We undertake to create a community in which adults and children can share their lives through work, learning and play and grow with nurturing and support, as a diverse rural community that values ecological sustainability, respect and support for children, integrity, nonviolence, mindfulness, beauty, harmony, healthfulness, simplicity, creativity, joy, honesty, trust and fun. We want to work to grow strong, long-term connections among members and with the outside community, continually seeking to work together, learn together and teach together as much as possible.

Neruda is a new intentional community in Marshfield, Vermont. We are planning a small community of a few families, sharing our beautiful 200 acres in northeastern Vermont, a half hour from the state capital, Montpelier. Our ideas, vision, and mission statement are on our website, though we're eager for input from interested people to establish Neruda as an organic process. We're hoping that those who are interested will work with us to iron out the details of how it will work.

We live on a beautiful section of land, 200 acres, 40 of which are fields and the rest wooded, including an acre pond (with a camp of sorts), a stream, and trails. We live in an earthship (underground, passive solar, built from largely recycled materials) that we are still in the process of finishing. Also on the land are an old farmhouse that needs to be torn down or rebuilt but that would serve as a temporary home, and a barn that needs to be torn down (because it’s falling). To our south we are bordered by 25,000 acres of state forest. To our west is 300 acres of village forest. The views from our land are stunning, as we’re surrounded by hills and mountains.

We have beautiful land for farming and for raising animals, if anyone is interested in doing those things. We have the beginning of a fine orchard of apples, pears, chestnuts, plums, and blueberries and have plans for Siberian kiwi, cherry and peach.

We envision working with others to create renewable energy projects (microhydro, wind, and solar), trails open to the public, and other green projects. Marshfield is a town of 1400 people. The town is environmentally conscious and receptive to environmental projects. The town “center” includes a restaurant, a gas station quick stop, and a video rental store. Nearby Plainfield has awesome pizza, a great restaurant, Goddard College, and a food coop. There are food coops 1/2 hour away.