Nanna Fights Fires

I had a little stop over in Maffra staying with my Nanna, the beautiful Betty Ripper.

Moora Moora

Moora Moora Co-operative

The front gate to Moora Moora, Healesville, Victoria.

Bob's wood box. Fill it outside, collect it inside.

Luc and Amy the splendid Wwoof hosts of goodness are setting up a community garden which will supply residents with organic vegies! The garden is just getting started in this pic: Now deliveries are up and running!

The wind turbine!

Bob shows us his hand made solar hot water heater and I try out the exercise bike energy generator which charges a 12volt battery. I had to peddle till dinner was finished cooking! Only kidding.

Julia's art studio was constructed at a community working bee when I was there! It was a prezzie from Jeremy. Here is their house, Jarra and Jinja the kids sleep upstairs.

Below Shin and Jane are willing workers in the vegie patch!

The Rant: Moora Moora started up in 1974 on a forested hilltop near Healsville (70kms out of Melbourne). It has a fluctuating population of around 40 Adults 20 children there are 30 potential house sites with still a few to be built upon. The settlement is organised in to 6 clusters, each with it’s own name and personality. New members can also buy an existing house when it comes up for sale.
Moora Moraites are not connected to the grid so families have individual solar hook ups. They tap into a natural spring that runs through the property. Community workday is on the 3rd Sunday of every month at a different person’s house every time with lovely cakes and tea! (I had chlorophill juice, wooo, new experience!) When I was there new pipes were being dug into a field with a trencher.
There is a minimum 6 months (but usually 12) “getting to know you” period for prospective members in which they rent a vacant house or stay at ‘The Lodge’.

No dogs and cats are allowed but there are horses, which are used for riding and a source of manure. I know this first hand from a rainy day of chocolate shovelling.

Moora Moora houses the prolific contributor to environmental discourse Bob Rich here is his website if you want to check out his writing http://bobswriting.com (everything from science-fiction to how to build your own house manual). Founding member Peter Cock still lives here, he gained Australia wide knowledge of Intentional Communities when he toured Communities in 1970. His book “Alternative Australia” recounts the journey.

All houses are different combinations of alternative building. Mostly earth walls and more recently, straw bale. Solar heating. Spring and rainwater. Many of the earlier houses were built to rely purely on spring water. There has been a push from the newer residents to convert their dependence to rain water tanks, which is telling of the change in priorities of communards.

When I was at Moora Moora there was a community discussion (lead by the younger members) about hosting a rave/doof/dance party. It was a really interesting time to witness a shift in community activity to something more relevant to younger communards as a means of community celebration that is a part of their sense of belonging. When the meeting resolved everyone had decided to allow the doof as a part of the community commitment to alternative culture. Like other successful Intentional Communities Moora Moora has made a commitment to change in response to societal needs. In this case, alternative culture will evolve in response to mainstream societal culture.

For the first time a communal vege patch is being started at Moora Moora! Luc and Amy settled here with the purpose of creating a CSA (community sponsored agriculture). They found Moora Moora when they were Wwoofing and made a proposition to the community. It was so exciting to Wwoof with this wonderful pair as they laid out the first beds of the large-scale organic garden. Now the community members of Moora Moora will have local organic vegies delivered to their door.
It’s a rare thing for communal gardens to be sustained in community. The reason I believe it will succeed here:

• *Two full time committed organisers with previous experience
• *Financial support from a local population base (they contribute money in advance which provides money for the infrastructure (seeds, mulch, waterworks ect.)
• *Wwoofer worker support
• *Passion - Amy and Luc are really passionate about organic gardening: They rock.

Another rocking feature of Moora Moora is a large, systematised Wwoof quarters. Wwoofers (not to blow my own trumpet) seem to bring a flow of energy and ideas through Intentional Community. Hosting a Wwoofer does, however, take a certain amount of emotional energy (they stay in your house and are involved in your life full-time). At Moora Moora Wwoofers stay in “The Lodge” and are given the rounds by a caretaker. Wwoofers have two days off a week (in which a Wwoofer makes their own meals from the stocked Wwoofer pantry) One other day is work for the community (which the caretaker overseas) the remaining days are to whatever family needs some Wwoof help, you Wwoof on their property and they feed you.
As a Wwoofer it’s a great way of meeting many families and getting a good overview of the community. Your full 6 hours are usually utilised (because people want to make the most of their Wwoof time) but you get great meals because everyone’s ultra prepared! From a Wwoofer perspective it’s a more impersonal experience (people don’t really get to know your name unless you’re around for a while) but it is good if you need some time alone after a big immersion experience (like Wwoofing usually is).
From a community perspective a formal system like this can really churn through the Wwoofers and create a whole Wwoofer tribe in peak season (lots of energy for working bees), community members don’t have to provide accommodation to their Wwoofer for the day and you don’t need to retract your Wwoof entry if you go on holiday or just don’t have the energy for Wwoofers. This system means Wwoof hosts also may miss the interconnectedness of a real Wwoofer experience. However, some hosts have Wwoof entries of their own or poach idle Lodge Wwoofers in the night lured by the promise of a relief from Korean spicy cabbage pilfered from the Wwoof clan when one can’t be bothered to cook pasta.

This is getting a bit rambly sorry, this is for you Jay, I think The Wolery needs a Lodge.

In conclusion, Moora Moora was great. Lots of energy and strong connections to mainstream life (which is good for everyone, especially the mainstream). It seems that trade connections (market gardens and fair days) are important for keeping the lines of communications open and Moora Moora (similar to Crystal Waters) had the close local connection of the Healsville community which created a nice relationship of reciprocity.

Check out their official Website http://mooramoora.org

Commonground

Commonground is a community/venue which hosts guests guests, Wwoofers and visitors. At the time I visited there were six residents.


Produce from the organic vege patch is sold at local farmers markets.






Greywater from the house collects in this tipping trough. After collecting for a while the trough tips and is poured onto either the sheoaks or the orchard depending on what needs water.



The no dogs or cats rule once applied to commonground untill Nalu appeared out of nowhere and claimed the place as hers!
A happy Chelsea in the kitchen! After you wash the dishes you stack them no drying required! Designed to recline!

Sunrise Farm

Tam and Pete's house: A lovely example of pasive solar house design catching the winter sunlight.


Cutting swales into a hill diverts the natural water flow to the plants. Watching this is the lovely Drew and his dog (I've forgotten her name)
Pete is passionate about native wattles. He has collected countless varieties of wattle seeds and hopes to produce these products to supply organic growers. Seed collection and species preservation is something he has been involved with for a long time...
Dean (in the beanie) and his partner Tracy were responsible for the creation of three "Food Groups" on their travels. Now at Sunrise Farm each member pays $50 a week for a box full of gorgeous organic produce couriered from Melbourne once a week. The more people join, the more variety in produce they can afford. The weekly distribution get-together!
Skye is using a cooler Pete made from terracotta pots with terracotta wine coolers inside

Here is an inside composting loo. LOVELY!!!

Mt Murrindal Co-Operative

Mt Murrindal was the original birthplace of the Wwoof movement in Australia! This small, relaxed co-op north of Buchan, Victoria is home to three permanent residents (by chance all women) who live in three separate houses on the property.
Here I Wwoofed with Pam, a retired Melbournite and her three dogs! This community is very relaxed in its expectations of members; there is an assumed commitment to environmentally friendly living. Community connections stretch throughout the local area with people living non-communally and with nearby communities "Sunrise Farm" and the establishing Ashram Siba (formerly Ontos) a little way up the road.

As there are no structured co-op events (apart from an AGM) Mt Murrindal could be confused with a standard country share-lot. So, what is shared? The permiculture garden provides the women with much of their veggies. Time working in the garden isn't a scheduled expectation but an spontaneous pleasure. A communal tool shed is another resource that expands individual wealth whilst reducing their global impact.

These marigolds (which are used to as a natural bug repellent) are blessed by a high monk!

The black mesh on the ground is weed mat. This is a favorite amongst organic gardeners as a non-chemical way to defend against weeds. This doesn't stop renegade seeds arriving through compost or animal manure. The biggest weed in Mt Murrindal garden is Sorrel.
Here is Beth's pride and joy: The three stages compost. The chooks were big fans of the first stage.

In the Co-op building (a functioning house) everyone's mail is distributed along with eggs donated by the communal chooks.

During my visit two prospective members, a couple, Mark and Moira had just moved into the co-op building. Prospective members rent (living in the co-op house) for a minimum of one year. The proceeds of rent goes to the Co-op. After a year if the community and prospective members still get along they officially join!
This “getting to know you” recruitment technique is a popular and successful one. Communities can avoid problematic members and new members (who may be moving from cities and living communally for the first time) can see if the interconnection suits them. It can however, be slow: Recruiting is limited to how many free houses are up for rent. New members may also take a long time after their initial “getting to know you” period to build their house, again, slowing the influx. However, this is only a problem if the community wants new members fast!

It is an exciting time for Mt Murrindal! Mark and Moira come with knowledge and plans for sustainable infrastructure, they also have a baby in the makings!