The Aquifer Project - A society for collaborative living

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About the Community

  • Forming

What we do

We are tired of living in a society governed by exploitation culture. Replace the flags with the colonial era with corporate logos and that’s been our world for the last millennia. While the world wars to hoard resources, the people and the planet slowly die. It’s time to evolve beyond a parasitic species, join us and together we will turn humanity into symbiotes.

There are many individuals and individual companies working toward collective change. What a sustainable future needs is a way to work and operate collaboratively instead of exploiting competitively.

Phase 1 of The Aquifer project is building local sustainability hubs. These hubs do 3 things for the public, organizations and businesses.

  • Inform those who want to make a difference on the tools and resources for positive change.
  • Connect those who are making a difference already to the resources and public drive to do so.
  • Interact with the world by bringing the tools and the drive to the community.
  • Phase 2 will be identifying the areas of opportunity for sustainability and building the businesses or services needed for positive change. 

    Phase 3 will be establishing an academy of sustainability that can research and train best practices that are tailored to local needs. The academy will collect data from both the hubs and the businesses to create unparalleled data sets that will create a future that has more tomorrow than it has today.

    Our communities, our businesses and the way we live will show the world that living sustainably is living better. We are a non-profit, that doesn’t mean we don’t make a profit, it simply means all profit benefits employees, communities and sustainability.

    What does this all mean for you?

    We offer the following.

  • Knowing that the people you live and work with will never exploit you. The people around you on a daily basis are just as dedicated to being better as you are.
  • Freedom to live life. Know your labor goes to improving the world for yourself and the rest of humanity instead of funding a Billionaires vanity war. Start a sustainable business or project with us. Move to a new region. Be free to risk, succeed, fail and learn together without risking your future.
  • Guaranteed housing, utilities, transportation, employment, wages ect… Right now, every aspect of your life is taxed (through profit) to fund the lifestyle of the wealthy “Upper class”, or you are the upper class and have to sacrifice your ethics to stay there. Living will no longer be a worry for you. Your children can choose to be grandfathered in and don’t have to worry about their future either.
  • Investment account that grows as we grow. You can cash out if you want to leave for short term or long term.
  • Equal share of profits, equal share of control, equal opportunities to everything. Our project is made out of the people that join it, when you join YOU become a part of the project, you get 100% benefit with 1% increase every year you are a member.
  • What you are giving up

  • The opportunity to “Get Ahead” of others. You will have to be content with being content and giving your life meaning.
  • All of our properties will be information we collect to improve sustainability, moving beyond sustainability to terraforming earth. Once a year each property will be inspected and data will be collected to improve ourselves and share with the world. You will have your own space to call your own, but when/if you move on it will go back to the project. This being said, if you are moving on within the project, you will be able to pick out a new place to call your own in the area that suits you.
  • We are not asking you to give up luxury, but you may have to redefine what luxury means to you. We are asking you to accept that “Profit” is not always money in your pocket but will always mean a better world for everyone in our communities.
  • We will start buying housing when possible, or taking donations, then refurbishing them with sustainable solutions. We will require citizens to open their housing to annual scheduled inspections and give feedback so we can test the practicality, comfort and sustainability of solutions, to make improvements and do other general maintenance. As the organization grows we will build more purpose driven housing to build more purpose driven communities in different climates and social dynamics.

    We may also include shared housing options for those who wish a more social lifestyle or to act as transition housing and temporary housing for visitors. The rules and structure of shared housing will vary by need, availability and by design of related citizens as long as it stays true to our mission.

    Our Vision

    Connecting tools, solutions and communities, to bring Accessibility to Sustainability; environmentally, socially and economically.

    Our Mission

    Connecting tools, solutions and communities, to bring Accessibility to Sustainability; environmentally, socially and economically.

    • Community type
    • Cohousing
    • Ecovillage
    • Intentional Neighborhoods
    • Activities
    • Education
    • Services Business
    • Others
    • 4 Total members
    • Open to new members
    • Open to visitors
    • Open to volunteers
    Total
    4

    How to join

    Currently we are meeting in Santa Clara on Meetup https://www.meetup.com/aquiferproject/ , we will be adding virtual meetings so join to stay in touch. You can contact us through email TheTeam@AquiferProject and while we can’t start offering citizenship now, your citizenship can start now. Any benefits from seniority or from duration as a citizen will start from when you started actively working with us and not when you sign the papers.

    We need help with finding and applying for grants. Help with social media and outreach. People with management or non-profit backgrounds to become board members of the Non-Profit and review the bylaws. People to review the business plan for the community store, give input and raise community support/involvement. We need programmers to start building assets. We need to start compiling a list of sustainable companies.

    We will be hiring out these services as we grow, but we would much rather have collaborators helping us build our community and better world.

    Basic expectations or agreements for members

    We will have community stores that will act as hubs for sustainability, some of these may have attached housing that is not accessible to the public without invitation by the current occupant. We will be establishing housing and communities that is either hospitality focused or research focused, the terms of those locations will be arranged with the occupants knowledge. The Foundation for Sustainability will be open to the public. See website for details.

    Primary decision-making authority

    • Small Leadership Group

    A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.

    Governance structure

    • Founder/Leader-led

    Primary authority rests with the community’s founder(s) or designated leader(s).

    Economic model

    • Partial Income-Sharing

    Members contribute a percentage of income to community funds.

    Economic scenarios for this community

    • There is a labor obligation

    Additional economic information

    Labor required: Yes
    Members with pre-existing debt: Yes
    Citizens will be given housing in trade for their contributions. All funding generated by the project will be split to pay for expenses, improve businesses, grow businesses and fund the foundation. The exact percentages of these will be determined by the board but will fall into reasonable business expenses. While the allocation is set, the use is determined by the people who work at the business or project. A set amount of profits will be set aside for discretionary funding, each citizen will get a percentage weighted by their time spent working for the Project. Discretionary funding may be spent outside of the project but will have more value if spent within it. Discretionary funding should meet or exceed average wages (after housing, utilities, ect…). We will also establish an investment account, a citizen will be able to withdraw a percentage from that account based on time spent as a citizen, to use as they see fit (travel, retirement, severance, ect..). A citizen may choose to leave for any period of time and then return, but any time over set non-working allocated days will not add to their time as a citizen. This also means people can be part time citizens, with rent weighted against time spent working for the project.

    Non citizens may rent housing when they are employed by the project or when working towards our mission.

    Reviews

    Location

    • California, United States

    The Aquifer Project - A society for collaborative living

    Promoted Needs and Offers

    Need
    • Communities with Openings
    7 months ago

    Oak Park Commons Cohousing – Plan to Move in Fall 2025

    Illinois’ first cohousing community fosters intergenerational connection, diversity, and inclusiveness. We welcome all those who share our vision of creating a sustainable residential community in a vibrant urban suburb. Oak Park Commons Cohousing seeks new members. Join the dozen households that have already helped plan and design a five story, 24-unit building near the commercial heart of Oak Park, Illinois. The building includes a mix of one, two, and three, bedroom ADA accessible units. A package friendly first floor mailroom adjoins the lobby, elevator, and parking entrances. Noise mitigation and energy efficient air conditioning assure year-round comfort. The Carpenter & Madison streets corner location includes within a pedestrian friendly half mile radius: a middle school, bus stop, grocery co-op, drug store, bank, CTA train station, Unity Temple, Rush Hospital, Fox Park, Mills Park, and many restaurants. Madison has traffic calming and bike lanes. The Village commercial center, barely a mile away offers the Lake Theatre Cinema, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Formula Fitness Center, Public Library, Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, and specialty retail and service shops. Oak Park includes excellent K-12 schools. Lincoln public elementary school offers an optional Spanish bilingual program, Gwendolyn Brooks middle school’s wonderful performing arts opportunities and OPRF high school’s great college and career prep. Eight two and three bedroom units are still available for purchase starting at $406,640. Buyers pay a five percent earnest fee when signing a purchase agreement that goes toward down payment at closing. Units available for occupancy starting the last week of October 2025. Visit our website and talk with some of our members to learn more about who we are and how we envision building our community together.   Website: https://oakparkcommons.com/ Contacts: Charles Hoch 708-721-8817; Susan Stall 708-772-8817
    Need
    • Communities with Openings
    10 months ago

    Seeking Couples Interested in Long Term Deep Connection & Farming (open to singles)

    Description Our  sloped and terraced community farm has far more potential than we have time and energy to use to the fullest. We have been in community for 15 years now, but feeling pulled to the deeper nourishment we find in long-term residents over shorter-term interns.  We seek one to two couples (or super aligned singles) who are interested in conscious connection, intimate conversation, personal growth and healing, regenerative agriculture, and serious about a building a life in community.  Although we hold space and flexibility for shifts in needs, we desire humans who plan to stay for all or part of a season (1-3 months at a minimum), after which we would explore longer-term alignment and relationships.  We MAY also be open to folks wanting to live off-site, as long as we prioritize ample time to explore how we work together before we get too deep. Current Use Heart 2 Heart Farms is a small, forested, 10 acre Permaculture farm nestled in the fertile hills of the Willamette Valley. Between the quaint towns of Newberg and Sherwood, this oasis is in the middle of wine country, just 30 minutes south of Portland, has been an intentional community and teaching facility for over 15 years, hosting a myriad of community outreach, up-cycling, homesteading, and prepping workshops.  Although we have recently slowed substantially, residents should be prepared for both a busy environment, and shared, informal, mixed-use spaces. We are almost completely self-sufficient, producing large varieties of heirloom fruits and vegetables, and we breed, butcher, and sometimes sell heritage chickens, turkeys, rabbits, pigs, goats, sheep, and cattle. We tan hides, carve bone, save seed, occasionally blow glass, throw pottery, create alternative/green energy, dig root cellars, and build constantly. We have three large un/under-utilized areas available: The front hill is a terraced and amended south-facing slope that has LOTS of room and potential. We also have a poultry pasture is 2 acres of partially wooded Douglas Fir, an additional 4 acres of wooded mixed use browsing space and native habitat that’s virtually unused at the moment, two large greenhouses (including one set up aquaponically), and lots of space to expand the orchard and rotational grazing system. Additionally, we have a 20’x40′ healing center and sacred space we use for yoga, massage, reiki, ceremony (including traditional Lakota sweat lodge and grief/trauma work), and make available to local practitioners to offer their services to the community. If you are wanting to connect deeply, work hard, learn and expand your experience base, and participate in a small but established intentional community, shoot us a note and let’s explore. Owner’s Short Term Vision for the Property Our short-term goal is to find/train a few young/new farmers to assist with land stewardship and increase productivity of the existing space to spread out the work/responsibility and assist in overall streamlining and cleanup of the existing farm/operations. Owner’s Long Term Vision for the Property Our long-term vision is to continue to use this space as a teaching and educational facility, expanding the diversity and frequency of events we can host and services we can offer. Over the next few years, we hope to find an a couple interested in learning/independently managing most of the farm production, which will allow us to dig deeper into the training and certification we make available, to include natural building, basic and advanced Permaculture technique and application, beekeeping, horticulture, animal husbandry, food preservation, fermentation, plant identification/natural foraging, and primitive skills. Available Water / Irrigation Extensive rainwater collection on site, as well as a high-flow/capacity well. Soil Type / Quality Sandy loam with great organic matter, good clay content, and established vermiculture and mycorrhizal network. Buildings and Structures Available for Farm Use We have multiple barns and greenhouse space for use, or lease, depending on the particulars of use/situation. Farm Equipment Available for Use We have a skid steer on site, as well as rototiller, chipper, 26′ truck, and pickup trucks for use. Hand tools are also available, depending on the arrangement. Any Restrictions That Could Limit Agricultural Production Creating and supporting natural borders, food forests, and wildlife habitat (and incorporating these into a holistic/natural pest management strategy) is a very high priority to us, so intensive mono-crop/large machine harvesting and/or crops needing spraying/chemicals are not likely a fit on this site. County: Washington Total Acreage: 10 Acreage Available to Landseeker: 5 Current Farming Practices: Organic, Not Certified, Biodynamic, Dry Farming, Season Extension Farming Practices Allowed: Certified Organic, Organic, Not Certified, Biodynamic, Dry Farming, Season Extension Agriculture Types Suitable: Beans, Bees, Berries, Dairy, Fiber Animals, Flowers, Goats, Herbs, Hogs, Mushrooms, Nursery Stock, Nuts, Orchard/Fruit, Pasture, Poultry, Rabbits, Sheep, Vegetables, Vineyard, Other

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