65760

That's the ZIP code for Tecumseh, Missouri.

"Yeh, so what?" you ask.

Tecumseh happens to be the community closest to East Wind, an intentional community in the Ozarks that was started in 1973 and has 75 residents today.

"And?"

And East Wind is the subject of an article starting on page 114 of the new August 2005 National Geographic magazine.

"OK, so why are you telling us?"

I mention it in an attempt to preempt someone from walking up to me to with a smirk to say, "I saw your 'commune' in National Geographic." Though Raccoon Creek Community will have some property owned in common, it is not a commune, and we will not be shared clothing, nor partners.

See "Eco-village?", "How's your commune coming?", and "A community by any other name - definitions" for a brief explanation of community terms as I understand and use them in this blog.

The article is brief but interesting. The nice folks at East Wind are doing their thing, their community has evolved over 32 years into what they have decided it should be, and it appears to be an interesting place to visit.

The article describes some of the rules and methods they use to manage their community and run their successful nut butter business. I'm sure there are things we can learn from them, and probably some things we can't.