Ella Wegman-Lawless has done her fair share of communal and intentional living in Vermont. She wondered: “How much of Vermont as a place cultivates that?”

So she asked us: “Does Vermont have a high number of communes, and if so, what’s the deal?” 

To answer Ella’s question, reporter Mae Nagusky surveys intentional living communities in Vermont, past and present: communes, co-ops, eco-villages and the like. If your mind immediately goes to the peace and free love hippies of the ‘60s and ‘70s, you’re not alone. And that’s a part of the story. But intentional communities take many shapes in our state — and not all of them fit that stereotype.

To see photos from Mae’s reporting check out our web feature.

Mae Nagusky reported this episode, and did the mix and sound design. Josh Crane produced it, with editing and additional production from the rest of the Brave Little State team: Myra Flynn and Angela Evancie. Ty Gibbons composed our theme music; other music by Blue Dot Sessions.

Special thanks to Lexi Krupp, Eric George, Marlie and Julia Hunt, Hannah Braun, Colin Bradley, Sara Peterson, Colton Francis, Luigi Morelli and the Hungerfort Community House. 

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Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public, and a proud member of the NPR Network.