Taming the Wiscoy Wilderness

by Vic Ormsby, Yarrow Brown, and Tony Brown

T HE WISCOY LAND CO-OP, organized as a cooperative in 1975, is a secular intentional community of 24 adults and six children, ranging from age seven to 54. They hold their 144 hectares of land in common, with each adult member owning an equal number of shares. They also hold in common their community center (the original farmhouse), a barn and other outbuildings, a sauna, cider press, grain mill, swimming pond and recreational area, and hiking and cross country ski trails. Wiscoy members make community and land-use decisions by consensus at weekly meetings. Members' businesses and professions (privately held, as is their individual housing) include a native plant nursery, an organic inspection service, construction, nursing, accounting and counseling.

The Crazy Days

We came individually, or as couples, or in small groups, over time, refugees from the struggles of the '60s and '70s. We wanted to live in the country; we wanted "community"; we wanted "freedom"; we wanted something different from the boring middle-class lives of our parents.

We were not much different from the rest of our generation. We were open to experimentation in relationships, in living arrangements, in sex, drugs, and music, in spiritual "trips." We were wildly romantic and courageously sexual (use your imagination--we did). The community was reluctant to make any rules about what people could or could not do. We developed a meeting format that provided all persons with an opportunity to express their concerns and be heard. We wanted our experiences themselves, and the consequences that followed, to be the guide to our becoming.

Word spread and people showed up. We had campfires and potlucks nearly every night during the summer months, and some people had romantic trysts whenever possible. We planted gardens, constructed temporary shelters of tents, tipis, and tarps. Meals were cooked over campfires and people gathered and shared what they had. The coming of cold weather set off a scramble as people decided who was going to live with whom through the winter months. Spring brought the return of those who had wintered down south, working or playing, and those who had shared rental housing in the city.

There was only marginal housing on the farm. The outbuildings were in various states of disrepair. The summers were fun, hectic, and wild! The winters were cold, harsh, and bitter. The circumstances put a lot of stress on relationships. Some couples separated, one partner leaving, one staying. Couples remained together or separated depending on how well they shared common values and vision of community. New relationships developed and babies were born, egos were bruised, but through it all we continued to meet and talk and listen and share and help each other as we could. People left, people came and a new sense of ourselves as a community began to emerge.

The Work Years

We developed a history/herstory with each other. As wildness cooled, couples formed and committed themselves to build their own homes. Some singles built houses, too. Businesses were started, gardens expanded, perennials were planted, more children were born and raised. Life and livelihood became more sustainable. Several couples formalized their relationships at this time. Some weddings were big community celebrations while others were quiet ceremonies held elsewhere. Single members introduced new partners from outside, some of whom eventually became valued members of the community. The climate changed toward couples and new couples became involved. Verbal battles were waged over sexism, diets, standards of order and cleanliness, hunting, and the rules for volleyball.

We brought in facilitators to teach us conflict resolution skills and the rules for fighting fairly. This was helpful for conflicts between community members, but also for conflicts within families. We began to see that conflicts are an inevitable part of relationship, in coming to know and to value each other. How we respond to conflict can be constructive or destructive and we can choose how to respond.

The Present

There begins to be some rewards for all of our hard work. Success at what we do brings more time for leisure, community involvement, romantic trips to far off places. Many of the children are grown--off to college or jobs, some to marriage and some departed with a parent or two. We have entered the modern world with TVs, VCRs, computers, and fax machines. Our cars are newer and more reliable.

More recent members face different challenges from earlier members in becoming integrated into the community; it is never easy. Newcomers lack the shared history and nuances of living together. Learning to be considerate of others when making decisions is difficult.

From all of our struggles a new sense of ourselves emerged. We have come to feel more like family. We enjoy working and playing together. We've become known for our parties and celebrations, our potlucks and volleyball games, swimming pond, skating and ski parties. Sexual tension decreased as men and women worked and played together, coming to know each other in different ways. We experience each other as brothers and sisters, as co-workers, as friends, and as people of worth regardless of sex.

The Future

Some of our greatest challenges may still be before us. We know that as we age change is inevitable. Aging, disability and death could change relationships and living arrangements. Already we depend more on chiropractors, massage therapists, exercise, and yoga classes.

The future is full of questions. Will any of the children return to their roots to live in the community or will they head out in new directions? Will new couples continue to be interested as openings occur? Will widows and widowers form new relationships? Will elder members let go of individual homes to live together in small groups? Hopefully, love, romance, and sex will still be flourishing, but in what form?

While we don't know what the future will bring, we hope it will continue to be as good as it is now. We trust ourselves and our process to help us resolve these problems as they arise. It's been an interesting, challenging, and fun trip, and we look forward to the future.

Vic Ormsky, a co-founder of the Wiscoy land co-op in 1975, is a market gardener. Yarrow Brown, a 14-year resident, grows wildflowers and is a cartoonist--her cartoons accompany this article. Tony Brown, a 13-year resident, is an avid homesteader.