April 28, 2002- Whole Earth EcoVillage, Caledon, Ontario, Canada.

Discussion Notes:

Met with Jeff Gold to discuss his experience with creating the Whole Earth EcoVillage. Jeff has a broad background including project management, farming, organic agriculture, and working on EcoVillages in the United States.

A key principle employed in this farming based EcoVillage is Biodynamics which is a school of farming developed by Rudolf Steiner, originally of the Waldorf School. The basic principles are to use regenerative, holistic, astronomical, mineral preparation (quartz, cow manure etc.).

Education programs include creating solar showers, composting toilets, and this coming August they will host the EcoVillage Network festival.

The type of community organization being used is based on a cooperative where each person has an equal share of everything. Currently they have six equal share holders.

Some of the most important issues to creating the ecovillage are requiring a clear vision, must be broad enough, detailed enough to guide, people must be prepared to do group work, support a conflict resolution process and a clear understanding of the physical aspects of the envisioned organization so that expectations are managed.

The design for the community is being done by Denis Bowmen. Some key features include simplicity of a single level, concrete plate/pad, and 12" mineral wool insulated walls. This design supports a co-housing arrangement. These designs have not yet been accepted by the town building committee.

Skills exist in the group to do much of the construction of the envisioned 36,000 square feet building. Each 6000 square foot section will have a cement fire barrier. The 6000 square foot size is dictated by maximum sizes for family dwellings. Zones within the structure include private, semiprivate, and shared areas.

For more information:
http://www.wholevillage.org/

Whole Earth EcoVillage 150 year hold farm house.

May 1, 2002 - EcoVillage at Ithaca, New York, United States.

Discussion Notes:

Met with Jay Jacobsen who was working on his front yard while we talked.

The land was originally purchased in 1990/91 after the peace marches when people got together and talked about these ideas. A group went to Denmark to look at the idea of CO-housing Through the process of developing the ideas for the EcoVillage a key aspect was the people interactions and managing the process of conflict resolution. They spent a great deal of time researching types of organizations. One local bank funded the initial land purchase based on a cooperative incorporation. This was the only bank in the area that was comfortable dealing with a cooperative organization.

Many years were spent on the design of the EcoVillage, the houses and the landscaping. There were many principles and requirements agreed upon which was very important during the design phase.

Typically in a CO-housing development the community center is in the middle of the community. At phase 1 of Ithaca the community center is at one end which is not ideal but has worked for their location.

Welcome to the Ithaca EcoVillage Community Center.

The houses and are not owned by the individuals. Instead the cooperative owns everything and each member of the cooperative owns a share of everything.

The design of the houses incorporates triple glazed windows from a Manitoba, Canada company. The essential nature of the design of the houses includes the incorporation of solar orientation and passive solar design. The heating systems is a shared central gas fired boilers system which is very efficient.

Currently 58 people live at Ithaca. The second phase of development is currently under construction.

The central pathway between the homes.

Journal Entry at Ithaca:

Drove out to the Ithaca EcoVIllage at around 9:30am this morning. As I walked up to the community center a nice man said he would try and find someone to give me a tour. As we looked up a man was working towards us with plants, a shovel and rake. It turned out to be Jay Jacobsen who Jillian Hovey suggested I contact in Ithaca. I mentioned Jillians name to Jay as we introduced ourselves. He said that Jillian was very knowledgeable on EcoVillages.

Jay proceeded to tell me the history of the creation of the EcoVillage as he worked on his garden. Jay looks like he is in his 50's. Jillian had mentioned that he was a professor.

Jay explained that the initiative started when a number of people were on the peace march in 1990. During that time they exchanged ideas and thoughts about the state of the world. The idea of CO-housing came up. A group decided to find out more by going on a trip to Denmark where the trend was popular.

Jay mentioned that they questioned the success of the typical nuclear family. There was the thought that a broader family context might provide value where many generations exist together as well as people with a variety of backgrounds.

The community center on the south side showing extensive passive solar features.

Around 1996 or 1997 after much research into CO-housing, cooperatives and other organizational structures the cooperative, CO-housing route was selected. The cooperative would own everything and the people would own a share of the cooperative.

The initial mortgage was used to finance the initial purchase of land. Then a building mortgage had to be arranged.

The cost of a share is still quite high which limits low income access although the new development was able to secure special low rates for six low income families.

Despite a fairly homogenous group Jay said the diversity in thinking, expectations, manner of dealing with decisions varied broadly. He said that the consensus based approach even in this group posed large challenges. For consensus decision making time is required to research and educate the entire group before decisions can be made. As well discussion and communication are critical and take time. With financing imposing tight time constraints there was conflict created. Lack of time caused some bad decisions to be made or ones that were regretted later. Everybody participated differently in the process. Some are always involved, some only when interested and some not at all.

Looking at the perennial wild flower gardens in the central courtyard.

Everyone had different expectations and needs which are hard to manage. In the end some people left and new people joined.

It is important to educate and welcome new members so that the integration happens more smoothly.

The design of all the houses was done by one architect to a common design theme. The main features where many windows on the south with super insulation throughout the housing outer walls and windows. Jay mentioned that this simple design still isn't standard in New York because of the longer payback which most developers don't try to sell.

The cooperative provides the services such as sewage, gas and water for which meters indicate each families share. Electricity is paid individually. They are looking at incorporating rain water collection since drinking water is used for everything and must be pumped up from the lake which is expensive. They all have low flush toilets and energy efficient lighting. The boiler chimney towers are rigged for future PV panel installations potentially. Jay said the community services worked very well. This includes child care, three dinners a week, and group "discussion" sessions.

South side of the homes showing extensive of use of windows.

They did create reams of documentation on the processes and procedures which they used heavily during the design stage. However, they are rarely referenced now that the construction has been completed. They got a lot of support and material from other CO-housing groups. During the development and design they also went on tours of other similar developments to get ideas, learn from others and the still maintain communications with these other groups.

For more information:
http://www.wholevillage.org/

Natural beauty of the site.

May 4, 2002 - Twin Oaks EcoVillage, Virginia, United States.

Tour Notes:

Rita, a new member of the Twin Oaks community was our guide for the tour.

The original inspiration and ideas for the community were to try group living, find a better way to organize, the ideas came out of a book called Walden Two a fictional book with details on creating a "utopian" community based on principles of egalitarianism, non-violence, and income sharing.

Everything earned by community members is shared. Income from earnings outside the community are also shared except for 24 hour vacation earnings. Assets previously owned are maintained or may be shared. Corporate and individual tax returns are done for you by the community tax specialist.

The community is secular. They have no specific spirituality although they do practice spirituality freely.

They currently have 85 adults and 15 kids. The children range in ages from 2.5 months to 17 years old.

Twin Oaks group tour. Solar water heater related to welcome center.

The group was started on June 14th, 1967.

The Twin Oaks EcoVillage offers a 3 week visitor program. Live in residences exist on the 500 acre property owned by the Twin Oaks community. Each person has a private room. All community members share a common dining hall. They work collectively to farm the land for most of the their food requirements. A few times a year they decide what to do with money and work hours. They have no central leader. The primary political process used is democratic. There is a nonhierarchical organization structure.

The actual property is in a trust, like a nonprofit. The land was originally given to the community.

The eight original founders created the community under conditions of poverty, they needed new members, they had limited ability to achieve the principles of the WaldenTwo book.

They major organizational development is around the labor. This was adapted based on the ideas in Walden Two.

Essentially for every member of the community one hour of work in the community is equal no matter what the job.

Herb garden.

Each member of the community is required to complete 42 hours of labor each week. This includes work such as shopping, cleaning, working on the farm, working at hammock business. Members have a choice of any job except for cleaning up dishes which each must take a turn at.

The community operates on a trust system. People talk if they have an issue. People leave if they are not happy with community structure.

After five years you get $400 for a vacation. For fifty years old plus they get 1 hour per year less work hours required after 50. Each member is free to personalize their own work schedule. Vacation requires one week of notice. Each week a labor sheet is submitted. Managers put in requisitions for labor. Labor managers assign people weekly. Labor sheets are then handed out. Special care hours exists to help sick people or people who need extra care. Holiday times are non-secular and typically revolve around solstices for instance.

Typically work relates to main business which include farming, tofu factory, construction, child care, or hammock making.

When Twin Oaks was created it took a more pragmatic approach when compared to others of the same era. This has contributed to success over the long run. First building was constructed for $3,000. The second one cost only $5,000.

Bees.

When the community was first started they had no idea how they would survive financially. One member knew hammock making so that is what they started doing. Members also go jobs outside Twin Oaks to survive during the early years.

A sophisticated system for sharing the twelve cars and trucks owned by the community has been developed. The system encourages use of the smaller cars and saves money on gas.

The community provides members services like email, live music twice a week, and coffee while making hammocks.

The community makes its own milk and cheese and ice cream.

When clothes are washed people put their name on their stuff when drying. Drying clothes is done by hanging them on clotheslines outside although dryers are available as well.

An elaborate communications system has been developed in support of the communities key organizing principles. Information and communication occurs through a broad array of bulletin boards, message pockets, mail boxes, message boards, and clip-boards for ideas/proposals/discussions.

Photovoltaic Solar Array Generates Electricity. Grapes grown.

The community shares fifteen computers. Music plays as the meals are prepared. Music plays from a wide variety of origins at the hammock distribution center.

The community selects a few movies each week. Space is provided for meditation. Exercise classes are available. While visiting a sweat lodge was taking place.

The community does NOT allow any TELEVISION. Only the regulated movies are shown.

Many of the buildings incorporate extensive solar features.

Other services include a retreat cabin for when members need to be alone. Specialist teams exist in support of mental health, physical heath and so on.

Shoba is a newer living house which incorporates many solar features including solar water heaters. There are also 500 gallons of colorful water used to enhance the storage capability of the passive solar features. A Photo Voltaic solar array has also been incorporated to generate most of the required electricity. A composting toilet has been established as a separate building. This toilet is apparently the most popular one in the community.

The tofu factory.

Solar powered music and creative building.

Colorful bottles of water store solar heat and create a beautiful ceiling.

The community supports and encourages creativity in music.

The hammock warehouse also has a beautiful wildflower garden.

Communication is key to the community. Message boards of all types exist.