Our Vision Statement
III. Land and Resources
At the heart of this community will be the land - the land that provides our food, the materials necessary for shelter, and the energy to heat our homes and cook our bread. We will all share in the ownership of this land and responsibility for its care. While all community members may not work the land, the shared responsibility will be the glue that holds everything together. It will be apparent to all that this is the heart of our lives.
The Ideal Property: The land must support enough agriculture, raw materials, and energy to provide the needs of the residents as well as any on-site outreach activities. This drives the need for a diversified property and places a maximum limit to the population density on the property. Ideally, the premises should be around 1/3 tillable and/or grazing land, 1/3 forest, and contain adequate water resources on site. We believe that a minimum of 1 acre of land per person is necessary, with additional acreage required to support any outreach activities. In this context, a minimum of 50 acres of quality land is required to sustain a village of 10 to 15 households.
With the exception of a few private acres described previously, the land will be owned in common by all members. However, many of the individual activities that occur on this land will be private enterprises. This allows for significant freedom to pursue various experiments free from bureaucratic delay. All enterprises will be reviewed initially and periodically by the community for compatibility with each other, community ideals, and the needs of the land.
Philosophies and methods incorporated on the land will likely include: integrated agriculture, animal husbandry, permaculture, sustainable woodlot management, wildlife management, and a variety of artisan skills (cheese making, weaving, wood-working, etc.).
