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Re-Forming Formed: 2003
Betterway Farm and Ecovillage (Northeast Ohio)
Northeast Ohio - Akron/ Canton/ Wooster, Ohio,
United States
 Betterway Farm and Ecovillage formed in late 2003 as NEOCOHO and reformed in early 2005 as IC-NEO following membership attrition. We adopted our new name in 2006 to better reflect our goals and values.
During the Spring and Summer of 2006 we tried to purchase a 46 acre farm near Wooster Ohio. That purchase did not occur and the group experienced a 'second wave' of significant attrition. We have been reforming a core group ever since. As of Fall 2007 we have a core group of 5 committed households and a number of interested people on the periphery of the process.
We are currently making decisions about how we are going to proceed - it has been very hard to 'grow' a local group big enough to have the resources to buy enough land for a significant development. We may decide in the near future to commit to buying whatever size parcel of land the current core group can afford, and hope that in the future we will be in a position to buy more land to accomodate additional households.
We welcome inquiries from both local and non-local people who might be interested in joining the formation process.
We hope to find land suitable, preferrably in the Wooster area, to develop 'clustered' village-style housing, as well as a mix of recreational and a significant agricultural component. Land use decisions would be based on sound ecologically-integrated design principles (Permaculture).
Sustainability is a major core value of the all the core group members involved in the community.
Our ownership model preference would be a land trust with individual equity ownership of dwellings and improvements. We have done some work regarding a vision for the community, core values, ownership models, and decision-making processes, but there is more to be done as we reorganize with new people.
In September 2004 we adopted the following 'draft' vision statement:
"We are striving to create an intentional community, designed by the residents to encourage social interaction between neighbors in daily life. We intend to promote and embody the restoration of healthy and balanced relationships among people, land and resources". We will be making revisions to this statement to reflect our changing status, but in it's essentials, it still largely reflects what we stand for as a group.
We hold planning meetings roughly twice a month, and welcome all interested people to contact us for information on how to become involved.
 
Contact:
Betterway Farm and Ecovillage
c/o Kip and Beth Gardner
426 Schneider St. SE
North Canton, Ohio 44720 United States
Phone: 330-494-1775
Email This Community!
Former/Other Names: NEO Cohousing, IC-NEO
Last Updated:10/21/2007
 
No Answer Regarding Visitors
 (Currently no community to visit. We welcome visitors to our meetings.)
Visitor Process: Contact us via posted information
Network Affiliations:
Fellowship for Intentional Community
:: School of Living
Population
Open to new adults:
Yes
Open to new children:
Yes
Open to which gender(s):
All genders welcome
Age Focus:
No Focus
(We are, however, actively seeking young adult members)
Age Restrictions:
No
Government
Decision Making:
By consensus
(We are still defining how we will function by consensus. Blocking is only allowed if a member feels that a decision violates group or individual core values.)
Identified Leader:
No
Leadership Core Group:
Yes
(The core group is functioning primarily to guide the formation process of the ecovillage community)
Labor and Money
Financial Style:
Members have independent finances
(We hope that some members will participate in a cooperative farm enterprise (CSA?) based on the community land)
Open to Members with Pre-existing Debt:
No Answer
(Potential members should be financially stable. Each member is responsible for their own finances.)
Labor Contribution:
(Not yet decided, but some labor requirement likely)
Join Fee:
No Answer
(Not yet decided, but there will likely be an initial joining fee and a buy-in to build.)
Regular Fees:
No Answer
(Not yet decided.)
Land and Buildings
Small Town
(Wooster is an approximately 12,000 population city. We are seeking rural land nearby.)
Area:
0 acres (0.0 hectares)
Land Owned By:
Other
Cohousing:
No
Food, etc.
Percentage of Food Grown:
6-20%
(Hope to do more once we are fully land-based)
Share Community Meals:
1-3 times/month
(Core formation group eats together regularly)
Dietary Choice or Restrictions:
Diet is up to each individual
Dietary Practice:
Omnivorous
(We have omnivores, vegetarians and vegans in our group. Tolerance of dietry choices is expected. The farm will likely be raising some kind of livestock for meat, milk, eggs, fiber, etc.)
Alcohol Use:
(alcohol use is a personal choice issue.)
Tobacco Use:
(tobacco use is a personal choice issue.)
Social Factors
Open to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and/or Transgender members:
Yes
(We are also open to polyfidelitous/polyamorous individuals or groups)
Restrictions on Romantic Relationships (between consenting adults):
No
(We are welcoming of people in any kind of adult relationship model.)
Shared Spiritual Path:
No
(Currently a wide range of beliefs and practices (christian, pagan, buddhist, quaker, etc.))
Which Spiritual Path(s):
Ecumenical (includes "all religions")
(Current members mix Christianity, Pagan and Native spiritual paths, but we are open to all belief systems that honor life)
Educational Style(s):
Public schooled
(Sufficient numbers of children and motivated adults could make a community-based school an option)
 
 


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