Group of diverse people outdoors at Foundation for Intentional Community event.

White Rose Catholic Worker Farm

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Ecological
  • Rural

Founding year

  • 2008

What we do

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.

Our Mission

Following God’s path. Care for the poor, sustainability, justice, nonviolence.

  • Purpose
  • Ecological
  • Community type
  • Ecovillage
  • Commune
  • Spiritual Retreat Centers
  • Sustainability practices
  • Waste reduction / composting
  • Permaculture design
  • Natural / low-impact building
  • Activities
  • Farming
  • Education
  • Experiences
  • Others

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2008
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2009
  • Started living together
  • 4 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
8

Basic expectations or agreements for members

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!

Decision-making process

  • Full Consensus

Everyone must agree before moving forward.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Economic model

  • Complete Income-Sharing

All member income goes into common pool for community use.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • There is a labor obligation

Additional economic information

Labor: Yes

Frequency of communal meals

  • Approximately all meals

Community activities and engagement

  • Transition Town (post-petroleum and off-grid communities.)
  • School, Educational Institute or Experience
  • Volunteer, Internship, or Apprenticeship, or WWOOF’ing
  • WWOOF'ing, Guest Farming
  • Festivals, Conferences, Events

Substance use culture

  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies

Age demographics

  • Multi-generational (all ages well represented)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Setting

  • Rural

Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.

Community type

  • Ecovillage

    Integrated communities designed around ecological principles with sustainable living practices.

  • Commune

    Communal living with shared resources, property, and often income or work responsibilities

  • Spiritual Retreat Centers

    Residential communities focused on providing space for meditation, spiritual practice, and personal growth retreats.

Community type

  • Partially built or remodeled with recycled or environmentally friendly materials, and/or using natural building methods

Sustainability approach

  • Waste reduction / composting
  • Permaculture design
  • Natural / low-impact building

Land practices in our community

  • The community practices permaculture

Community type

  • Partially built or remodeled with recycled or environmentally friendly materials, and/or using natural building methods

Some or all of the buildings are...

  • Partially built or remodeled with recycled or environmentally friendly materials, and/or using natural building methods

Self-produced food

  • 33 - 66%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • Over 66%

Water conservation practices

  • Composting toilets

Waste management practices

  • Composting
  • Land area size
    30 acres

Guest Book

Written reviews are available for plus members. Click here to upgrade.

Location

  • Missouri, United States

White Rose Catholic Worker Farm

Needs and Offers

Connecting people and communities through an intentional online marketplace

  • Promoted
Need
  • Promoted
Offer
  • Real Estate For Sale
2 weeks ago

Beautiful 3+ Bed, 2.5 Bath Townhome in Established West Emerald CoHousing, Seattle

A rare home is available at West Emerald Cohousing, an established all-ages intentional community in West Seattle. For those considering a move to the Pacific Northwest—or hoping to join a mature community rather than one still in the forming stages—West Emerald offers decades of community life, beautiful gardens, shared resources and a peaceful setting within the city in a convenient location since 1999. This unit has a unique floor plan that is ideal for co-buying, co-living, or for one household. The home itself offers a flexible 3+ bedroom, 2.5 bath layout: Garden-level room with a separate exterior entrance and half bath—ideal for a home office, studio, guest space or client-facing business Main-level bedroom and full bath, laundry, making one-level living possible Open great room with large windows overlooking gardens filled with birdsong Well-designed kitchen with generous storage and pantry Two additional light-filled spacious bedrooms and a full bath upstairs Thoughtfully maintained and updated Located at the end of a common pathway for added privacy and garden views, Just feet from parking, which is out of view West Emerald community amenities include: Common House with gathering and activity spaces Community meals and events Mature gardens and shared outdoor spaces Workshop/maker spaces and bike barn Exercise room EV charging opportunity Excellent Metro access to Downtown Seattle just minutes away Nestled into a dell, it’s Seattle’s best-kept secret South Seattle College and lifelong learning, NW Wine Academy, the Seattle Chinese Garden are nearby, with easy access to Alki Beach, Lincoln Park, magnet schools, ferries, and the shops and restaurants of the West Seattle Junction. 6000 17th Ave SW, Seattle, WA Is a wonderful opportunity to have your own comfortable, private home while becoming part of a vibrant and well-established Seattle all-ages cohousing community. For more information contact the friendly Realtor at 206-579-9066, or at ki**********@**********te.com who will be happy to meet you there or do a facetime tour.
  • Promoted
Offer
  • Communities with Openings
4 months ago

Do you feel called to help co-create a small, newly forming eco-spiritual community?

Old structures are crumbling. New ways of living are calling. We are answering that call. Wild Grace is an eco-spiritual community located in the Sierra foothills 30 minutes from Grass Valley, California. We recently completed new homes for those who feel called to our vision. Currently there are four of us living on this sacred 80 acres of land although we are a hub for an expanded neighborhood community. Many join us weekly for potlucks, expressive dance, Qi Gong, monthly musical gatherings, and seasonal celebrations in our temple, as well as tending to our orchard. We are excited to welcome others to join us on the land who are dedicating their lives to spiritual growth and ready to live in a more focused and intimate heart-centered lifestyle. Might that be you or someone you know? The fundamentals are simple. Spirit. We listen personally and collectively together most mornings, usually starting with a musical offering, a prayer, or a short reading, followed by about 40 minutes of what we call “sacred silence.” Heart Circles. About once a week we gather to share and listen. We are informed by authentic and compassionate communication practices. Nature. The land itself—an 80-acre oasis of field and forest perched above the wild and scenic South Yuba River—calls for our stewardship in the gardens, orchard, greenhouses, and general care. In turn, nature feeds us abundantly, both literally and spiritually. Interbeing. We join with others to share inspiration and connection as we host monthly gatherings of song, story and prayer that draws from the larger community in addition to other events we share with our closer neighbors. As we attend to these fundamentals, Grace flows to and through us—often in “Wild” or unexpected ways. Grace catalyzes through us, but is not something we possess. Because we all are connected, we feel that Grace actively transforms n
Offer
Need
  • Communities with Openings
1 day ago

Heart-centered, nature-loving unschooling family seeking a community to land with for winter 2027

We’re a German-American family who left conventional life about four years ago to live in line with our values: freedom, connection, nature, and spirituality. We started out as worldschoolers, moving every month or two. That taught us a lot, including that too much movement leaves a family rootless. Since then we’ve been looking for the balance between adventure and belonging. We found a taste of it on a multigenerational farm community in Austria, and we’re now living alongside a small community in Norway. For January to March 2027, we’d love to spend a season inside a community that feels like home. What we’re hoping for A community with teenagers and a culture that welcomes self-directed learning, where unschooling is understood and not just tolerated Nature at your doorstep (forest, land, animals, or garden) Some shared meals, perhaps shared rhythms, and real relationships, not just a place to park A spiritual or reflective thread, whatever form it takes for you An opportunity to get to know your community by giving back (although we can’t do a ‘full’ volunteering program as we have the past three years – ie: Workaway- because we have meetings online that take up too much of our time to volunteer full time)  What we bring Resilience and emotional wellbeing. I’m an online resilience coach with a BA in Developmental Psychology, certified in HeartMath®, and an experienced yoga and meditation teacher. I can offer community sessions in nervous system regulation, stress resilience, and meditation, and support for parents and teens. Experience raising three children in a nomadic, family-centered lifestyle, including years of travel across Europe. Open, adaptable, and grounded. We’ve lived in many settings and adapt quickly. We show up as contributors, not consumers. Unschooling and homeschooling know-how. We’re glad to share what we’ve learned, especially for families navigating legal and practical questions in Europe. Many other shareable skills: carpentry, sourdough bread baking, food fermenting, music making, dad-joke-telling, drone pilots, cookie bakers, food preservation and much much more.   We’re looking for a mutual fit, not just a bed for the winter. If our story resonates and you have space or know someone who does, we’d love to hear from you. Tell us about your community: your values, your daily rhythm, and what you’re hoping for from the people who join you.
Offer
Offer
  • Professional Services
2 weeks ago

Rebalancing your pet's well being (also looking for intentional community of animal lovers)

🌿 Can animals look after their own well-being? Science says yes! Zoopharmacognosy is the fascinating behavior in which animals self-medicate by selecting, inhaling, or topically applying plants, soils, and insects with natural well-being properties. Applied zoopharmacognosy brings these principles into practical use, providing animals with sensory choices for general well-being and environmental enrichment. 🧠 Driven by Consciousness & Evolution The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness (2012): Signed by global neuroscientists, this milestone established that non-human animals possess the neurological framework for consciousness, intentional behaviors, and emotional states. Describing an animal experiencing fear, joy, or grief is a biologically accurate observation, not a human projection. Prominent advocates like Jane Goodall and animal lovers have always known this from personal experience! Innate Sensory Guidance: Only the animal knows the required plant and amount. This behavior is entirely guided by highly specialized senses of taste and smell, which is an evolutionary survival mechanism of animals. 👀 Incredible Behaviors Observed in Nature: 🐦 Birds (Starlings): Male starlings incorporate yarrow, wild carrot, and agrimony into their nests to ward off pests; chicks in nests lacking these plants suffer from significantly higher mite burdens (Clark & Mason 1988). 🦜 Birds (Parrots): Amazon parrots intentionally consume clay to neutralize toxic alkaloids ingested from wild plants (Gilardi 1999). 🐛 Insects: Parasitized caterpillars ingest specific plants rich in pyrrolizidine alkaloids to support their health (Singer & Bernays 2010; Smilanich et al. 2011). 🐒 Primates: Chimpanzees suffering from intestinal bugs intentionally select and consume bitter, anti-parasitic plants (Huffman & Seifu 1989). 🐑 Livestock: Lambs actively select plants high in tannins when dealing with internal challenges (Villalba & Provenza 2005). 🐘 Elephants: Excavate salt deposits to neutralize dietary toxins (Redmond 1992), and select botanical oils to support their natural defense mechanisms (Ingraham 2007). 🤝 How I Practice The IMIM approach honors the animal as an intelligent being capable of directing its own well-being by honoring its instinct and non-verbal language. I provide safe educational consultations to help you connect with your animal on a deeper level. (Contact me at ge*********@*****il.com to learn how to offer this sensory enrichment for the well-being of your animal!) ℹ️ Further Learning: Learn more about IMIM methodology, case studies and research at carolineingraham.com. ⚠️ Veterinary Disclaimer: Applied zoopharmacognosy is an educational and supportive tool for well-being. It does not offer veterinary advice, diagnose, or prescribe, and should never replace professional veterinary care.

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