vision. As a visitor, I was impressed by the community-wide grid of sustainable solar power and the architectural plans for the 8,500-square-foot future common house that will be LEED platinum certified and meet the standards for the Living Building Challenge. But I was equally impressed by watching parents guide their toddlers in reconciling differences using reflective listening or learning how the vehicle cooperative accommodates the unpredictable schedule of a homebirth midwife. Some of the most important and beautiful aspects of Dancing Rabbit are not the highly visible technology like the wind turbines and rainwater catchment cisterns. They’re the skills and practices of getting along, making consensus decisions, and building a village cooperatively.
Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is an intentional community and educational nonprofit in Rutledge, northeast Missouri, focused on sustainable living. We offer free tours to the public during the warmer months, which means your last chance for a tour is 27th. The tour begins promptly at 1 pm. If you miss this, your next opportunity will be in the spring! Find out more at www.dancingrabbit.org, read our blog at blog.dancingrabbit.org, or give us a call at (660) 883-5511.