They say, a sign of insanity is continuing to do the exact same thing and expecting a different result. This is my third…or, maybe, eights (LOL) attempt at starting a prepper community. Originally, I envisioned people moving onto our 110 acre homestead property. I made a tactical blunder offering to sell off small 2.1 acre chunks at market value so people could own their own home if they chose, while sharing in and working on the greater property. It seemed like a good idea. If I were in BC, I’d be fighting off Back To The Landers with a stick, but, low and behold, no takers, slim pickings or grossly inappropriate candidates more interested in showing off than participating. I invested countless hours of typing, travelling to meetups and just plain heartache at my loss of investment. In the end, Nothing more than having made a few new prepping friends. Here were my problems in this goal. Here in this province, there is a very small pond of prepper fish to catch from. Those with the financing for homesteading already had one. Failed farms are dirt cheap to buy here and asking someone to just move here is far too much a radical shift for most people with families. The younger city preppers that I thought would be all over having a prepper retreat within driving distance (or three days bicycling) just didn’t have two pennies to rub together. To make enough money, they would have to move somewhere else. Probably out of province. I had hit a wall. I had failed in the one prep I could not afford to fail in. Solitary prepping is simply waiting around for someone else to come and take all you set up. That, and solitude is not a very fun or healthy way to live life.

Then one morning, while waking after a couple days of hanging out with one of my new found prepper buddies, it dawned on me that I had actually achieved my goal. I had built a small community of four families that had agreed, tentatively, to a coalition. A mutual assistance group or MAG. I just had to rework my original plan of what I considered community. This new plan had its bonuses. Suddenly, we had a grand total of six safe places to land in a crisis. All eggs were not in one basket. I could show up at any of my friends and receive a warm bed and a hot meal, no questions asked and they could expect the same from us. I’ve always said, real community can’t be master planned. It either happens organically on its own or its not really community with any lasting sustainability. Community is more about building complex relationships, more a kin to building extended family than convincing others to join and commit to a structure.

My hard work has produced four fantastic prepping friends and their families. Each fully understands the value of being part of a group. Each feels less like the crazy lone prepper. Bare is Back without Brothers and Sisters to Watch It.

THIS IS JUST THE BEGGINING. I informed everyone that it was time invite new potential probationary members to the extended family. Only this time, they get to help in the decision making. I asked for their advice on what I should say to you. These were their replies.
“Offer a different entry point to potential group members.’’ Rather than offering chunks of land with the expectation that someone will see the value in a return to Earth approach, start with a focus of having fun, learning, teaching one another, fellowship.’’ Push the benefits of having a mutual assistance group.’’ For example, I am game for sharing in bulk purchases of rice, emergency supplies and the like to lower costs. I am willing to put together medical kits for the other group members because I have expertise in that area, and I am willing to load ammo for other group members. If other members would be willing to share heirloom seeds so I could create a bank, and share their area of expertise so that I benefit, that could be a great opportunity for all of us to enhance our preps, lower prices, get to know one another better, and close knowledge and skills gaps.”

Yes, I get it. Not everyone has the cash or desire to homestead. It starts with building friendship before I want someone moving in next door, anyhow. Building fellowship is the big one. I’d love it if a few times a year, we could do a big gathering at the farm with people pulling up RVs or tents, talking shop, beers by the bon fire, wandering the woods, archery, music, dinner parties and kids chasing the chickens. Build community. The rest will follow. This group could use an event coordinator I want people to think about what they can assist others with more than what they can get out of it, Hopefully that balances’ out. If you take more than you give…people will notice pretty quick.

Next person-. “I still think the answer lies somewhere in between the Transition Town types and the Preppers. I think it would be easier to arm for protection a group of like-minded back to the earth types then get paranoid preppers to appreciate any type of association or community beyond a gun club”

Good point. If you are not familiar with them Transition Town is the Sister group to Preppers. We have a lot of TT friends in the area. I like a balance between the two. I may be a kick ass and take names, Rambo, type…but, if you are looking to join some type of Militia, or think prepper and mercenary are somehow synonymous …This group is definitely not for you. This is for the protection and support of friends and family. Not some wannabe guerilla insurgency. Im more interested in your wood pile and food production than your 50 cal and Nam stories. We have shooters . What we need is mechanics, electricians and horticulturalists as well as average folks that go to work and raise families, not to forget some younger folks that take over the reins as we get old and grumpy. Here in NS there are 34 guns per 100 people. Shooters are a dime a dozen. A doctor, on the other hand is more valuable than a bar of gold.

I suppose I should mention that …we have a doctor, a nurse and a tactical medic…as well as a shit hot tracker and hunter that doesn’t think much of modern “Sportsmen” that cant hunt without an ATV. I think its honest to say, we are a group of over achievers but I’d be more than happy to have a couple poor hippy kids that were obsessed with gardening and soap making. It takes a village. What I am primarily looking for is a person with a good heart that really gets why a commitment to other people makes us all stronger…and if I can borrow a Transition Town term, more “Resilient”

Next person- In response to me pointing out that the first few attempts at organising this really burnt me out…”Don’t forget, You don’t have to do all this on your own. If you need a hand, just call”
BINGO! That’s the exact reason for a MAG. Ild like to point this gentleman out as an example of what we are looking for. He is a hard working construction worker raising a family in an economic downturn, t financially unable to buy in. But that hasn’t stopped him from contributing. He as a plan A. We are his plan B and he is thankful for the opportunity to have our farm as a life boat. To pay his keep, he occasionally drives two hours up here to help with the heavy jobs. His job gives him access to recycled lumber which he brings so I can reinforce other projects. He has no problem with volunteering his time on construction projects…and I don’t ask him to help very often because…Some time in a dark future I may have to work him hard. Lol. Or more pertinent, use his crew experience to work you hard.
But the other part to this is, I won’t be the only person checking you out. Group decisions don’t rest on me alone.

Next, Mrs C5- “The mutual assistance group is the direction we have headed by necessity but this doesn’t stop that we are looking for other people to live on the property”.
Yup. Just because we are headed in this direction doesn’t mean that is off the table. We are still looking for people that want to live on the property or slice off a small piece for themselves wile sharing in access to the greater property. It’s a great way to pay alittle and enjoy alot . We have prepper paradise here but most back to the land attempts fail because of the solitude. We are social animals…and speaking of animals, its easy to be trapped in paradise if you cant get away because you need someone to feed the animals or make sure the house doesn’t freeze up. That reason should be enough to point out why going it alone has its problems. Another is sharing in jobs that can’t be done alone…or having someone to check in on you wile sick…or give first aid and drive you to the hospital if injured. Basic security. A second set of eyes and ears. If someone is on the property that shouldn’t be, its far safer to “discuss” it with them backed up by a few others than doing it yourself.
I REALLY like my privacy…but can accept that I would no longer be able to let the chickens out in the morning without bothering to put pants on wile deliriously stumbling toward my coffee. The benefits outweigh my freedom to dangle as I please. The sacrifices of leadership. LOL

This property is a Life Boat. It’s what we offer. The rallying point and the centerpiece of the group. 110 acres at the edge of a small community, 10 minutes from the ocean. Not too close. Not too far. 20 minutes to a hospital and grocery store. 45 minutes to a small city. 2 hours to Halifax or Moncton. A gravel road reduces traffic. One third is cleared pasture. One third alder encroachment and tree farm. One third forest. We but up against forest and un occupied tree lots that act as a buffer zone from the world .This is farm country. We have several friends with organic farms in the area as well as the oldschool farmers. With a full acre of garden and dozens of apple trees, hawthorn and hunting, choke cherry and grapes, cattails and critters…you’d really have to work at it to starve here. No one starves on my watch. We’ve taken that fear off the table. One deep well, one surface well, two manmade ponds, a beaver pond nearby and roof collection. Dehydration is off the table as much as humanly possible. We have solar panels so the group can use power tools or log splitters on sunny days and an old tractor for pulling logs. No one freezes to death here. It’s on a hill…as in early frosts don’t affect us…and No one gets flooded out by the new climate change monsoons here
And here is the big one. IT’S PAID FOR IN FULL with no other outstanding debts…as in it can’t be lost easily. 200$ a year land tax…same. We may be living poor for the rest of our lives because of it but No one goes homeless. All we need is people.
“We need you and you need us” (Survivors. BBC. 1975)

At this point, Im sure a few of you will be screaming about OPSEC. We have plenty of OPSEC. You won’t be visiting here or meeting mine until we check you out and make you jump through a few hoops. Sometimes the common wisdom isn’t all that wise. No risk, No growth. You just can’t be part of a group without outing yourself. Look, any computer savvy person knows, if “They” want to know, they know. Ghosting around the edges of IPN won’t help you. If you looked at this page or any other prepper page, there is a computer trail. Too Late. Openness has a power of its own. There is no secret subversion going on here and thus no mystery to discover. We are into self sufficiency,not insurgency. We are into keeping people alive, not getting them killed. Besides, I came out of the prepper closet so you don’t have to. I’m a public prepper with a reputation. If you suddenly think I’m a secret government agent of the Illuminati whatever, or a cult leader or a thief …feel free to expose me. This only works if people trust me. As one member said,”You go as far as possible to protect yourself but at some point you just have to take a leap and jump in”.

There are some rules. DO NOT post your resume on this post. You will not be considered if you do. Contact me through the Private Message function on IPN. This may be a problem for some as you will have to have made 3 posts before they make this function open to you. This helps us to get to know you anyhow. If you don’t want to do this, feel free to contact me through my Youtube channel . I’ll leave a post below so you can find it.
We have a zero tolerance policy on racism or homophobia. ZERO! Let me explain that so there is no confusion. If you’re” not a racist BUT you don’t want your daughter marrying one of Them” or “ Just defending Canadian values “ or “ Defending traditional marriage” or “ I’m not a homophobe but if a guy hits on me I’ll kick his ass”, Seriously! We don't accept intolerance in any form, no quarter given, no bigots, no exceptions. There are plenty of so called prepper groups that want to help you but we aren’t one. At the glaring oversight on my part, Mrs C5 pointed out that she is not very happy with Sexism either. How can I object. She works harder than I do and I expect her to back me in a fight, risking the same broken teeth and stab wound.
Next. Some of the best examples of human beings I have ever had the privilege to known have been Christians. Some of the worst examples of humanity as well. I should know. I used to be one. Surprise!. I’m not one now. I’ve forgotten more Theology, apologetics, semantics, hermeneutics and christian history than most bothered to learn. My point is that, if your theology leans towards Reconstructionist or Dominionist politics you wont find open ears here. Its sad to have to mention this but if your church leans heavy towards “Do not be unequally yoked” or “Do not even eat with…” There is a problem with you joining us. If you are ‘In” we will back you to the gates of hell…but we need to Trust you that you will not abandon group members when they conflict with your beliefs. Work it out your self before wasting every ones time.
Next suject. Because we are a group, illegal actions can affect us all. If you have a Crop growing, I may not have a problem with it but it can have nothing to do with us. Same goes with any thing “Modified” or “Mixed”. SERIOUSLY, be a responsible prepper and bury that in a PVC tube (LOL) long before you even think of meeting us. We don’t want to know so we don’t have to lie. Shure, you can’t walk out the door now days without breaking 3 laws but just remember, it’s not just your own risk you are taking.
Now, for something a little on the lighter side. BEFORE even talking to us. You must have a minimum 3 month Food Storage with plans to increase that to a year. Do not think that means that you can stretch out what you have in your kitchen for 3 months. I mean a real food storage. If your prepping plan is a bug out bag, a few MREs and your boy scout skills…we are just not playing in the same ball park.. So you must put that together before contacting us. That way, even if we decide you are not right for us, you are in a far better position for having tried. If you need my advice on how to do that on the super cheap, let me know and I’ll see if I can help

That may all seem intense but we really are a laid back bunch. This isn’t like joining the army. There are no Nietzsche Supermen, survival of the fittest , spycraft ninjas here. Just people with good points and bad points. We are looking for people we just enjoy Hanging Out with but as Chris Martenson put it, You don’t even have to like the people in your group. You are looking for people that can work together well.”
One of the most flattering things I heard was one member mentioning to another that making friends with me and Mrs C5 was the single greatest prep he had ever done.

So contact us through Private Message or Youtube. We are really looking forward to meeting you.
http://www.youtube.com/user/cernunnos5