Overview and Welcome

Ground Ecovillage is a growing intentional community with a deep commitment to environmental and social justice. It’s centered in 100-plus beautiful acres, including gardens and orchard, meadows and woodland, trails, streams and pond. Our goal is to develop a neighborhood and farm where we can help provide for ourselves and our families while giving back to the land and the larger communities, both human and more-than-human, that sustain us.

Community features will include a compact village of 20-plus flexible living options. This will include common spaces for shared meals and celebrations, with freedom to design and practice natural and regenerative building as well as sustained and deep partnership with the land (farming, forestry, celebration, listening …).

Community decisions are made based on a set of guiding principles and intentions. Sociocracy is our governance system, with a focus on compassionate communication and resolving issues and tensions with clarity and generosity. 

We also hope to be a model for community-scale resilience and self-sufficiency, offering solidarity and mutual aid to our neighbors. We recognize that along with healing the land, we must address the inequities and injustices that have limited access to land and inclusive community for far too long. You can read our Land Acknowledgement here.

About two acres of the land is currently being intensively farmed for an ever-expanding variety of vegetables, other foods and medicines. We use sustainable and organic practices and apply regenerative and permaculture design with the support of an expanding team, guided by Doug Jones, our legendary lead farmer. Produce is currently sold through a CSA. Once the residential community is established, the main focus of the farm will be as a food source for members, as well as for the “community glue” that comes from people working side by side and enjoying the bounty of what is grown together.

We hope to be building infrastructure by early 2025 and for members to be able to begin home construction by late 2025. Individuals/families and also small groups (“pods”) of members will own lots within the village layout. Some of the homes may be organized into a co-op. Design guidelines are being developed in line with the principles and intentions. Designing for cooperation, conviviality, accessibility and low impact are top priorities. Check out the Building at Common Ground links for much more detail.

We offer three levels of membership—Visiting, Exploratory and Engaged—and a discernment process for moving from one level to the next. There is an additional level called Affiliate for members who do not plan to live in the village but want to be an active part of the community. If you are interested in beginning the membership process, please go (why not right now?) to the Membership tab and scroll down to complete a JOIN form. More information about visits and tours is also included there. We are actively seeking additional communitarians who share our vision to join us­ — all ages, and especially families and young adults. Consider exploring farther!

This video is a lovely short introduction to the project and some of the people, though some aspects of planning and schedules have shifted since it was made.

Check out this month’s Almanac (newsletter) for a current snapshot of what we’re up to and what’s coming!

pond depth measurement

Read more about our inspiring vision, dedicated people, spacious land, the farm, and the village design.

Find out how to get involved by joining our mailing list, coming to events, and becoming a member.

We have monthly land tours on the land. Write to us for details about the next one.


Community document editing provided generously by  Only Office