| We're working toward forming a low-cost, low-impact vegan ecovillage. The current plan is to collectively buy a farm just outside of Ithaca, New York, that would serve as temporary group housing and shared studio / office space. In addition to working to bring in personal income, the residents would team up a few hours a day to help build (using natural building methods) houses for each person / couple / family group, one at a time until everyone has their own earth-friendly residence. The original house would then serve as a shared community space and guest housing for visiting family and friends.
We'd like this life to have as little negative impact and as much positive impact on the natural environment as possible. In keeping with the ecovillage ideal, we'd want to keep most of the land as an undeveloped, natural habitat for the animals that already live there. Ideas include reduced consumption and careful use of resources, growing and preserving a lot of our own organic food (permaculture-style), and hopefully being close enough to Ithaca center to get around by bike. (If we did have any cars, we'd want to share and go biodiesel.) Ideally, we'd like to be off the grid, generating our own power and recycling / reusing / processing the community's waste as much as possible.
This community would be vegan (no animal breeding, beekeeping, horseriding, animal labor, etc.). Any animal housemates would be given maximum freedom and equal consideration. We would also avoid supporting sweatshop labor and other human exploitation.
We're also picturing a treehouse and hammock, a solar-heated hot tub, bonfire jam sessions, creative collaboration and cross-pollination in art and work, group unschooling for kids (we don't have any yet but are planning on it!) and frequent communal meals and celebrations. We could go on and on.
If this sounds appealing to you, contact us. Tell us about yourself, why you're into this, and what you could bring to the table. If you have points of disagreement or questions for us, fire away. We're looking forward to talking with you!
Our names are Shira Golding and Ari Moore. We're a queer vegan couple relocating to Ithaca in August 2008 with our three adopted cat housemates. You can find out more about us and our work at our website, shirari.com. So far, seven other people are in touch with us about this idea. | Contact: Links: Shirari Industries: Our blog, portfolio, and other info about us (not the community, but Shira and Ari) |
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Population Adult Members: 2 (So far, it's just us...) Open to new children: Yes Open to which gender(s): All genders welcome | Government Decision Making: By consensus Identified Leader: No (We're anti-hierarchy.) Leadership Core Group: No | Labor and Money Financial Style: Partial income sharing (We're open about this one; it would need to be a joint decision.) Open to Members with Pre-existing Debt: Yes Labor Contribution: Expected (Joint building projects and gardening, and shared errands and other work, for convenience.) Regular Fees: Yes (In that the group would have some shared finances and projects. However, we dig barter and sweat equity and so contributions won't necessarily need to be in dollars.) | Land and Buildings Other (We're open as to the exact location, but it will likely be rural, just outside Ithaca, a small town.) Land Owned By: Other (Again, we're open about this, it's a group decision.) | Food, etc. Percentage of Food Grown: over 50% Share Community Meals: 2-5 times/week Dietary Choice or Restrictions: We all share a common diet Dietary Practice: Primarily vegan (Members don't have to be vegan but the community will be vegan and no public funds or land will go toward exploitation.) Alcohol Use: Used occasionally Tobacco Use: Used Occasionally (Probably wouldn't be permitted in community house or around children.) | Social Factors Open to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and/or Transgender members: Yes (Founding members are a queer couple!) Restrictions on Romantic Relationships (between consenting adults): No Shared Spiritual Path: No (Unless you consider ethical veganism a spiritual path.) Educational Style(s): Other (We prefer unschooling, though this would be up to each family to decide for themselves.) | |
