The original Vine & Fig Tree was formed in 1986 as a land-based community with a vision of people living “in loving Gandhian nonviolence among ourselves and with all creation.” This community was successful in many ways (11 adults and kids at peak, two home-birthed children, growing a lot of our own food, hosting peace/justice gatherings, etc) but dissolved in 2000 due to a combination of factors, divorce of the couple who held title to the land, members deciding to move to town to be closer to work and/or schools, etc.

Three of us are now inviting people to join us in re-establishing the community on about 60 acres of the same land, holding to the same basic vision but with new emphasis on dirt-level sustainability, shaking off our culture’s addiction to high-energy lifestyles and learning, as we are able, how to live on current solar income. We are especially interested in attracting people who want to engage in sustainable/organic farming or at least grow a large share of their own food, individually and/or cooperatively, and who want to build their own low-impact housing.

We have in mind a land trust type ecovillage planned according to permaculture principles. Our idea is for members to own their own housing, with assurance of tenure and right of inheritance and sale, but to take the land off the real estate market. Those who come in first will help determine details of the community structure and process with regard to cost-sharing, land use, decision-making, etc. In addition to individual and/or community-organized farming we hope to see development of other land-based enterprises to provide cash income. We prefer consensus decision making and assume members will be enthusiastically committed to cooperative living and mutual support in work and play. We think it is important for us to be good citizens of the surrounding unintentional community and find opportunities to develop cooperative relationships with our neighbors. We also hope our community will to some extent become a model learning and service center for others (which could also be another source of income for individuals and/or the community).

The name Vine & Fig Tree comes from Scripture (Micah 4, “and every one ‘neath their vine and fig tree, shall live in peace and unafraid”) and conveys a sense of our fundamental vision. This does not mean we intend to be a "religious" community. We are open to members of any (or no) faith tradition and believe that joyously celebrating authentic spiritual traditions and the arts are as important as sustaining physical life.