Because it Takes a Whole Village
Mendocino County
Good Planets are hard to find and good land in a very fine valley all surrounded by high mountains on one side and Potential Wilderness Lands on the other with mild California weather is about as good as it's going to get.
Lakes and Springs
There is a lot of water coming down from the mountains all around it. And then it flows down the length of the valley in two main creeks. It is no wonder that this valley is already named Eden which is you must admit a fairly appropriate name for what it is that we are about to create here. That's where the name for this project comes from.It is right there before us. And that this unique valley is actually already named Eden Valley right there on the map tends to assure us that we have found a very special place which could even be meant to become a natural learning and healing environment for a longer healthier life in Sustainable Community.
The Special Provision
Mendocino County that allows for a little more leeway for those of us who are building homes just for our own use and out in the country. There is a special provision called Section K that we have all worked hard to put into place. And that will give us a wider range of freedom when it comes to building with natural materials like Straw Bale and Cob and Rammed Earth. Alternative Building Methods will now become more possible because we won't have to meet outdated codes that were designed for the endless expansionism of city based and profit driven development.Middle Eel
Eden is in the center of an area we call the North Coast Eco Region which has a strong environmental awareness. We have a chance to stand right within the heart and soul of this whole entire movement. Good Neighbors soon become Good Friends although it does take some time with some folks because integration is not just another quick fix that can be expected to happen overnight. These are the people we need to reach and to change. But that does take some time. Big things do take a little more time.Deep Roots
We are putting down roots into this special part of Northern California and are committed to the long term protection of this entire beautiful group of watersheds that is just now beginning to realize that it is a significant Eco Region that deserves to have its own self identity. This is the Middle Eel and even though it is too far from the Bay Area to be considered to be just an extension of the city streets it is still not so far that some interested new people couldn't drive up for a two week retreat. We will want to maintain a close relationship with the small ecologically friendly town of Willits.Willits is only a 3 hour drive from the Golden Gate Bridge. That means we are going to be able to bring people in for an extended stay in Eden either to take the Permaculture Design Course or as interns up for the summer. That's an important consideration for any community. Input and Output.Being too close in to small town America is a disaster as the developments continue to encroach until they have transformed what was once paradise into a sea of pavement.
Eden Valley
We will be about 35 miles from the coast which puts us beyond the reach of most of the coastal fogs and that means lots of warmth and sunshine during the summer and 40 big fat inches of rain that will get you soaking wet in the winter. Not much snow. All ready to go.Even the deer here it is said do not run off when they see you. And they don't bite. But there are going to be some deep early morning frosts and they do bite. We may even have some late frosts in the spring for the children to play around in. We will still have about a 6 months growing season.
Living Circles
Each Home will be a Passive Solar home set right in the center of a one acre Living Circle within which most everything on the 3 acre Homestead is done. And that is to protect the integrity of the surrounding natural cover and to ensure a feeling of openness and freedom all around us.The other 2 acres are left as they are except for the planting of native Trees that do not need any irrigation once well established. And no fences go up on that part of the land or in between the various homesteads to leave the land Wild and Free.
The Homesites will be well back from the road and up and off the good farmland with a nice view across that valley of about a half mile of wide open space. This is a big beautiful valley folks and that does call for a truly grand Wedding Celebration of the Kindred Spirits of the Emerald Forest.
Alternative Homes
The main home will be built right in the center of the homestead in earth tone colors and with no large reflective surfaces that might create glare from across the valley floor. We all have a view across that valley and we want that to be a nice one.Things will be quiet. Loud dogs and such will not be allowed to spoil the feeling of Peace on Earth that should prevail in Eden. All animals will be under some control so they won't injure the wildlife or peoples gardens.
We do have rules to control the building boom and population bloom. One cabin for instance may also be built as well directly behind the main homes and a workshop or greenhouse. Everything in Eden is built to be Earthquake proof and with limits in size and purpose to protect the environment.
The Farmsites
Along with each homestead will be 2 acres on the inside edge of the Valley which is where some of the best soil is probably going to be. That will be right across from you and down below where you can see it out there as you look across the valley from inside your home.The Water Table should not be too far down meaning that Trees and vines and things that become deeply rooted enough may not need any watering once they are well established and that is the whole idea.
On that farm site you can plant fruit and nut trees, berry vineyards and almost any other thing you can think of that produces food or fiber. Most of this may be for trade and the market such as through Village Foods which could be our own Natural Foods Store in Willits.
Animals
Animals will be kept right there with you on your Homesteads just like your children. We believe that each person or family should take good care of their own animals and people right there at home and so they are not to be left tethered up alone somewhere else where they could be neglected and forgotten.The Driveways will go right up the border line between a pair of Homesteads so that the driveways are shared between two Homesteads. That will cut the number of driveways in half saving that much more land from having to be disturbed. So the Homesteads will be paired up in twos in this way for greater sustainability. Some may choose to be neighbors in this or some other way.
One Big Circle
All the Homesteads and Farm Sites will be laid out around the inside and outside edge of the valley road as in a circle. That fits in with our idea of ourselves as being as One Big Happy Family, The Village People. And it gives everybody a fairly equal position up and above and beyond the valley and with a view across the valley and with the mountains and hills being way back up behind us and way across on the other sides. That helps us to protect all that good farmland and the surrounding lands and it promotes a feeling of Freedom and Abundance.The Edenites
Once people start becoming true Edenites the rest will be simply to follow the most basic principles like assuming responsibility for the socio-ecological consequences of the money we spend and the contributions we make in money, time and effort and other things that may be contributed.Doing Good Work is what we support here. Minimizing Eco-Logical Footprints. Choosing Right Livelihood and Self Sustainability and to choose carefully to really be of some real support to the projects to which we have devoted our time and energy and to have time for our people and our land.
Keeping the Faith
Doing our best to uphold our own end of the Agreements. Learning Eco-Logical Integration and how ecosystems really work and not just the mechanistic part of it either, and how to fit more sustainably into our own communities and to begin to take our places within the larger NorthCoast of California EcoRegion.Standing Up for what is right within our own circles of influence, teaching by both precept and example, how to assume responsibility for the living Earth in all our decisions like we will be doing in Eden.
Healing the Earth
Restoring damaged areas that are a part of the larger ecosystems that we all depend upon and getting involved in the changes necessary to create a truly Sustainable Way of Life. Creating Eden as the Gateway to the Emerald Forest which could be a positive future for the Earth. Devoting our lives and our creative intelligence to creating other Earth friendly lifestyles, Sustainable Community Networks, and promoting Sustainable Technologies all over the world.Self Sustainability
Learning to work within the Spirit of Eden and not always depending upon others to carry our own weight. Self-Sustainability when it comes to sustaining our own interest level and participation is not everything. Give and Take. Doing our Best for the Earth.Eden's Magic works in its own way. Push yourself towards the vision. Don't take anything personally. Accept your position as being more than adequate for your own needs. Seek out Guidance and provide support. Be willing to take some Direction and stay responsive.
Forget about feelings of insecurity. Reach out to others who are not yet your brothers. Prepare to become a good citizen of Eden long before you get there and then you will not be disappointed.
A Living Model
This is a whole new iteration. You may not find anything like this anywhere else I know of. It is not just another intentional community just like all the rest. What good is cooperation without imagination. We are going to be disengaging from the dictates of public opinion to become an integral part of a new kind of a working and living model of Sustainable Land Stewardship in the Eco-Village Community. - TTo Save the Earth
