Our Vision Statement
II. Community
Our intention is to establish a true ecovillage consisting of 10 to 20 households. This community will be based on concepts of integration, symbiosis, sustainability, and sufficience. We will target zero waste and minimal external input. The basic necessities of life (food, energy, shelter) should be provided in cooperation with the land, trade with our neighbors, or locally obtained 'waste' products. Both private enterprise and communal operations will be supported. All will be cooperatively integrated for maximum benefit.
This will be a fully functional village, not just an association of homes. There will be opportunities to work, shop, farm, and be entertained on site. There will be a village center that may contain a small general store, an artisan market, a farm stand and possibly some apartments and work/live studios. There should also be guest quarters which may include an inn, bed and breakfast, or conference center. At the edge of the village center will be a community house with large kitchen and dining room, apartments, and possibly guest quarters. Here residents and guests will congregate for meals, conversation, games, music, and more.
Spaced around the property will be private land holdings of up to an acre in size for resident members who wish a bit more solitude and more freedom to experiment with land management, building techniques, etc.. Many of these properties would be individual households, though if local regulations allow, some could be coops, cohousing, or other sub-communities.
Finally, although food will be integrated into the landscape everywhere permaculture style, there will be larger scale agriculture that occupies much of the property surrounding the village center and other land holdings.
People will gain full member status in the community through a combination of community service and monetary input. These should be significant enough that the member feels vested in the community and the community is indebted to the members. There can be some trade-off between financial input and community service, but a minimum level of community service will be required.
Membership gains ownership of, and responsibility for the land. In addition, members are granted decision making rights in the management of the land and cooperatively held assets. A member is provided a percentage of the yield of all operations pertaining to the land. If the community is healthy and prosperous, this should provide a basic level of sustenance for members, providing for them during times of infirmity or bad luck. As we take care of the community and land, so shall it take care of us.
An aspiring member is any individual or group that is actively pursuing membership but has not yet met the financial and time requirements of full membership. We anticipate being able to provide housing for a limited number of aspiring members. In the early phases, we will all be aspiring members.
It may also be desireable and beneficial to provide a satellite membership to groups or individuals that have a strong interest in the mission of the community, and are dedicated at some level to supporting its operations through financial and/or work input. Benefits to satellite members will be determined on an individual basis; examples of benefits include discounts on community goods and services, livestock being hosted and cared for on site, etc.
This village will also be an active part of the greater community including immediate neighbors, local municipalities, and ultimately the rest of the world. We will need support from friends, family, local governments, educational institutions, and many other sources to get this very non-traditional venture started and prospering. It is our hope that we will be able to return the favor by demonstrating a lifestyle and methodologies that others may choose to pursue as well.
We anticipate being able to provide service to our local neighbors. Our community will be a regional hands-on resource of consultants to nearby organic farmers and households interested in ecological preservation, woodland management, energy conservation, and integrated agriculture. We will actively seek cooperation with our agricultural neighbors, establishing a localized economy based on crop sharing; and encourage crop diversification Ð making these diverse local crops accessible, at reasonable prices, to nearby populaces.
We hope to extend this outreach through on-site seminars, work-shops, camps, field trips, and other programs. Additionally, we will broaden the scope of our outreach by publishing what we learn and know in print and via the internet.
