Bear Creek Community Land Trust

The Bear Creek Community Land Trust is a community on a vast expanse of land in northeast Missouri that seeks to bring people and the earth together. T

hey aim to create a culture that prioritizes community, responsibility, and simplicity, while growing food, building homes, and exploring traditional crafts and technologies.

BCCLT is a land trust that avoids exploiting land and instead cherishes and protects it. It provides clear guidelines for leasing a plot of land within the community, with decisions made through a consensus process.

Members must agree to conflict resolution processes and ecological stewardship guidelines. Each member must submit a Land Use Plan with proposed impacts on their leasehold. Lifetime individual leases can be inherited, transferred or sold to other members.

The community is a blend of private leaseholds and commons, with a clear process for incoming members. The land is dotted with cedar trees, mixed hardwood forest, established and producing cultivars, small gardens, and walking paths to neighbors.

The area is perfect for people interested in simple living, homesteading, and living off the grid, and it is a mix of homesteads, educational centers, and local Amish and Missourian neighbors.

The community is five miles from La Plata, fifteen miles from Kirksville, and 90 minutes from Columbia, MO. St. Louis, Kansas City, and Chicago serve as transportation hubs.