Sowing Circle is an intentional community formed as a Limited Liability Company (LLC). The Occidental Arts and Ecology Center (OAEC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit training center and organic farm. They share a beautiful 80-acre site in coastal Sonoma County, California, owned by Sowing Circle.

Through its research, demonstration, and organizing projects, OAEC works to create democratic communities that are ecologically, economically, and culturally sustainable. OAEC's core programs include school gardens, ecological agriculture, conservation hydrology, horticultural biodiversity, permaculture, wildlands preservation, visual and theater arts, and intentional communities.

The Sowing Circle / OAEC’s bio-intensive organic gardens and orchards have been a source of inspiration and training for thousands of gardeners, farmers, and landscapers over the past 35 years. We curate and propagate a diverse plant and seed collection of over 2,500 varieties of heirloom, open-pollinated annuals, and over 1,000 varieties of edible, medicinal, and ornamental perennials. Through classes, tours, and weekly volunteer days, the OAEC Mother Garden demonstrates small-scale, bio-intensive, human-powered organic gardening, and provides a foundation for the philosophical, intellectual, and cultural work of the Center.

In a typical year, the Center receives over 3,000 visitors. Many attend one of our many courses or training programs; others come to site tours, plant sales, or our Chautauqua Revue performances. Bay Area social justice and environmental organizations use the OAEC facility for strategy retreats for their staff and boards. Many thousands more benefit from our organizing campaigns, public presentations, heirloom seed swaps, and consulting services.

Sowing Circle has 12 adult members, each owning an equal share of the land and buildings. We make all decisions by consensus. We have six children amongst us, and live with another 10 or so adults who stay for six months to many years as interns or long-term OAEC staff. Families and individuals each have their own private homes, and we share many common buildings including a communal kitchen, shop, barn, art studio, and offices. While Sowing Circle and OAEC are two distinct legal and financial entities, we share the responsibilities of communal living: cooking, cleaning, gardening, and facility maintenance. Through intentional community, we strive to create a practice of right livelihood.