| Mountain Homestead is a developing, off-grid permaculture homestead located on 365 acres of temperate rainforest in the Coquille watershed serving as a prototype for ecological forest management based on resident stewardship. Ecoforestry, the restoration of forest health, guides our practices, certified by Northwest Certified Forestry. A conservation easement protects the natural values of the land in perpetuity. The land encompasses two-thirds of the Walker Creek watershed. We recently acquired 35 adjacent acres, with 1000 feet of riparian zone that we'd like to sell to a like-minded person. See our listing under “Rainforest Edge Village.”
Year-round apprentices have found us through www.organicvolunteers.com and www.ATTRA.org. Apprentices have greatly helped with homestead establishment over the years.
Cob Cottage Company, holding workshops and apprenticeships in the summer, has had a leasehold here since 2001 (www.cobcottage.com). "Cobville" includes cob and hybrid buildings, courtyards, and gardens.
Permaculture guides landscape use decisions. Consultants Tom Ward and Toby Hemenway have helped design our three-acre homestead, combining drainage, erosion control, fencing, access, and gravity-flow water as the framework for an evolving solar bowl/food forest. Overall design is based on supporting a dozen people. Buildings are made of mostly used or natural materials. Systems include photovoltaics, hydropower, gravity-flow water, wood-fired/solar hot water, wood heat, composting latrine, and greywater biofilters. We all take turns cooking communal lunches and otherwise eat together informally. Cooperation is key to land-based self-reliance, and demonstrating ecological culture is part of our mission, so come visit!
Caregiving Opportunity:
We are particularly seeking folks interested in joining a care-giving team. Community founder Clara Boggs needs assistance with daily activities. There are two principle care-givers, but we would like to have two or three more. Clara has frontal-temporal dementia, similar to Alzheimer's. She is in excellent shape physically and is a joy to be around. She mostly walks around the homestead but enjoys long (two- to four-hour) forest walks even more. Helping Clara is a great demonstration of the social sustainability of intentional community.
Workshops are held about 4 times a year, teaching Ecoforestry, Permaculture Design & Implementation, Food Forests in Practice, and Natural Building. Please inquire. | |
Population Adult Members: 5 (Since we have no formal membership, population fluctuates.) Non-member Residents: 6 (no formal membership system) Open to new children: Yes (short term visits are best) Gender Balance: 50% M 50% F (this fluctuates as people come and go) (this fluctuates as people come and go) Open to which gender(s): All genders welcome Ethnic Diversity: 10% identify as 'non-white' | Government Decision Making: By consensus (Aim for consensus, Individuals take the lead on certain project/tasks) Identified Leader: No (Many of us consider this place home. To make things less complicated during crisis we refer to the homestead as Chip and Clara's homestead) Leadership Core Group: Yes | Labor and Money Financial Style: Partial income sharing (One member shares some of his income.) Open to Members with Pre-existing Debt: No (We prefer people to have financial resources when joining, not debt.) Labor Contribution: Expected Join Fee: No (However, we greatly encourage prospective members to have their own independant finances) Regular Fees: No (not money, just labor) | Land and Buildings Rural Area: 365 acres (147.7 hectares) Land Owned By: Individual community member(s) | Food, etc. Percentage of Food Grown: 6-20% (Working to expand perennial infrastructure.) Share Community Meals: Nearly all meals (Lunch is formally eaten together, and rotationally cooked, all other meals are informal, but often shared.) Dietary Choice or Restrictions: Diet is up to each individual (anything goes. our main community lunches are usually vegan or have vegan options) Dietary Practice: Omnivorous (We have everything inbetween Vegans and avid meat eaters.) Alcohol Use: Used occasionally (An evening glass of wine is concidered civilized, a morning glass is inappropriate.) Tobacco Use: Seldom used (Smoking is restricted, but not prohibited. Smoking illegal substance on the land is not welcomed.) | Social Factors Open to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and/or Transgender members: Yes Restrictions on Romantic Relationships (between consenting adults): No Shared Spiritual Path: No Which Spiritual Path(s): Ecumenical (includes "all religions") Educational Style(s): Home schooling (unschooling.) | |
