Vision, Money, and Sustainability: Bringing in Renters while Building the Dream

Posted on July 29, 2014 by
2 Comments

In the quest for sustainability, long-term goals can yield to short-term needs and opportunities, fertilizing new growth in unpredictable ways.


Birth Announcement: We’ve Got a Brand New Website!

Posted on July 19, 2014 by

Birth Announcement We’ve Got A Brand New Website! Laird Schaub FIC Executive Secretary We invite you to visit our new baby!  The FIC is the proud parents of a new generation… Read More

Filed Under: All Blog Posts, Newsletter

Sharing Spaces, Sharing Values: Entrepreneurship at Dragon’s Nest Cooperative Homestead

Posted on July 18, 2014 by

“Founder’s joy” can wear off very quickly in the chaos of financial instability and unclear agreements.


Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Wrestles with Growth

Posted on July 8, 2014 by

For an income-sharing group in Virginia, economic success presents challenges and opportunities.


The Entrepreneurial Dilemma

Posted on June 28, 2014 by
2 Comments

Integrating entrepreneurial energy into cooperative communities often proves both difficult and necessary.


Cooperation and Competition in the Ecovillage

Posted on June 21, 2014 by

Earning a living based on responsible competition involves both sharing what we have and asking for what we deserve.


Dancing Rabbit’s Exchange Local Money System: The Promise of Local Currencies and Interest-Free Financing

Posted on June 14, 2014 by
4 Comments

Place-specific currencies can provide critical financing to the small businesses that keep local communities connected and thriving.


Business. Busy-ness. Coincidence?

Posted on June 5, 2014 by

Improving our relationships to work, money, and entrepreneurship can dramatically enhance our sense of community and quality of life.


Digging into Community: A reflection from Tamarack’s 1000 Conversations Initiative

Posted on June 2, 2014 by

Tamarack Institute’s Conversations campaign reveals shifting expectations of community among youth and seniors, varying perspectives on group identity and boundaries, and diverse attitudes toward technology.


Business Ventures, #163 Contents

Posted on May 31, 2014 by

Issue #163 explores the fertile ground where cooperation and commerce intersect. How can we earn a living while still upholding our values? How can we bring cooperative principles to business activities? How can we nurture our communities, neighborhoods, and towns by creating sustainable livelihoods that serve the greater good? What obstacles do we encounter, and how do we overcome them?


Opportunity Village Eugene: Pioneering New Solutions for the (Formerly) Homeless

Posted on May 15, 2014 by
1 Comment

An innovative self-governing village lifts spirits while modeling new ways to address homelessness.


Margaret and Me: The Iron Lady Becomes an Unexpected Ally

Posted on May 11, 2014 by

A squatters’ housing cooperative activist describes how Margaret Thatcher broke with her image to support an early “occupy” movement.


Healing Gender Issues through Community

Posted on May 5, 2014 by

Long-dormant childhood gender issues resurface in an intimate relationship in community—and this time avoidance and escape aren’t options.


Feminist Spirituality and Gender: Lessons from Beyond Women-Only Space

Posted on April 27, 2014 by

Does the culture of women-only space still serve a worthwhile purpose, or does it perpetuate division? A long-time leader of women’s circles advocates inclusivity.


Feminism vs. Spaghetti Pits

Posted on April 23, 2014 by

Trichomycosis axillaris can be the pits, causing even die-hard feminists to shave.


Sexism at Dancing Rabbit

Posted on April 17, 2014 by

At a community founded in feminism, a member suggests that strategies like corrective discrimination, single-gender gatherings, and prioritizing “gender balance” may themselves be sexist.


Gender-Bending on the Commune

Posted on March 28, 2014 by

When a Twin Oaks member leads a tour, “co” must “address the dress” (when appropriate) and wear a shirt, whether or not participating in the collective menstrual calendar.


Who Builds the Houses?: Gender in Eco-Communities

Posted on March 17, 2014 by
1 Comment

A researcher finds that men still dominate building in eco-communities, and offers strategies to empower women.


Gender: Is There a “There” There?

Posted on March 4, 2014 by

The intensity of community living can bring issues of gender, sexual identity, and gender relationships to the fore as nothing else does.


Gender Issues, #162 Contents

Posted on March 4, 2014 by

Communities #162 looks at gender, sexual identity, gender relationships, and much more.


Energy Efficiency in Cohousing

Posted on January 14, 2014 by
1 Comment

Sustainability is embedded in community—even without a minus-$88-per-year electric bill.


Going For the Grid

Posted on January 14, 2014 by

After three decades off-grid in Washington state, Walker Creek members decide on-grid living is more sustainable.


Community Makes Renewable Energy Work

Posted on January 14, 2014 by

Living Energy Farm embodies the promise of renewable energy used cooperatively.


Putting Our Lives on the Line

Posted on January 14, 2014 by

Jubilee Partners’ clothesline does more than dry clothes with solar power; it helps build community.


Climate Changes

Posted on January 14, 2014 by

Intentional communities are in a unique position to respond to climate change.


Sustainability Is a Life Style Not a Solar Panel

Posted on January 14, 2014 by

A 13-year-old indigenous environmental activist asks us to walk lightly and respect the Earth.


Burlington Cohousing’s Excellent Solar Adventures

Posted on January 14, 2014 by

When community members want to place “private” panels on “public” roofs, don’t expect clear sailing.


Confessions of a Fallen Eco-Warrior

Posted on January 14, 2014 by

A communitarian stops counting nanowatts, and starts counting blessings.


Strangely Warmed

Posted on January 14, 2014 by

Home-scale geothermal in appropriate conditions promotes both community and energy savings.


Parenting in a Community of Friends

Posted on September 14, 2013 by

Living in an extended community family brings joy, challenge, and new worlds of possibility.