Why the Mercantile?

The 36 adults who live at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage are all committed to making a difference. Many of us left well-paying careers and lively social scenes. But to us, any tradeoffs are well worth it. We awaken to birdsong; we know and like our neighbors. Our homes are climatically appropriate, well built, and reflective of what is important to us. Children spend time with their parents and a wide group of adults who care about them. We have varied interests and talents, but shared values.

We have been astounded and gratified by the attention that Dancing Rabbit has received. We answer hundreds of emails from around the world and host several hundred visitors a year. Many more would like to come but we are currently unable to accommodate them. We have had several documentaries made about us, including an episode of Morgan Spurlock's 30 Days, and countless articles and term papers. We don't claim to have the answers – all we can do is share what we are learning. It is hard work, but fun and very rewarding.

Our community celebrated its tenth anniversary in October 2007. We love our lives, and what we are accomplishing. We are constantly striving towards higher levels of ecological sustainability. We make decisions by consensus, which is a time-consuming but effective way to communicate. Our most serious challenge, particularly for women, is earning a living. Can we support ourselves by sharing our skills and our passions? Is it possible to integrate "work" into the rest of our lives?

We believe that with The Milkweed Mercantile we can. Jobs are being created while providing a unique, high caliber venue for outreach and ecological sharing. We aim to support ourselves doing what we love most, do best and believe in passionately, right here in our own backyard.

As members of Dancing Rabbit, Alline, Kurt and the staff are building the Milkweed Mercantile with the same guiding principles and priorities with which we are building our village. These priorities and values are not a phase we are going through, nor are they a trend. They are how we live our lives, what we are passionate about, why we leap out of bed in the morning. We hope you find the Mercantile helpful, inspiring, and better than "business as usual."