Twelve years, fourteen neighborhoods and growing 

Earthaven was founded in 1994, near Asheville, NC. With sixty members and space to grow to one hundred fifty, the community plans fourteen neighborhoods, each with a slightly different flavor. Throughout, Earthaven members consciously develop sustainable lifestyles, utilizing permaculture principles in design as well as in agricultural practices. Some own and operate green businesses.

Micro Hut and Tribal Condo

Celebratring commonality and difference 

Individuals thrive in community

Like most ecovillages, Earthaven is an eclectic group of people of diverse backgrounds, faiths, cultures and ages. Vegetarians and meat eaters eat side-by-side at village gatherings. Members initiate, engage, and participate in spiritual and holiday celebrations according to their individual beliefs.

Image: Patricia cooking

Finding Community 

How to Join an Ecovillage or Intentional Community

Much-respected in the growing eco-community movement, author Diana Leafe Christian, who just happens to be an Earthaven member, is a sought-after contributor wherever people gather to discuss building community.

Finding Community: How to Join an Ecovillage or Intentional Community

by Diana Leafe Christian

Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 07/19/2008)

Jonathan Dawson, president, Global Ecovillage Network, says of this book, "There could be no better guide on the path of exploring this lifestyle." He describes Finding Community as "open-hearted and hard-headed in equal measure-and with a delicious sense of humor."

As quoted on Leafe's web site

EcoVillage family life 

Bringing up children wholistically - Aging in community

Family life is as important here as anywhere in the world--and as diverse. Two-parent families, multi-generational families, and single-parent families thrive at Earthhaven.

Some children attend nearby public or private schools. Others are homeschooled in the Forest Children Program, to which families who live nearby also send their children.

Some of the fourteen neighborhoods within Earthaven have common play areas and are developing child care cooperatives.

Image: Forest Children Program

Ecovillage Living: Restoring the Earth and Her People 

LOADED WITH FIRST-PERSON ACCOUNTS

Here's what Russ Purvis has to say about Ecovillage Living: Restoring the Earth and Her people: "As former President of Silicon Valley Habitat for Humanity,Inc., a 'Green' builder and developer, and an aspiring Ecovillage occupant, it's a pleasure to give 'Ecovillage Living' my highest recommendation."

Ecovillage Living: Restoring the Earth and Her People

Ecovillage Living is a full-color guide to everything you've always wanted to know about ecovillages, from the people behind them to the tools to make them happen. If you have ever dreamed of natural housing, to know your neighbors, and a more harmonious lifestyle then this is the book for you. This is an unprecedented how-to and why account of ecovillage living, and a vibrant story of people spearheading a lifestyle that is rapidly becoming a new global culture

Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 07/19/2008)

Cozy, passive-solar homes are built with natural, local materials 

Earthaven homes range from small cabins to large, multi-family structures.

Wherever possible builders use recycled materials, such as reclaimed hardwood flooring. Some folks employ living roofs to keep their homes cool in summer and warm in winter. They have also built with trees culled from the land, rubber tires, cranberry pallets, and mud and straw.

Image Chuck's Office

The Hobbit House 

Off the grid

In addition to more traditional wood frame structures, homes and community buildings employ numerous sustainable construction techniques. Among them straw bale construction, adobe, and cob.

The Hobbit House, shown here, uses a combination of rubber tires, adobe, cob and straw-bale construction. What do you think of its living roof?

Built as a model farmstead, The Hobbit House is completely off the grid. Builder Rod Rylander shows how he built the home and its companion green house here.

Image Hobbit House

Generating their own power 

All of Earthaven's homes and businesses are off the grid. They generate power through solar energy collection and a micro-hydro system on one of their creeks.

Working with Nature, they reduce their need for power by building passive solar homes on south-facing slopes to take advantage of winter's sun. Member and author Diana Leafe Christian says that when they built their structures, they were careful to preserve existing shade trees and orient their homes to take advantage of the cooling shade in summer.

The one exception to off-grid supply is that some folks bring in propane for refrigeration, but the village plans to build two more micro-hydro stations, which should alleviate that need.

Image Off-grid solar collector

Making conscious choices to preserve habitat and the natural environment 

Guided by the principles of permaculture, the village makes decisions by consensus. Yes, it takes more time that way, but the idea is that when every opinion and every voice is heard and respected, better decisions result. Villagers examine each problem and solution in terms of its impact on human beings, wildlife, vegetation and streams.

Image Circle

What does permaculture mean? 

Earthcare, peoplecare, fairshare

Permaculture design focuses on three core values: Earthcare, peoplecare, and fairshare.

This means that humans live upon and with the Earth in a way that gives back at least as much as they take. It also means that everyone gets a fair share.

This is how we will leave a beautiful Earth, with a bounty of fresh air, freshwater streams, and fruit-laden orchards, fields and gardens for our children and theirs for generations to come.

Image Kids picking cherries

Want to know more about permaculture? 

BILL MOLLISON WROTE THE BOOK

Mollison's Introduction to Permaculture is one of the best places to start. Permaculture is more than land husbandry. Permaculture is about personal responsibility and personal ethics. It's feel good all over, warm fuzzy stuff--and it really can change the world. Some say it's the only thing that can change the world.

Introduction to Permaculture

by Bill Mollison

This man wrote the book--that is, he is counted among the inventors of the concept of permaculture. Reviews on this books are hot! So go get it!

Amazon Price: (as of 07/19/2008)
List Price: $16.95

Right livelihood 

Many Earthaven residents earn their living within the community. Below are a few of the thriving businesses.

(If you're an Earthaven business owner and would like your business featured here, contact me. I'll gladly add a short blurb and link to your web page.)

Image Bridge building

Or get her book on how to grow community 

Step by step

Everything you need is here, from writing the vision statement to navigating the legal maze and dealing with interpersonal conflict. This is the how-to, filled with plenty of juicy morsels--anecdotal, pithy, and humorous--from a gifted author who lives the tale.

Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities

by Diana Leafe Christian

Amazon editorial review: Creating a Life Together is the only resource available that provides step-by-step, practical "how-to" information on how to launch and sustain a successful ecovillage or intentional community.

Amazon Price: $18.45 (as of 07/19/2008)
List Price: $27.95

You might also like 

Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle

by David Wann

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/19/2008)

Author David Wann lives in the Harmony Cohousing community in Golden, Colorado, where living and doing with less has taught him the true nature of wealth. What does wealth mean to you? If it's something besides shiny cars bigger than your neighbor's, this book is for you.

Consensus Through Conversation: How to Achieve High-Commitment Decisions 

by Larry Dressler

If you can't attend one of Arjuna's workshops as soon as you'd like, order a copy of this book. Before you know it, you'll be ordering extra copies to give away to your manager, your co-workers, your community leaders. It's that good.

Consensus Through Conversation: How to Achieve High-Commitment Decisions

by Larry Dressler

From the easy-to-read layout with helpful tips along the way to its simple yet powerful prose, this book is a quick read and a good study. It's got everything you need to understand consensus decision-making.

Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 07/19/2008)
List Price: $15.95

Natural Building Internships 

Natural building internships are available each year through the Natural Building School. This year, July through December, interns are working with the school and the owner-builder of Leela House.

Leela House is built of earth and straw, has a heated earthen floor, and is going to be simply gorgeous. Take a look.

Leela House under construction

Workshops and tours for all of us 

As a working permaculture ecovillage, Earthaven offers a wide variety of classes, workshops and tours. Take your pick and create some lively, entertaining and joyful moments for yourself, your partner and your family.

Patricia with visitors

Check it out for yourself! 

Book your travel through Orbitz right here

Historic Asheville is a natural for an ecovillage like Earthaven. Explore area geology in hands-on, interactive exhibits at the Colburn Earth Science Museum. Get the scoop on forestry, logging, and forest conservation at the Cradle of Forestry. Soak up a little southern culture at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site and other historic treasures. You'll have a great time!
 

Building on a dream - The Village of Ordinary 

BECOMING PART OF THE SOLUTION

Building Ordinary--Sustainable Community

  They're known as eco-villages, cohousing or intentional communities. This lens explores several of them and answers these questions:        What is cohousing?        What do we mean by sust...

Building Ordinary Headquarters

Building Ordinary This group is about ways all of us can make the Village of Ordinary--a fictional place where people live together in harmony with each other and the earth--real today, right now. Many people, the world over, are...

Crystal Waters Permaculture Village

Located an hour and a half north of Brisbane, Australia, Crystal Waters is a planned eco-village. It's a place where everyone, from kids to grannies and grandpas, get their hands dirty and have a lot of fun doing it. Join me in discovering the journe...

Village of Ordinary

What if ... every child grew up feeling wanted, loved and completely supported by family and community? What if ... we could all do work that gave us joy? What if ... we were so full of love ourselves that we viewed all other beings with compass...

A Natural Builder Creates an Ecovillage - Eugene, OR 

A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TAKE ON SUSTAINABLE BUILDING

Communication matters 

Tell me what you think ...

... about Earthaven
... about this lens
... about living sustainably

Stop for just a second or two and think about what you like about the concept of living sustainably in a community where neighbor helps neighbor. Tell me about here.

MerryM I've seen your website, was glad to find you lens! (kinda new here, myself) Your internships look really interesting. Posted May 13, 2008

mulberry Wasn't familiar Earthaven, sounds like a very interesting and worthy effort. Wonderful lens! Posted April 28, 2008

imagineit hi graceonline! wow! i knew of one such community near the Cherokee rez but wasn't aware of one near Asheville. Great to see more of these communities happening in the place i once called home. Posted March 08, 2008

Evelyn_Saenz There is a new group being formed in Squidooville. It's called A Walk in the Woods. Because you have done such a nice job with your lens Whitefoot the Wood Mouse is inviting you to join him in this new venture. The exposure that your lens gets by joining will boost your lens rank and add to the number of web pages linking to your lens. Come take A Walk in the Woods. Posted March 07, 2008

Monteath This is a really fantastic lens and very encouraging to see. Thank you for sharing this with the world! Posted February 27, 2008

 

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Images used with permission and gratitude 

Images, unless otherwise identified, courtesy Earthaven EcoVillage and used with permission. Each module has a link to the Earthaven web page on which the image resides. Thank you, Earthaven villagers, for making it possible to dress this lens with your images.

Image: A few Earthaven residents

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