Magnolia Collective

Thank you for your interest in the Magnolia Collective! We are a small household with a big vision, situated on 4 acres at the edge of the town of Louisa, Virginia (between Charlottesville and Richmond). We are just a few short blocks from Main Street, with grocery stores, banks, pharmacies, shops and restaurants, laundromat and hardware store within walking distance.

After living together for two years, deepening our relationship with this place and a widening network of neighbors and friends, two of our beloved members moved on to the next chapter of their life at the end of June 2023. A lively family of five came to stay at Magnolia for much of that fall and winter, to explore the possibility of calling this place home longer-term, and brought much joy and care and adorable moments to our space during their months here. Several other guests and short-term residents have also blessed us for a time before moving on, and we are excited to welcome a couple this fall who are interested in joining and shaping the future of our Collective.

Magnolia is an ongoing work-in-progress. Together with Living Energy Farm, an intentional community and off-grid technology development center a mile down the road, we are gradually transforming what was once a dilapidated house into a beautiful and cozy space. The house was insulated with straw bales in the winter of 2021, and we are in the process of transitioning our household energy systems to a DC micro-grid, a unique approach to renewable energy developed at LEF. (To learn more, check out https://livingenergyfarm.org/what-is-a-dc-microgrid/). In the summer of 2022, we were excited to finally switch to a Sunstar fridge that runs directly off a single solar panel. As of September of 2023, we now also have a high voltage “direct drive” DC solar electric system that powers a hotplate and Roxy oven, along with a 12 volt battery kit that charges our electronics, runs fans day and night, and will eventually power all the lighting in our home as well. (You can learn more about these at https://livingenergylights.com/). As of late November 2024, our solar heated radiator system is also up and running, and our solar hot water system is nearly finished as well! Once the process is complete, hopefully by the spring of 2026, our cooking, lighting, charging, water and space heating will no longer depend on destructive energy sources and centralized grid power. In addition, we are gradually establishing and expanding garden beds of herbs, flowers, fruits, and veggies, along with native plantings.

Amidst these efforts, and our pursuits in the wider world, we carve out time when we can for shared meals, board games, heartfelt sharing from the week, and general silliness. We strive to strike a balance between having space for ourselves and our own lives, enjoying time together, and opening our home for informal gatherings and (eventually) public events. We value open, honest, and compassionate communication, striving for mutual understanding, and gratitude and reciprocity in our relationships with the land and each other.

We are legally structured as a multi-member LLC, which allows us to have a shared bank account and pool our resources to provide for the needs of our household and support our mission. We recognize and appreciate the diverse gifts and contributions that each person brings to our Collective, beyond mere economics, and also strive to honor and support the shifting tides of our energy and capacity day by day. We aspire to weave a web of interdependence and collaboration that extends far beyond our household and this beautiful patch of land, to the mecca of intentional communities here in Louisa and the many amazing people, organizations, and initiatives we are continually discovering.

While we expect to have a full house soon, and are not currently looking for additional members, we invite you to contact us if you are drawn to our vision and interested in connecting or collaborating with us.