Sustainability


Ecovillages and the FIC

Posted on May 24, 2016 by
1 Comment

The Fellowship for Intentional Community and the Global Ecovillage Network partner in support of empowered citizens and communities designing for a sustainable future.


SimpleREV Brings Minimalism and Intentional Living to the Twin Cities

Posted on May 19, 2016 by

In October 2014, I attended the first annual SimpleREV conference in Minneapolis, MN. For two days, around 50 or so attendees shared stories about downsizing, living life with less “stuff,”… Read More


Midwest Sustainable Communities Conference July 2-4 at Dancing Rabbit

Posted on May 12, 2016 by
2 Comments

UPDATE from the organizers: “This year’s conference has unfortunately been cancelled. We are postponing until 2017 to have more prep time and invite even more speakers and guests. Stay tuned!”… Read More


NextGEN Hosts The Youth Ecovillage Summit in Quebec June 9-12

Posted on April 28, 2016 by

NextGEN North America has opened registration for the third annual Youth Ecovillage Summit, which will take place in Quebec, Canada from June 9-12, 2016. The event will be hosted at… Read More


Portland’s Village Building Convergence Returns June 3-12

Posted on April 21, 2016 by

For 16 years, the City Repair Project has been gathering annually for the Village Building Convergence, a 10-day event focusing on permaculture and placemaking in Portland, OR. Even residents who… Read More


Lightning in A Bottle Shares 2016 Theme and Activities

Posted on April 4, 2016 by

Lightning in a Bottle, the annual arts, music, and yoga festival in Southern California, announced its 2016 theme and workshop leaders. According to Grateful Web, “The Village’s 2016 theme, Tree… Read More


Off-Grid, and In Community: ’Tis Easier to Find than to Found

Posted on April 1, 2016 by
1 Comment

The co-director of Maitreya Mountain Village suggests others not follow his example.


Former Residents Call on Black Bear Ranch to Unsettle The Klamath River

Posted on March 30, 2016 by

Eight years ago, when I moved out to the West Coast for the first time, I wasn’t yet aware of the intentional community movement. I’d always imagined living collectively, but… Read More


A Permaculture Card Game Is Raising Funds on Kickstarter

Posted on March 28, 2016 by

Food Forest, a card game designed to teach kids about permaculture, is raising funds on Kickstarter. As of this writing, it’s two-thirds of the way toward its $10,000 goal and… Read More


Free Online Permaculture Class Starts May 2!

Posted on March 25, 2016 by

Interested in learning more about permaculture but don’t have any hands-on experience? Have friends or family who want to know what it is you do on your eco-village or urban… Read More


Life in an urban eco-village

Posted on March 23, 2016 by

Hi, I’m Saul, the new Social Media Manager here at FIC. I’m excited to join the team from my home at Foster Village, an urban eco-community in Southeast Portland, OR!… Read More


Words of Experience: Starting a Community

Posted on March 1, 2016 by
1 Comment

A founder shares a well-learned lesson: “It is a LOT of work to start an intentional community. A LOT.”


Offerings to the Land

Posted on January 21, 2016 by

Befriend the land where you are, and you will never be lonely.


Three Kinds of Community—Three Kinds of Experience and Learning

Posted on December 1, 2015 by

Whether with refugees, in the inner city, or in intentional groups, community holds life-long lessons.


Land Use Regulations, Urban Planners, and Intentional Communities

Posted on October 11, 2015 by
1 Comment

A century since the United States’ first citywide zoning ordinance, community founders can find support in unexpected places when navigating land use laws.


My Struggle to Legalize Sustainable Living

Posted on October 1, 2015 by
8 Comments

After nearly three decades of activity, a pioneering eco-community collapses under the weight of legal attacks by a small group of neighbors.


It Takes All Kinds to Raise a Village

Posted on September 21, 2015 by

After an engaged local citizenry creates cultural shifts, a city endorses rather than prosecutes code-bending strategies that promote resilient community.


My Intentional Community and the Law

Posted on September 11, 2015 by

Breitenbush has a long history of dealing with legalities and illegalities, from installing a volcano as their “boiler” and blocking old-growth logging to successfully petitioning for a zoning variance.


It’s the Law

Posted on August 25, 2015 by
3 Comments

Communal living is no escape from dealing with legal issues and challenges coming from both within and outside the group.


Urban Flex Farms: Farming on a Bicycle

Posted on August 4, 2015 by

In the face of structural challenges, some urban farmers are finding innovative ways to serve their neighborhoods.


The Balancing Act of Farming in Community

Posted on July 24, 2015 by
1 Comment

Is Cobb Hill a model of how to do community and farming cooperatively, or a case study in their challenges?


The Community’s Garden Orchestra

Posted on July 14, 2015 by

Engaging in collective food-production is like making our own music together: it’s both difficult and rewarding, especially with diverse players involved.


Hot Topic, Raw Emotion, and the Spice of Life: Chewing over Food Choice in Community

Posted on June 24, 2015 by

At La’akea, members’ various approaches to food reflect the quest for emotional as well as physical sustainability.


Rough Start to Rural Community

Posted on May 28, 2015 by

Rough Start to Rural Community Christian and Johannes Zinzendorf call themselves Harmonists, with central beliefs around the value of hard work in an agrarian life, and a communion with the… Read More


Best Friends Build Tiny House Village

Posted on May 26, 2015 by

Best Friends Build Tiny House Village Living in the same town was not enough for four couples who have been best friends for 20 years. They decided to double down… Read More


Support the Global Ecovillage Network Summit

Posted on May 12, 2015 by

Support the Global Ecovillage Network Summit From July 6-10th, hundreds of activists will gather at the Findhorn Ecovillage in Scotland for the GEN+20 Summit. They will celebrate 20 years of… Read More


A Resilient Society

Posted on May 5, 2015 by

A Resilient Society Resilience is the ability to absorb shocks and continue to function. In this short video series the Post Carbon Institute explores the questions around how our world… Read More


Permaculture Resources at Your Fingertips

Posted on April 27, 2015 by

Self described as a big crowd of permaculture goofballs, Permies.com is chock full of forums, links to resources, videos, and helpful information about smart ecosystem design! Check out Permies.com for… Read More


Nautilus Shaped Wind Turbine

Posted on April 25, 2015 by

The Archimedes is a unique new design in alternative energy. It is a nautilus shaped wind turbine, in that it’s blades are shaped like a Nautilus shell. This design allows… Read More


Family Grows 3 Tons of Food on 1/10th Acre

Posted on April 4, 2015 by
1 Comment

Family Grows 3 Tons of Food! The Dervaes family turned a “regular city home” into a thriving garden ecosystem that provides more than enough food for their family, and plenty… Read More