don't need to own privately,for example,washing machines,trucks,swimming pools. Many communities serve as model environmental or teaching centers for sustainable agriculture.For example,"The Farm",a large cooperative community in rural Tennessee does not reject competitive business practices but rather,commits to a vision of environmentally friendly business.Members of "The Farm"work in several small-scale industries including solar electronics,solar car research,and a publishing company for alternative books. 4 An example of an intentional community committed to voluntary simplicity is Vashon Co-Housing Community.Its members choose to live in small unpainted wood houses,shingled with cedar."Uncle Martin"decided to leave New York in 1989 and move his family to the Vashon Co-Housing.He and his family live on little money,don't own a computer,and forbid anything with the Disney label on it.Rather than playing Myst on the computer,the family spends their evening playing old-fashioned card games,or reading. Residents live in separate dwellings but homes are connected by dirt roads,there are 13 acres of communal land,all residents attend bimonthly meetings,and every month there is a work party in which everybody pitches in with outdoor chores. 5 These communities are the newest expression of the 300-year-old American desire to build a non-hierarchical,or equal,community with values uncorrupted by the larger society. It was this desire to form a new,ideal community which brought the Pilgrims to the U.S.in the early 17th century.300 years later,it is still impossible to find a community that has achieved perfection.The problems we see "out there"in the mainstream-greed, dishonesty,egoism,competition,factionalism -all manage to find their way into alternative cultures too.However,intentional communities have a much lower crime rate than their mainstream neighbours,and claim a more caring and satisfying lifestyle.They are committed to ideals of ecology,cooperation,and family,even though they may often fail to reach those ideals perfectly.Their utopian vision provides a challenge to the pace and purpose of modern American society. 631don' t need to own privately , for example , washing machines, trucks, swimming pools. Many communities serve as model environmental or teaching centers for sustainable agriculture. For example , "The Farm" , a large cooperative community in rural Tennessee does not reject competitive business practices but rather, commits to a vision of environmentally friendly business. Members of "The Farm" work in several small-scale industries including solar electronics, solar car research , and a publishing company for alternative books. 4 An example of an intentional community committed to voluntary simplicity is Vashon Co-Housing Community. Its members choose to live in small unpainted wood houses, shingled with cedar. "Uncle Martin" decided to leave New York in 1989 and move his family to the Vashon Co-Housing. He and his family live on little money , don' t own a computer, and forbid anything with the Disney label on it. Rather than playing Myst on the computer, the family spends their evening playing old-fashioned card games, or reading. Residents live in separate dwellings but homes are connected by dirt roads, there are 13 acres of communal land , all residents attend bimonthly meetings, and every month there is a work party in which everybody pitches in with outdoor chores. 5 These communities are the newest expression of the 300-year-old American desire to build a non-hierarchical , or equal , community with values uncorrupted by the larger society. It was this desire to form a new , ideal community which brought the Pilgrims to the U. S. in the early 17th century. 300 years later, it is still impossible to find a community that has achieved perfection. The problems we see "out there" in the mainstream - greed , dishonesty , egoism , competition , factionalism • all manage to fjnd their way into alternative cultures too. However, intentional communities have a much lower crime rate than their mainstream neighbours, and claim a more caring and satisfying lifestyle. Theyare committed to ideals of ecology , cooperation , and family , even though they may often fail to reach those ideals perfectly. Their utopian vision provides a challenge to the pace and purpose of modern American society. 631