Burns Village & Farm

  • Community
  • 0 followers

About the Community

  • Forming
  • Rural

What we do

We are building a cohousing community and agrihood in Burns, TN! We have a contract on a 17-acre site about 30 miles west of Nashville, TN. The site includes frontage on a small year-round stream and a number of large old oak trees. We are planning for 36 homes and a 4-acre farm, with five wooded acres to be undeveloped. The community will support a professional farmer and benefit from access to farm produce on site. Currently we use modified consensus for decision-making about our community, and we are learning more about sociocracy as an approach we might integrate as well. We know that ongoing education and skill-building for enhancing the quality of our relationships and decision-making is important for developing and sustaining the kind of neighborhood we want.

The site is part of a 150-acre farm which has been owned by one family for four generations. They support our plans for this community as part of their goal to conserve agricultural land. A mix of shared wall and stacked flat units will be clustered around shared spaces and designed to encourage interaction and social cohesion. We completed the site schematic design in July 2023, our common house (clubhouse) schematic in January, 2024, and the design elements of four styles of living units in April, 2024. These range from 2 bedroom, 2 bath to 3 bedroom 2.5 baths units. We offer more information on our website, as well as opportunities to register for site visits and zoom meetings with Members.

Our Vision

Burns Village & Farm is a multi-generational diverse community that follows best practices of cohousing, sustainability, and agrihoods.

Our Mission

Burns Village & Farm is a multi-generational diverse community that follows best practices of cohousing, sustainability, and agrihoods.

  • Community type
  • Cohousing

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  • 16 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
  • Open to volunteers
Total
16

How to join

We ask people to start by participating in at least one of our events – a virtual or in-person gathering, or a site visit, and to ask questions. An individual can become an Explorer by paying a $150 non-refundable fee. An Explorer is expected to participate in more events for at least 30 days and up to 90 days before deciding to apply to become a Member. During this time the Explorer will have access to more information about cohousing, agrihoods, the history of our community, and responsibilities and benefits of being a Member. The Explorer fee is applied to the $500 Member fee which is non-refundable. As an Explorer or Member, an individual or family is welcome to participate in monthly General Meetings. Members are expected to participate in meeting twice a month, and to participate in the modified consensus process used to make decisions for the community.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

We do not yet own the land. We schedule site visits with people who register through our website (https://burnsvillagefarm.com) or via email – [email protected].

Primary decision-making authority

  • Small Leadership Group

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

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • There is a one-time fee, investment, or share purchase to join the community separate from accessing housing
  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Join fee: $500
Labor: Encouraged or suggested
Members with pre-existing debt: Yes
We have not made decisions about some of these questions, such as the amount of HOA dues. Regarding sustainability practices, this is a priority for our community. Currently we plan for homes to be solar-ready and to have electric car charging stations. We aspire to produce food for our community and surrounding neighborhoods as well.

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Common House, Garden(s)

Substance use culture

  • Substance use appears in public spaces but no pressure
  • Religions
  • Christian
  • Buddhist
  • Jewish
  • Quaker

Property status

  • Privately owned

Setting

  • Rural

Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.

  • Land area size
    17 acres

Reviews

Location

  • Tennessee, United States

Promoted Needs and Offers

Need
  • Communities with Openings
6 months ago

Join us in the mountains of Western North Carolina

Coweeta Heritage Center/Talking Rock Farm is located in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Coweeta is located in a beautiful and diverse temperate rain forest. It feels very remote here yet we are just 12 miles from Franklin, NC. Winters can be mild. Coweeta is blessed with springs and a stream, pristine forests, and abundant wildlife. Power is provided by a hydro-electric system which is not connected to the grid. An organic garden and trout pond provide healthy food that is also shared with the local community. Hiking, kayaking, and other outdoor activities are just out the back door. Coweeta is looking for others who would like to join together to form an Intentional Community embracing the principles of Voluntary Simplicity. Simply put (no pun intended): We wish “to live simply so that others may simply live.” It is a recognition that nature provides us with valuable services and resources that we can use to enrich our lives. Utilizing local resources, appropriate technology, and working cooperatively, we can discover creative ways to meet our needs as “directly and simply as possible.”. An example of this, in the tradition of many Indigenous People”, is to gather, and use wildcrafted foods as part of our diet. There is great joy in going to nature’s grocery for our sustenance. Voluntary Simplicity is based on the recognition that “very little is needed to live well” and that “abundance is a state of mind.” Living lower on the economic ladder allows us more time and freedom to pursue other life goals: community and social engagement, family time, artistic or intellectual projects, more fulfilling employment, political participation, sustainable living, spiritual exploration, and more. According to the Voluntary Collective, “The grounding assumption of Voluntary Simplicity is that all human beings have the potential to live meaningful, free, happy and infinitely diverse lives while consuming no more than an equitable share of (the world’s) resources.” We affirm the need for a work/life balance, the right to a healthy environment and healthy food, and healthy community relationships supporting a diverse population. It is our responsibility as engineers of a new generation to make the changes that we want to see happen and pass this on to the next generations. We can’t wait for someone else to do this important work. Voluntary Simplicity is a quiet revolution that can change the world. As one person said, “we must be poets of our own lives and of a new generation.” We hope you will join us here at Coweeta or elsewhere on our journey to a healthier and more sustainable future! Temporary housing is available in a 27 foot trailer trailer with attached deck next to a creek while we build additional housing. Your basic living expenses (shelter, basic food items, power and water) are met through our market garden or other fundraising projects that you will participate in. You are expected to contribute a given amount of your time and energy to help grow our community and meet our financial obligations. Possible future plans include establishing a retreat center for healing our earth and each other. Work includes organic gardening, construction projects and other community building activities. Come join Coweeta and learn how to live lightly on the land and enjoy the Earth’s bounty! For more information, visit www.coweetaheritagecenter.com Contact [email protected] for a visit or more info.  Paul
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