Heartland

  • Community
  • 2 followers

About the Community

  • Established
  • Rural

What we do

Heartland is a land cooperative of 10 leaseholds on 800 acres in northern California. We have been here for over 40 years. Our purpose is to create and maintain a place for us to live in harmony with each other and the land, most of which is to be left wild.

 

We are located in Mendocino County, CA, three miles west of Hwy 101, two hours north of San Francisco, and about 25 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Our elevation ranges mostly between 1000 to 1700 feet and we are in zone 8B – 9B. There are panoramic views of the Ukiah Valley to the east, and more hills to the west. The vegetation includes native and introduced grasses, oak and madrone trees, and some patches of fir forest and chaparral. Many animal species share this land. There are a number of seasonal creeks and we have developed several ponds and perennial springs.

 

We are off-grid and committed to minimizing our fossil fuel consumption, using renewable energy – mostly sun, but also wind and micro-hydro. Some of us are engaged in permaculture design.

 

Legally, we are Heartland, Inc., a California S-corporation with ten shares- one share per leasehold. Each of the ten shares/leaseholds is represented on the Board of Directors (BOD), which meets at least twice per year. Other community meetings and activities occur more frequently. Most of the work necessary to develop and maintain both the land and the corporation is done by us. We have paid off the land in full, developed the roads, water systems, and built the homes on the land. We prefer to make decisions by consensus, resorting to democratic voting when the former is unachievable.

 

Each leasehold is comprised of 10 acres for development by the shareholder/lessee and their household within the guidelines we have collectively established. Some of us have lived here for over 30 years and some do not yet live on the land. These leaseholds are scattered across the 800 acres, leaving 700 acres of land which is to be left wild, though used for hiking and horseback riding.

 

We currently have no shares/leaseholds for sale. Sorry, but we have no work-trade or overnight accommodations. Contact us for more information: [email protected].

Our Vision

We are a homestead wildlands preserve.

Our Mission

We are a homestead wildlands preserve.

  • Community type
  • Ecovillage
  • 20 Total members
  • Not open to new members
  • Open to visitors
  • Open to volunteers
Total
20

How to join

Prospective shareholders must meet the community, participate in work parties and meetings, have a financial review, submit a lease plan, and be approved by the community, after at least three meetings. This process typically takes at least nine months.  Financing is negotiated with the seller.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Please contact Rain Tenaqiya through email to fill out a questionnaire and arrange a visit: [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
  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • 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: Yes (amount not specified)
Monthly fees/dues: $120
Labor required: Yes
Members with pre-existing debt: Yes
Labor consists of road work, fire protection, and other agreed upon projects. Work is shared among leaseholds and we are flexible at finding ways for all to participate. Shareholders must purchase a share. Often a selling member will carry the loan. Quarterly assessments pay for taxes, road work, insurance, legal fees, etc. There is also a yearly road maintenance assessment based on use of the road based on $140/yr for one trip a day.

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

Swimming pond or pool, Tractor & Farm Equipment

Frequency of communal meals

  • Rarely

Substance use culture

  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies
  • Religions
  • Christian
  • Buddhist
  • Hindu
  • Wiccan, Paganism, or Earth Religions

Property status

  • Privately owned

Setting

  • Rural

Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.

Self-produced energy

  • 33 - 66%

Energy sources used

  • Wind
  • Photovoltaic Solar
  • Hydro
  • Biomass (from wood or other organic materials)

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%
  • Land area size
    800 acres

Reviews

Location

  • California, United States

Promoted Needs and Offers

Need
  • Communities with Openings
5 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
Need
  • Communities with Openings
12 months ago

Water Birch Co-op. Urban living in central Denver.

Large, lovely house built in 1900, two blocks from Cheeseman Park in downtown Denver.  5000 square feet. The house was a Buddhist Meditation Center for 20 years before we got it and has lovely, calm vibes. We currently have ten people and have room for one more. We are an intentional community sharing dinners, 3 living rooms, 2 new kitchens and a kitchenette, & 5 baths. Staple food (organic) is bought together. The group is self-regulating as a co-op; it decides together how the house runs. There are chores ;-) Average cost per room is about $1000 ranging from $650 to $1354. Currently available room is $875. We are just finishing renovation of three bedrooms on the third floor  they are $875 each and share our largest, newest bath (shower and separate claw foot tub) and a brand new kitchenette  they all have beautiful windows and lots of light. PLEASE CHECK OUT COMMUNITY LISTINGS FOR MORE INFO. Initial lease for 3-6 months while we and you decide if we are a good fit for each other.  Deposit in the amount of one months rent is required prior to move in.  We do background checks on all members. Utilities are currently $130 per person per month and are all-inclusive.  They will change if costs go up, that amount is insufficient to cover utilities, or more people mean the cost per person goes down.  WiFi is via mesh network from gig-speed fiberoptic service.  Heat is with radiators.  Cooling is evaporative.  We have a storage room in a nearby commercial facility.  And a new large workshop in the garage. Shared food is $125 per month per person; it is a pass-through cost divided evenly among residents; it does NOT include meat or alternative protein nor any alcohol.  We will not be surprised if that needs to go up some soon ($10 or 15). We have two dogs and three cats in the house  that seems like a sufficient quantity of furry friends for now. Our community intentions include: Communication with compassion. Shared space and life. Shared meals. Shared staple foods which are non-GMO and Organic. Group decision making. Safe, inclusive space: queer and trans friendly, anti-racist, non-violent, and feminist. The purchase of the house by the co-op in about five years. The expansion of the co-op, possibly to include other housing types (like separate apartments). Weekly meetings and house committees to manage our community. We are considering implementing Sociocracy as an organizing method. Quiet hours are from 10:00pm to 8:00am. We are looking for community members who: Want to live in a community not just have a place to sleep and eat. Want to live in a beautiful, clean, and organized house and are willing to help make and keep it that way. Residents should expect to spend 16 hours per month towards this goal. Are curious, compassionate, flexible, and open to living with others who will undoubtedly have different ideas about many things. Are interested in pioneering a new co-op. There will be work involved to get there. Are responsible and communicative. Embrace enthusiastically that living in community requires introspection and personal growth. Are not joining the community as a way of running away from something.
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