| Blackberry is a close-knit intentional family committed to living, working, learning, and growing together in the Sierra Foothills north of Nevada City, California. We place much value on raising our children and ourselves in a nonviolent, healthy emotional and physical environment.
As of 6/5/2008 we are not looking for new members, but are open to visitors. This will likely be a temporary situation, so keep checking this website for updates as to our status.
We are currently an income-sharing group, working toward perfecting an egalitarian, collective economic system. All our decisions are made by consensus. In our daily lives we like to experiment with various forms and rituals gleaned from many sources. We share an Earth-based spirituality, celebrating the seasons together.
A main focus of our community is responsible stewardship of the Earth, starting with this piece of the forest. We intend to develop sustainable cottage industries here, perhaps using renewable materials gathered from our land.
We are active in local and global issues of health, peace, and the environment. Underlying all this is the desire to be deeply involved in each others' lives, to be sources of inspiration and learning, and to grow older and wiser together. Status: We are currently taking some time to reevaluate our status as a community. During this period, we will still be open to some visitors. | |
Population Non-member Residents: 1 (A friend (former community member) is staying with us off and on.) Open to new adults: No (Check with us for updates...) Open to new children: No (Check with us for updates...) Gender Balance: 50% M 50% F Open to which gender(s): All genders welcome | Government Decision Making: By consensus Leadership Core Group: No | Labor and Money Financial Style: Partial income sharing (When we decide to open again to members, each adult will contribute to a household fund which pays for food & utilities, & a maintenance fund which accumulates to pay for anticipated & unexpected expenses.) Labor Contribution: Expected (We work it out together so everyone feels comfortable with how much labor each person puts into community projects & chores.) Regular Fees: Yes (Each adult makes a monetary contribution each month to cover expenses.) | Land and Buildings Rural Area: 50 acres (20.2 hectares) Land Owned By: Individual community member(s) (This is one of the things we hope to change during our sabbatical from admitting new members. We hope to find a more suitable form, such as a land trust, to own the land.) Number of Residences: 6 (These are actually detached bedrooms.) | Food, etc. Percentage of Food Grown: 1-5% Share Community Meals: Nearly all dinners Dietary Choice or Restrictions: Diet is up to each individual (We buy almost 100% organic, non-GMO foods, & take each individual's dietary needs into account when cooking for the group.) Dietary Practice: Primarily vegetarian | Social Factors Open to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and/or Transgender members: Yes Restrictions on Romantic Relationships (between consenting adults): No Shared Spiritual Path: Yes Which Spiritual Path(s): Eclectic (integrates pieces from many religions) (We share some modern pagan traditions as well as some older traditions as requested & agreed upon by members.) Educational Style(s): Home schooling | |
