WRCW is committed to faith, hospitality to the homeless, education for social justice, peacemaking/nonviolence, sustainability, and gift economy. Started in 2009 in the Chicagoland area, the WRCW moved to Northeast Missouri in spring of 2014. We are dedicated to integral nonviolence (meaning to self, others, earth, institutions, etc.) including caring for those in need, striving towards electricity & petroleum free living, gift economy, communal living, simplicity, etc. We are part of Bear Creek Community Land Trust, which is a 154 acre off-the-grid community with our immediate neighbors (17 adults and 14 children). At White Rose, we have three residential buildings on the land: a medium-size home, a small 4 season one-room cabin, and a small 3 season cabin. Planning to build more natural buildings to expand our housing options. We also have a barn, horse-powered laundry house, and a large swimming pond.
Life on the farm includes home-cooked meals, composting toilets, hosting those in need, growing vegetables, planting trees, continuing permaculture design, chopping wood, hosting college groups, and much more! Off the farm, we are involved in a variety of social justice causes.
There are plenty of additional opportunities on the 154 acres like classes on permaculture, wild edibles, primitive skills, nonviolent communication, canning/preserving vegetables, natural building, etc. Plenty of self entertainment is available on the 154 acres … birthday parties, sports playing, craft nights, swimming, etc. Between White Rose and Bear Creek, we host over 300 visitors a year … so there are plenty of opportunities to meet people from all over the country and the world doing fascinating things.
The nearest town is La Plata, which is 6 miles away and has a public library and an Amtrak station! So it is easy to get to by mass transportation. We have extra bikes available for use. Kirksville is 14 miles away and is a small college town.
The Catholic Worker movement is composed of over 200 communities worldwide of many different faiths (not just Catholic) that are committed to nonviolence, voluntary poverty, prayer, hospitality for the homeless, exiled, hungry, and forsaken, and protest of injustice and violence of all forms. To learn more about the movement, the best book is probably “Loaves & Fishes” by Dorothy Day (co-founder).
Other skills – Our neighbors are often working on a variety of interesting projects like straw bale house building, hand tool repair, canning, spoon carving, fermenting foods, horse care, etc. There could be opportunities to volunteer with some of these projects on occasion.
Following God’s path. Care for the poor, sustainability, justice, nonviolence.
Rarely ever on email, so please call or write if you are interested in coming. An easy Amtrak train trip from Chicago or KC. Open for short- or long-term visits all year. Open for new or experienced community-goers who are excited about experiencing what it takes to get a farm off the ground. We love teaching and learning! Tent camping available. Indoor space is usually available as well. We’d love to answer any questions and work out the details of a visit! Also someone who likes playing with kids is a plus!
Everyone must agree before moving forward.
Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.
All member income goes into common pool for community use.
Labor: Yes
Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.
Integrated communities designed around ecological principles with sustainable living practices.
Communal living with shared resources, property, and often income or work responsibilities
Residential communities focused on providing space for meditation, spiritual practice, and personal growth retreats.
Connecting communities through an intentional online marketplace
A residential project: people live here as their primary home.
An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).
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