THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, December 5, 1994 TAG: 9412050034
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: THE DAILY PROGRESS
DATELINE: LOUISA LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
The autumn winds have left only a few brittle leaves clinging to trees in the courtyard at the Twin Oaks commune.
It was winter that gave the experiment in communal living its first test 27 years ago. But unlike most of the communes spawned by the flower children of the 1960s, Twin Oaks weathered the stern months - and prospered.
Today, it is a vibrant and healthy community of 85 adults and 17 children. The answer to the question of founding member Kat Kinkade's new book on the history of the commune - ``Is It Utopia Yet?'' - is no, but they're working on it.
Twin Oaks was started in the summer of 1967 on a 123-acre tobacco farm in Louisa County. Of the original eight founding members, only Kinkade continues to live in the community.
In the late 1960s, swarms of people disenchanted with traditional lifestyles opted to start or join communes.
One key to surviving, Kinkade said, was work, and all people doing their fair share. They discovered it was necessary to maintain a communal economy and hold a rein on personal consumption.
Welcoming visitors and accepting new members also were important, she said - as were structure, personal freedoms and leaving people's minds alone by not insisting on intellectual or spiritual conformity.
During the first years at Twin Oaks, members often had to go outside the community to get jobs in order to continue the experiment. But since 1975, the manufacture and sale of hammocks has ended any need for outside work.
Hammocks continue to be the principal source of income for the community. With Pier One Imports as the largest purchaser of the woven rope and wood product, yearly sales exceed 12,000 hammocks.
``There are two requirements for living here,'' said John Roth, who recently celebrated his third year at Twin Oaks. ``You have to work 45 hours a week on average and live by our behavioral norms and bylaws.''
Twin Oaks is as self-sufficient as possible. A 2-acre vegetable garden, orchard, vineyard and dairy farm supplies much of the food needs of the members. A wood mill not only meets the needs of the hammock industry but also supplies much of the lumber for buildings in the commune.
Each adult member gets a private room in one of seven large residences. The commune handles the necessities, including health and dental care.
Each member gets about $60 a month for spending money. But except for a few private possessions, everything else is public. Members can sign out 17 vehicles, ranging from passenger cars to trucks, but no one can own a private car or other ``grand'' possessions.
``Radios are allowed, and people can listen to whatever music they chose,'' Roth said. ``But television has a way of taking over a culture and kids, so we decided not to have it.''
For all the pluses, Twin Oakers readily admit that communal living has its drawbacks.
The average length of stay for members of Twin Oak is five years. Roth joined the commune to experience that type of life, but assumes he will someday leave as his interests change.
``I have fantasies about having my own place and things from time to time,'' Roth said. ``In a way, it's like living in a submarine here. Other than your room, there isn't that much private space, and it can feel claustrophobic at times.''
In the past few years, living at such intentional communities has seen the greatest resurgence since the late 1960s, Roth said. More than 30 people are on Twin Oaks' membership waiting list.
Kinkade said what attracts people to Twin Oaks today is much the same as what attracted people 27 years ago. ``They speak of alienation, of commercialism, of the overwhelming influence of television, of crime in the cities, of ecological disasters, of a search for meaning, a desire to live close to nature and so on,'' Kinkade said. ``It's a litany of cliches, but they speak them with sincerity.''
Although winter is near, there are no hurried steps along the leaf-strewn paths that meander through the woods linking residences and outbuildings. There's plenty of food in the pantries and wood cut for the fires. ``I suspect we'll make it through the winter,'' Roth said with a laugh. ``Yes, we'll make it.'' ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS photo
John Roth, in his third year at Twin Oaks in Louisa County, feeds
10-week-old calf Snug. Feeding cows is one of his main jobs at the
commune, where everyone works 45 hours a week. For income, the
members make hammocks, mostly for Pier One Imports. by CNB