Frequently Asked Questions

* WHAT STRUCTURES ARE ALREADY ON THE LAND?
We have built an outdoor community kitchen, an outdoor composting toilet, a solar charging station with a freezer to make ice for keeping your food cold in coolers, a ceremony tent to gather in when it’s raining or for ceremonies, and an office with WIFI.

* WHEN WE VISIT, WHERE CAN WE STAY?
So the land is raw and undeveloped, so when you come to visit, it's like going camping with access to the community kitchen and composting toilet. Bring your RV, camper, or a tent. You can shack up at a hotel nearby too!

*I HAVE NO MONEY, CAN I STILL MOVE TO FORESTKIND?
Yes, it is possible to move here even if you don’t have a huge savings. It’s possible to volunteer, help us build, and live very simply until you can figure out how to buy a camper, an all-season yurt, a tent, or build a tiny house!

* WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE LAND?
Our vision is to each have our own home/parcel within this space and then have a shared space where we can connect with our neighbors. A place where kids can roam freely and wild while enjoying nature. A community where we come together to eat dinner a few times a week, where there is a bonfire in the evenings with music and dancing for whoever wishes to join. A place where we have homeschool groups for kids instead of sending them off to school, and where we can share our joys with one another while also offering support when we fall on hard times.

*IS IT MANDATORY TO TAKE PART IN EVERYTHING?
We believe that independence and individuality are important, so nobody will be forced to take part in anything. But if you wish to eat from the shared community garden, then you will have to take part in working in the garden. If you wish to use the common spaces, you will have to be able to clean up / care for the said space.

*WHAT OTHER THINGS ARE YOU PLANNING TO BUILD?
Our next plan is to build a sauna, a cold plunge pool, a solar shower, a large garden and plant fruit trees. We also want to build some very simple temporary housing.

*WHAT IS THE COST TO VISIT?
We ask for a small donation of $20 per adult for a visitor weekend. This covers the three dinners we will prepare and offer, and the use of all the spaces.

*WHAT IS THE COST TO LIVE AT FORESTKIND?
The community fee is mandatory, and it’s $50 per month per adult. Children's fees are lower or free based on age. This is so we can keep maintaining the structures we already have and put money towards building more! If you wish to purchase a parcel at ForestKind, this is also possible but only after a 6 month stay here to make sure it’s a good fit. If you don't want to buy land, you can also lease land for a fee.

*ARE THERE PARCELS FOR SALE NEXT TO OR NEAR FORESTKIND?
Yes, alternatively, you could purchase a parcel next door, and then you could still join the community to get all the benefits, or not. The parcel across from us is 5 acres for 19K.

* ARE THERE ANY DIETARY RULES AT FORESTKIND?
Everyone can make choices best for them and their family. We do hope that everyone can hold the boundary of not bringing junk food to the shared spaces. Our hope is for children to thrive here and eat whole and healthy foods.

* WHAT RELIGION DO YOU PRACTICE?
We are not a religious community, yet we welcome all people with a variety of beliefs as long as they focus on not doing harm to others and practicing kindness.

* ARE YOU ONLY SEEKING PEOPLE WITH KIDS TO JOIN?
Although the focus is families and sharing the joy/burden of parenting together rather than isolated, there is space for all sorts of people of all ages, multi-generations, with and without kids. We especially want healers, artists, herbalists, and musicians to join.

* WHAT RULES DO I HAVE TO FOLLOW TO LIVE HERE?
In the shared areas of the community, we will hold a boundary to not allow any devices for anyone (no phones, laptops, iPads, etc), so those must be used in the privacy of your home or in a co-working office space we plan to build (with the exception of the shared office). There is also a hard rule against synthetic and chemical-laden junk foods in the shared areas due to not wanting to tease children who aren't allowed to eat such foods. We will also not tolerate violence of any kind towards any individual within our community. The last rule is about not using any pesticides or chemicals on the land, as it will leech into our soil and water, so only biodegradable products and no spraying of gardens.

* WHERE IS FORESTKIND LOCATED EXACTLY?
For security reasons, we will not be sharing our exact location, but the land is adjacent to the Mark Twain National Forest, in the southern part of Missouri, within the boundaries of Fredericktown.

* HOW MUCH IS THE JOINING FEE?
There is no joining fee! Just a choice of how much land you wish to purchase or if you choose to lease. You can either purchase a very small chunk of acreage within ForestKind boundaries or you can purchase land adjacent to our lot. Initially, when you visit, you can just pay the community fee of $50 pp per month and after a short visit, we can agree on either leasing land if you wish to build or continuing to just pay the visitor fee if you don't plan to build or live in a tent.

*WHERE DO YOU BUY YOUR FOOD?
We are very close to town, which has all your typical grocery stores and also some farmers markets as well as a natural health food store. We have started our garden too, and we buy produce from neighbors such as pastured eggs, raw goal/cow milk and veggies.

* WHAT ABOUT UTILITIES?
There are no utilities, and you can’t get them as it’s too remote. You will have to use a generator, solar or just use the shared space for amenities. But this is rustic living all the way, so if you’re not used to that, it might be challenging! Water is available at our rain collection tank and spring water as well.

* WHAT’S THE PROCESS TO VISIT?
Fill out our visitor form if you wish to come for a visitor weekend, or email us if you want to come volunteer.

* WHO IS ALREADY LIVING THERE?
We are two households, two female friends, one with a 9-year-old daughter! And a new family plans to move here in the spring of 2026! There are also people who come and go and aren’t here full-time, as well as other hippie and homesteading neighbors close by.