Welcome

Milk, eggs, meat (from goats, ducks, chicken and rabbits), vegetables and fruit in season are what we produce, plus forage (mushrooms 6 moths per year, acorns, etc).  While we have bought groceries more during the winter, the ever changing economy may likely alter how we manage future decisions about food. 

You can study anywhere you like.  I think that your more precisely worded question is can I find a private, quiet place to study.  I don't care about your need for this, it is trivial and incongruent with our purpose, and I would just say that we all find (in community) our own quiet time and space.  That's your responsibility.  Will we bend over backward and prioritize your need for study time?  Of course not.  WE are doing something here.  Something important, possibly important for our survival.  Your priorities should be aligned with ours.  If it's not, you will quickly find yourself in obvious discord, out of alignment, and looking elsewhere to get your needs met.  Think it through, and make sure that your priorities and values are aligned with ours.  I'm being direct here for clarity and so you and us do not waste our time.  The time for beating around the bush and niceties are increasingly less relevant.

 I have deleted the investor member option from our community structure, as I strongly suspect that the societal and economic infrastructure is just about about of time.  We don't really need money. We have shifted focus in consideration of this, and right now making
agreements with good people that are harmonious and congruent to live with.
It doesn't cost anything to live here.    

Yes, someone actually wrote this to me. (and it's my favorite email so far this year  : )

Our non-smoking community agreement has nothing to do with white supremacy and much more to do with a health-conscious, holistic lifestyle.  It also supports important fire safety protocols.  We take it seriously, so if you happen to be a smoker (of any kind) we ask that you transcend your addictions three months before you visit us.  Lots of folks have fantasized that, by immersing themselves in a natural environment like ours, they will magically heal and end any and all of their addictions.  Almost always, this is merely a fantasy.

Well, we live in the wilderness.  Yes, to some degree.  But our particular location is an unlikely place for forest fires --there hasn't had a meaningful fire here for over 100 years.  It's a far safer location than any town, large or small in population, on the West coast.  Ask residents of Santa Rosa, CA, Paradise, CA, or Talent, OR.  There is a wind that comes from the Pacific Ocean, up the Smith River canyon, that pushes fires northward and eastward, generally.  That's where most fires in this region come from.  While lightning can of course strike anywhere, it's not common in our region.

I receive about 400-500 inquiries per year.  Many, many times they ask me questions that are already answered here on this web site.  It's tiresome, honestly.  I ask that you follow our protocol, which is to thoroughly review our web site, and then complete an application.  I'm really not trying to be rude.  It is inefficient and too cumbersome to respond to people who can't follow our protocols.  In an extremely rare scenario that you have a question or concern that isn't addressed on our web site, my response will likely be prompt. 

Yes, we are open to this. Currently there are no children here.  I'll be transparent and direct about this subject: kids these days are (generally) too poorly behaved.  We've had long and thorough discussions about this, as it can be a real drag, daily stress to manage, to tolerate the ever-present struggle of little brats throwing regular tantrums.  I wish it were different.  While it has been said that it takes a village to raise a child -- and I get that -- these days people can be so sensitive about other people's interjections.  Child-rearing has changed so much, and in my opinion, not for the better.  There are now generations of unemployable undisciplined and entitled adult-children,and we all shoulder the burden of this parenting.

If your children are well-behaved, though, we are happy to continue a conversation about a visit and potential membership.

It seems that most all communities enter into a long term negotiation regarding self-governance and decision-making, even if they have an established charter and things run smoothly.  How much control do I have??? ends up being a central question people ask themselves, if only internally, subconsciously.  It’s very human to do so.  

We have been flexible and adaptable about this. Yet, years ago, for example, a group of young adults here pushed the boundaries until they demanded to review monthly bank statements and have access to the checkbook.  Yes, really.  The desire for more and more control can be insatiable. 

It begs the question: Why do I not form a Land Trust and give every woofer/volunteer that stops by equal influence and control on some kind of Board of Trustees? For the same reason I don’t I share the bank statement and checkbook with woofers?  It would be a disaster, first of all.  Mostly it would be a disaster because the woofers did not earn it. 

If you have a desire to live in the way we do here, then you probably have a vision for your life that includes congruent values, agreements, and boundaries. That’s the way that we make this work. We can all play leadership roles in community here, and we do, one way or another. Most everyone whose head is in the game contributes intelligently at our weekly logistical meetings and Heart Club.  In this way, this project has definitely been a co-creation

And still it is important to highlight that, as the land owner, it is I (Dan) who carries the burden of making certain tough decisions This is rare; happens every few years. But it happens. They are decisions that I would never ask anyone else to make.  I do all of the (relatively) dangerous tasks here. I accept all the liability and risk in this endeavor. Every once in a great while the buck will stop with me and you should be appreciative that those burdens don’t fall on your shoulders. Otherwise, you might not ever notice that I play any leadership role here at all      : )

Ooooooohhh.  I don't blame anyone for wanting safety and good healthy normal human beings to hang out with.  Although we do joke that if you want to join our cult, you have to wear Vibram five finger toe shoes., so...  For some reason, most of us have them.  

Communities that last usually do have some kind of theme, something to unify them.  Ours is simply sustainable, self-sufficient living and, secondarily, healthy-holistic living.  Sometimes it happens, but it's unusual for us to host religious-type people.  For the most part, we are indifferent and tolerant of religious views

i don't think we even want 25 members.  Maybe we'll max out and 15-20.  We'll see.  Good question, though, that deserves a precise and thorough answer.

We've just only recently opened our place to long term members.   Our human resources have been mostly supplemented by shorter term woofers and interns, although some have stayed for one to two years.

My other answer is that we are very selective about accepting new people who we hope to consider, someday, friends and family.  Part of that selectivity is passing on people who currently struggle with addictions of any kind, even addictions to sugar, and people who smoke (anything).  So that leaves out most Americans.  And that's OK. Hoping to find good solid, dependable, healthy independent thinkers to form, at least, our first ten founding members.

Another factor is that in order to live here, one should be relatively physically fit.  It's rugged terrain.  While no one has to scale mountainous cliffs with rock climbing gear each day, it's uneven and relatively hilly.  Only our terraces are on flat ground.  Bad hips, knees, etc, are probably not going to like it.

Lastly, we live relatively primitively.  There's outdoor dogs and indoor dogs, if you care to separate us all into two categories.  I think in order to accept the off-grid theme of being comfortable with uncomfortableness --  you have to have some outdoor dog in you.  Signs that you're an indoor dog?  Flickering dots on a rectangle are more appealing to you than nature.; You visit us in pointy high heels;  Inquiring where the nearest coffee shop is, if there are wild animals nearby, or which taxi service is best to get you here.

Sure.  Most Westerners, I feel, do not possess the values and communication skills to manage community living seamlessly.  We have to practice at it.  Once a week we hold a logistical meeting to coordinate and determine our shared work in creating this place. Afterward ... well, this is our itinerary:

Personal Highlights and Growth Opportunities
Appreciations and Withholds
Acknowledgements and Admissions

Requests and Agreements
Heart Club 

It's not worth describing the details of format for each line item, but the general theme is borrowed (and improvised) from NVC, or Non-Violent Communication, also called Compassionate Communication.  It's Marshal Rosenberg's work.  If you find a copy of his book or watch some youtube videos on the subject, you'll be a step ahead of most of our visitors.  It's really important to share and be human with each other, stave off problems that might otherwise build up, resolve conflicts, and build trust.