Well, "fairly free" is a relative term. Compared to say Chicago or Boston, I think "fairly free" is a fair assessment. This is a good idea, and I think many people are working along similar lines. This board is a great place to meet folks who might share your interest. It's a long and painfully slow process.
Some recomendations:
1) Start this thread - Check
2) Perhaps organize a meet up in your area, or go to one thats happening nearby and start to meet folks face to face. Nothing comes close to that for finding folks who are serious and who you can trust. Multiple meetings will probably be required to establish a good solid relationship.
3) Don't plan on doing everything here in the open. A lot of it (well MOST of it actually) will have to be done strictly in private with the people involved.
4) If you get a good start, you may want to have your "tech savvy" in the group start a private forum similar to this one for private communications within the group. It's not about being exclusionary in an elitist sense, it's about private communications that only trusted members have a need to know.
5) Find the ground
6) Find a way to pay for it
7) Find a way for everyone to get there, get settled, and make a living. A lot of this will have to be done by the people themselves, and that will be a stumbling block. Unless you are very wealthy yourself you won't be able to afford to do things in a fast or efficient manner. If you are like most of us, getting yourself there will be a full time occupation, so others will have to have the gumption and desire to do the same.
It's a beautiful idea, and it can work. Step two takes a while by itself. We've been doing it for a couple of years. The visualization you are doing is very important. It is your opening plan. Just be sure and remain flexible. You will have to change it many many times.
