Permaculture Eco-Village in NE Washington has Openings - Potential Permanent Residency
We have openings for people to come plug into our Eco-Village project. Could be a couple or not, families or singles. We seek people for whom this opportunity resonates with their own vision forward in permaculture. The land here is calling out for Earth Stewards to come and be part of its ecosystem.
The Eco-Village is a 20-acre sanctuary seeking devotees, not in any religious sense, although it is often a spiritual quest that drives someone to embrace permaculture. We are looking for people who are devoted to creating rural self-sufficiency for themselves, through permaculture, in community. We offer an environment free of economic rent and ask only for active mindful participation.
We seek farmers and builders to each contribute an average of 20 hours a week, or more if it moves you, with reasonable time off. Please note: This is not an employment opportunity. It is a lifestyle choice.
Farmers
We seek folks who love experiencing soil, plants and sharing the surplus and who can commit to put in the time and intention required. You would join us as self-employed farmers to collectively tend the gardens, pastures, food forest, livestock, seed bank, structures and infrastructure and share equitably in the fruits of that labor in the form of delicious food, money and the incalculable value that comes from living the life.
In 2023, the BZ Permaculture Farm Collective was established on the grounds of the eco-village as a Washington State Non-Profit Mutual Benefit Corporation. The Farm Collective is permitted to steward the rich soils, waters and plant communities and to practice regenerative production and subsistence agriculture on the grounds as a non-profit micro-farm. Membership in the Farming Collective is separate from membership in the Eco-Village, but Eco-Village collective membership is a prerequisite for being a member of the Farming Collective. The non-profit simply manages the farmers’ common property. Members of the BZ Permaculture Farm Collective and Eco-Villagers who contribute labor to the farming operation are all self-employed farmers. Volunteers may also contribute labor and receive a stipend. Members of the BZ Permaculture Farm Collective serve on its Board and participate in the governance and operational activities of the farm. A farmers' Collective is a DIY approach to self-reliance and cooperation. See our experimental farming collective structure below.
For the past two and a half growing seasons we have demonstrated the economic viability of the farming operation here despite being severely limited by a labor shortage. We have a small on-line vegetable seed business, we sell at the farmers' market in the nearby city of Colville and we have a small CSA program to supply our fresh produce to folks in our area who don't have a grocery store close to home. We are nowhere near reaching the productive potential of this land or satisfying the local market demand. We can make a living farming here-- living simply!
Builders
We seek builders who are into permaculture whose primary role would be contributing to building and maintaining the eco-village and farm infrastructure including structures, machinery, equipment, irrigation and energy production facilities. You would work closely with Bezaleel Israel who terraformed the land over a thirty five-year period and built the existing infrastructure largely by himself. BZ has 60 years experience being a Jack-of-all-trades. Mechanical work on almost everything (except modern computer cars). Converting Diesel engines to run on recycled vegetable oil, maintaining a fishing boat, tractors, logging equipment, aircraft, commercial refrigeration, metal fabrication, acetylene and arc welding, rural construction, concrete, using heavy equipment for land development, alternative energy, farming, gardening, seed saving and teaching permaculture. There's no compensation for the builder/infrastructure apprenticeship beyond a share of the food the farm produces, shop space, access to tools and equipment and no economic rent to pay (common expenses are shared), so it makes most sense for someone who seeks permanent residency to apply for this apprenticeship with the mind that the fruits of the work put in become collectively owned by you. Personal improvements can potentially be individually-owned. Anyone with the kinds of skills listed here would be able to easily find part-time paid work locally or find other means for income on or off the eco-village grounds. Work contributed to the farming operation can also generate some income.
Farming, building and other activities on the grounds of the Eco-Village must be done in accordance with permaculture ethics, principles and objectives to the extent possible and contribute to the development and implementation of the Eco-Village permaculture design.
Process
After one or more successful 60-day trial periods you could either become an Apprentice Eco-Village Collective member or, if you already have developed skills that are needed at the Eco-village, you could become a Journeyperson Eco-Village Collective member.
We most hope to find folks who arrive open to the idea of joining the Eco-Village permanently if the situation feels right.
We are part way through a long, complicated process of establishing the Eco-Village land resource as a permaculture land trust and restoring the land to more resemble a commons and be collectively managed, permaculturally, in perpetuity. The Eco-Village is for demonstrating to our local community and the world what technological climb-down, humane re-connection to the natural world and voluntary simplicity look like– what permaculture looks like in practice.
Please contact us if any of this sounds attractive to you. Phone message and text: 914-246-0309 Email: collective@bzfarm.org.
Apply on-line:https://permacultureconservationtrust.org/content/permaculture-apprenticeship-opportunity-pre-application
Interested? A couple of things: To start you would need to be debt-free and self-sufficient in terms of finances, shelter and domestic needs such as food (beyond what the Collective Farm and a personal garden can provide), warmth, electricity, waste handling and share in paying common expenses.
You would need to be financially self-sufficient starting out until you figure out how to obtain an income for yourself, either working with the farming collective, off-farm part-time work, on your own doing odd jobs for residents in the area, or an on-farm craft or cottage industry you dream up on your own.
Shelter could be an RV, tiny house, camper, tent, tipi, yurt, etc. If you stick around for winter, you'd have to build or otherwise provide yourself adequate, warm shelter. Various options present themselves. There is firewood available to harvest yourself or buy from the local market.
Applying for an apprenticeship at the Eco-Village is a two step process.
Please note: The following IS NOT an employment opportunity. It is a lifestyle choice.
Anyone can also apply as a volunteer and come to work as your schedule allows, providing your own shelter if you plan on staying overnight unless we have a guest bed available.
First there is a two-question pre-application. From those applications we will choose folks to answer a few more questions, get references, do a phone or Zoom interview and have a site visit, if feasible.
If we accept your application as an apprentice candidate, we will welcome you to join us on the farm.
If you're invited, you will be required to fulfill one or more 60-day trial periods which may include meeting specific conditions during the trial period. Then, after a successful 60-day trial, you will be granted Apprenticeship or Journeyperson status including membership in the Eco-Village Collective renewable at the end of the calendar year (Dec. 31). Upon becoming an Eco-Village Collective Member you will sign the Eco-Village Mutual Contract which defines how the Village is managed. Upon signature, you will have a voice in how the Mutual Contract is worded and interpreted as well as in all the affairs in the life of the Village; all of which are serious commitments and important responsibilities.
Level 1 - Apprentice
After a successful 60-day trial period, a Level 1 Apprentice may become an active member of the Eco-Village Collective for a term that would end on, and be renewable on, the last day of the year (Dec. 31).
A Level 1 apprentice can commute to the Eco-village or reside on the land.
Level 2 - Apprentice
A Level 1 Apprentice who has participated at least seven months may apply to the Eco-Village to become a Level 2 Apprentice which includes the potential for long-term membership and residency.
A Level 2 Apprentice must reside on the land year round except when on vacation. At the conclusion of five years, a Level 2 Apprentice would be eligible to request permanent residency as a Resident Steward.
Journeyperson
After a successful 60-day trial period, someone who already has developed skills that are needed at the Eco-village could become a Journeyperson Eco-Village Collective member for a term that would end on, and be renewable on, the last day of each year (Dec. 31),
A Journeyperson may request building materials belonging to the Eco-Village that are stockpiled on the land for use in building their own structure and obtain them at no cost.
At the conclusion of five years, a Journeyperson Eco-Village Collective member would be eligible to request permanent residency as a Resident Steward.
Resident Steward
At the conclusion of five years of collective membership, an Eco-Village Collective member would be eligible to request permanent residency as a Resident Steward. A Resident Stewards’ membership in the Eco-Village Collective is permanent except if terminated as a result of an exit procedure or resignation.
Resident stewards recognize their role as mentors.
If approved as a Resident Steward, a non-transferrable lease with a term of up to 99 years may be issued by the Land Trust (once the land trust is fully established). The lease would make available a small personal space for the leaseholder to enjoy in an area of the property already designated in the permaculture design for structures being built and may include space for a private household garden. Long term leases terminate if the lessee is no longer an Eco-Village Collective member.
Participation
Level 1 and Level 2 Apprentices are expected to contribute labor to benefit the Eco-Village Collective and/or the Farm Collective amounting to an annual average of 20 hours of labor per week, as seasonal needs require, with at least 20% of that labor being contributed to the farming operation.
Journeypersons are expected to contribute an annual average of 20 hours of labor per week, as seasonal needs require, utilizing their skills primarily to benefit the Eco-Village with at least 10% of their labor being contributed to the farming operation.
A Resident Steward is expected to continue contributing labor to benefit the Eco-Village and the Farm Collective past the age of 65, however the requirement to average 20 hours labor per week is waived.
Collective members understand that there will be occasions when more hours will be required and that 10- to 12-hour days will sometimes be required based on the seasonal needs that must be met at any given time.
Collective members may take reasonable time off.
Level 1 and 2 Apprentices and Journeypersons are expected to spend at least two hours studying permaculture each week following a self-determined course of study, the fruits of which are regularly shared with the Eco-Village Collective.
All Collective members are expected to independently provide for their household's monetary needs, sleeping quarters (if none are available on the land), domestic needs such as food (beyond what the Collective Farm can provide), warmth, electricity, waste handling and to share in paying the common expenses.
BZ Permaculture Farm Collective - The following structure is currently being experimented with:
Village Collective members may apply for membership in the BZ Permaculture Farm Collective and if approved their labor expectations would adjust to those of the Farming Collective. Members of the Farm Collective must be members of the Bezaleel Israel Eco-Village Collective.
With the exception of Bezaleel Israel who is by default a Farm Collective member, members of the Farm Collective each year commit to an annual average of 30 hours per week of farmwork between March 1 and October 31 and an annual average of 15 hours per week between November 1 and the last day of February with reasonable time off. Farm Collective members are expected to contribute an additional amount of labor to Eco-village tasks equivalent to 10% of their hours of farmwork averaged annually.
Eco-Village Collective members who are not members of the Farm Collective may, with the guidance of Farm Collective members, contribute to the farming effort as self-employed farmers and receive patronage refunds.
People who are not Eco-Village Collective members may, with the guidance of Farm Collective members, contribute to the farming effort as Guest Volunteers or Regular Volunteers. Regular Volunteers are those who volunteer three or more days in a given month.
Twenty percent of gross receipts from farm sales accrue to a fund intended for monthly distribution to Farm Collective members, Village Collective members and Regular Volunteers (in the form of a stipend) based on patronage hours contributed to the farming effort beginning Jan. 1 each year.
Volunteers may take home a few day’s worth of produce on the days they volunteer and receive one voucher for each month they contribute labor that is good for two days of free shopping at the Farming Collective’s stand at the farmers’ market or on-farm sales and 15% off farm produce for the remainder of the market season.
Five percent of gross receipts accrue to a fund for Eco-village expenses. These funds are administered by the Eco-village Collective.
Five percent of gross receipts accrue to an Eco-Village fund for emergencies until the emergency fund reaches $1000. These funds are administered by the Eco-village Collective.
The Farm Collective is expected to provide significant amounts of food for the use of those living at the Eco-village.
Village Collective and Farming Collective members, but not volunteers, are eligible to receive annual distributions of surplus funds at the end of the calendar year. The amount available for distribution is determined annually by the members of the Farming Collective and is based on total patronage over multiple years recorded.
Former Farm Collective members are eligible to opt in to continue to receive their share of patronage refunds and annual distributions after leaving the Farm Collective.
All activities of collective members engaged in farming activities shall be guided by the Principles, Ethics and Objectives of Permaculture.
The Farm Collective members communicate among themselves on a regular basis, meeting regularly and when necessary. Any two Farm Collective members may call a meeting of the Farm Collective members, providing at least 14 days' notice to the other Farm Collective members either in person, by voice, electronically, email or postal mail. The meeting notice must include a written description of the issue(s) for the meeting agenda. Those Farm Collective members in attendance at any duly-called meeting constitute a quorum.
Except in the case of the Exit Procedure (consensus minus one), the Farm Collective members employ the consensus process in their decision-making as described in the article titled Consensus Ingredients by Caroline Estes. Volunteers may be invited to meetings, but have no voice in decision-making.
Honoring Labor
Apprentices, Journeypersons, Resident Stewards and Regular Volunteers who contribute labor to the BZ Permaculture Farm Collective are all eligible to receive an equal rate of remuneration in the form of "Patronage Refunds" or in the case of volunteers, a stipend. The farm enterprise operates on a "cash basis," meaning that gross receipts are made up of the cash that the Farm Collective actually receives and do not include any accounts receivable (money owed but not yet paid). Of the gross receipts collected in the Collective Farm Account each month, a percentage that is set from time to time by the Farming Collective accrues to those who contributed labor that month and is distributed monthly on the basis the percentage of hours each member contributed to the whole during the current growing season. The remainder of the funds in the Farm Collective’s account are used to pay for farm operating expenses– tools, equipment, supplies, repairs, infrastructure, utilities etc. Members of the BZ Permaculture Farm Collective decide what funds are used for operating expenses. Funds from the Farm Collective’s account can be distributed on the basis of patronage to Eco-Village Collective Members who contribute labor to the farming operation as year-end dividends under certain conditions. Dividends may be distributed to current and former Farm Collective Members proportional to their individual contributions to the total number of hours worked (the Whole) carried over year to year. Using this model, workers begin to build limited equity in the farm enterprise which they retain even in the event they leave the Farm Collective.
Exit Procedure
The Eco-Village Collective and the Farming Collective reserve the ability respectively to expel any member, with the exception of Bezaleel Israel, utilizing an exit procedure that operates on a "Consensus Minus One" basis. The member whose membership is in question is not afforded the authority to block the decision on their membership status for the duration of the exit procedure. Everyone else would have to agree to end the membership. In the event that agreement is not reached, an alternative outcome of an exit procedure may consist of a set of conditions intended to address the issues and concerns that initiated the exit procedure. Disputes are settled by community mediation or settled by a third party ally of the Eco-Village.