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2008 Communities Conference at Twin Oaks Community

Suede — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:03:02 GMT

My name is Suede and I live at Twin Oaks Community in Louisa, VA. This year I'm co-organizing the Communities Conference at Twin Oaks for my 2nd year, though the conference has been happening for many years now. Thought I'd post some basic info on the conference for those interested in learning about community, expanding knowledge or just meeting new people. Feel free to contact me with any questions about Twin Oaks or our conferences.

In Community,
Suede Machete

Here's the info:

The Communities Conference is a networking and learning opportunity for anyone interested or involved in co-operative or communal lifestyles. Join us for a weekend of sharing and celebration!

Friday August 15 through
Sunday August 17, 2008
$85 (sliding scale) includes
meals and camping

With workshops and events focused on
~ Intentional relationships
~ Group process
~Collective child raising
~ Creating culture
~ Forming communities
~ Sustainability
~ Appropriate technology
~ Community economics

Music
Dancing
Slide shows
Campfires
Swimming
Magic
More!

Respond to:
Twin Oaks Communities Conference
138 Twin Oaks Road, Louisa, Virginia 23093
540-894-5126

conference@twinoaks.org

For More Information, check out our website:

www.communitiesconference.org

Twin Oaks also hosts a Women's Gathering! Check that out at :

www.twinoaks.org/community...index.html

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co-community potluck 12/9 @ 5:00pm

Steven — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:01:20 GMT

Hey all you co-housing fans. Here’s a potluck update regarding the co-community potluck this Sunday at 5:00 PM.
Where it’s never too late to RSVP. Your kids are welcome too.

Who’s bringing what you ask?
Ryan and Mellisa – Indian curry
Ben and Silvana – Lentils and Beans
Kris – Salsa
Katie – Surprise
Steven – Raw organic salad, wine and other goodies

If you need more incentive to come to the potluck I’ll show you my aquaponic micro-garden and composting worm bin. It’s fun to watch the little red wigglers eat veggie scraps and watching a tank full of fish is more enjoyable then the TV.

Speaking of TV I’ve got a short video on four-season greenhouses and another on backyard aquaponics that I’d like to share. These are real eye openers to the possibilities of growing our own organic food in a small space.

If I forgot to list someone please forgive me and let me know what you’re bringing.

Remember Sunday, December 9th @ 5:00 PM.

The address is:
1200 West Bullion St (~5800 South)
Murray, UT
It's the old red brick house on the North-East corner.

Cheers!

Steven

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UTAH VALLEY COHOUSING COMMUNITY

Charles — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:24:29 GMT

Hi! We're the Utah Valley Cohousing Community. Anyone interested is welcome to join. And we look forward to communicating with you. Thanks, and best wishes. Charles.

The Utah Valley Cohousing Community, to be located south of Salt Lake City and within commuting distance of Utah Valley State College and Brigham Young University, welcomes participation by individuals and families interested in: co-housing, eco-village development, permaculture, and sustainable living in general. The UVCC has no religious or political affiliation, and includes (at the moment) LDS and non-LDS individuals and families. Everyone is welcome. At present we are early in the planning stage, and no site has been selected. The list will serve as forum for discussion, leading (it is hoped) to practical expression in the form of eco-village and/or co-housing development in or near Provo, Utah. Our models are Eco-Village at Ithaca (http://www.ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us/), Champlain Valley Co-Housing (http://www.champlainvalleycohousing.org), the Wasatch Commons (http://www.econ.utah.edu/~ehrbar/coho/index.htm), and Earthsong Eco-Neighborhood (http://www.earthsong.org.nz), suitably modified to local conditions.

"If it is man's privilege to be independent, it is equally his duty to be inter-dependent." M. K. Gandhi

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/utahvalleycohousing/

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People Considering Common Ground as an Intentional Living Situation

Katie Childe — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:03:22 GMT

Hi,

My name is Katie and I am looking to escape the rat race of Los Angeles, CA. I am single and miss having a community of friends to hang out with and just plain depend on or help. All of my friends are now married with their own families to worry about or they are too busy trying to make enough money to live so I never see them any more. This is why I think an intentional community would be great for me. I have visited Salt Lake and love it. I am into the outdoors, hiking, backpacking, etc. and love being close to the mountains. I also like music, art, independent movies, etc. which I have also found in Salt Lake. Please tell me more about your plan. So far I gather that you would like to buy a big lot of land and then what? Would everyone build their own house? Please let me know how it will work and what your time line is.

Thank you,
Katie

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I need a roomate in Murray, UT near 1200 W. and 5800 S.

Steven — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 16:38:12 GMT

I live in a hundred year old Victorian house down by the rivver in Murray. It's three houses away from the Jordan Parkway near 5800 S. There is 8 acres of open land behind my house with cows and a horse roaming around. The landlords live next door and they are great people. The house is on .5 acre and has a huge front and back yard for having friends over. There's even a jungle gym and swings for kids.

I'll have the front of house (front room and bedroom). My business is in the middle of the house, which is normally a dining room. We'll share the master bathroom, kitchen, laundry and second bathroom. You'll have the upstairs to yourself.

I'm looking for someone that is respectful, honest, light hearted, open minded and who doesn't mind living with four easy going cats.

If you pay the water bill you can use the huge jetted tub in my bathroom all you want. It takes all of the water in the water heater to fill it up!

I'm reanting this place for $1100/mo so I need a minimum of $420/mo plus half utilities (~$100 / 2 = ~$50). More can be paid or traded in order to increase your space. Like a spot in the two car garage.

There is parking here for at least 10 cars.

Or if you have an RV I could rent out my RV spot too.

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Ecovillage and Permaculture Certificate Programs

Steven — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 01:43:58 GMT

Please post about any classes or workshops that are in regards to helping us learn how to create out community. This sounds like a great class. Does anyone want to go to the June 18- August 10 program?

Ecovillage and Permaculture Certificate Programs

Winter: November 30 - December 13, 2006 Summer: June 18 – August 10, 2007
Fall: 2007 (1month) TBA

In addition to a full permaculture design certificate course, this dynamic residential program provides a holistic introduction to social permaculture, ecovillage design and implementation. Most Universities offer students upper division credit, through program participation.

Subjects include:

Organic Agriculture: Understanding soil composition, watersheds, swales, water catchment, and conservation, biological control agents, native plant guilds, annual, biennial, and perennial cycles, and other natural rhythms, patterns and biological relationships.

Natural Building: Looking at international design and selecting appropriate models to suit a given climate, we work with cob, straw bale, earthships, living roofs, passive solar and other techniques.

Appropriate Technology and Renewable Energy: Designing to maximize efficiency through energy conservation and retention. We explore passive and active solar, micro-hydro, wind, bio-diesel, rainwater catchment, and grey water systems.

Eco forestry: Harvesting food, energy, and medicine, while restoring damaged forest lands and monocrop tree plantations to diverse and productive systems.

Site Analysis & Design: Working with raw, developed, and semi-developed land to create home, garden, and village infrastructures, in harmony with the surrounding environment. Overview of zoning, permits and land-use laws.

Social Permaculture: Learning through dynamic personal growth workshops, communication skills, consensus and other decision making processes.

Community Living: Exploring Ecovillage economics, employment, education, self-government, health and wellbeing, and many other aspects of day-to-day life in community.

Instructors and Presenters include***

*David Holmgren, Ecologist, writer and co-originator of the permaculture concept.
*Diana Leafe Christian, Author, ecovillage formation instructor, editor of Communities Magazine.
*Rick Valley, International permaculture instructor, nursery operator, Lost Valley Land Steward.
*Tree Bressen, Group facilitator, consensus trainer, founding member of Eugene's Walnut St. Coop.
*Mark Lakeman, Founder of City Repair, Co-Organizer of Portland's Village Builder Convergence.
*Toby Hemenway, Author Gaia's Garden, former editor of Permaculture Activist.
*Rob Bolman, Founder of Maitreya Ecovillage, Co-Organizer of NW Permaculture Gathering.
*Melanie Rios, Urban Farmer, educator, and Co-originator of Permaculture for the inner landscape.
*Marc Tobin, Masters in Community and Regional Planning, Lost Valley EPCP coordinator.
*Jude Hobbs, Associate with Agro-Ecology, landscape designer, small farm consultant.
*Joshua Smith, Ecological landscape designer, eco-forester, author of Botanical Treasures of the West.
*Marisha Auerbach, Certified herbalist, ethnobotanist, permaculture & edible landscape designer.

***Instructors vary course to course. All classes are held at Lost Valley Educational Center, an intentional community, non-profit educational center, and nature sanctuary dedicated to learning, living, and teaching sustainable, ecologically-based culture located outside Eugene, Oregon.

See: www.lostvalley.org/epcp for details!

Nathaniel N-T, Outreach Coordinator
epcp@lostvalley.org
(541) 937-3351 * 119

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Look what's coming from Honda next year.

Steven — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 06:17:31 GMT

http://www.physorg.com/news9186.html

Honda to Mass Produce Next-Generation Thin Film Solar Cell
Honda announced its plan to begin mass production in 2007, of an independently developed thin film solar cell composed of non-silicon compound materials, which requires 50% less energy, and thus generate 50% less CO2, during production compared to a conventional solar cell. A mass production plant with annual capacity of 27.5 megawatts will be established at Honda’s Kumamoto factory. Honda will produce and sell solar panels in a limited area, starting from 2006 fall, using assembly line within Honda Engineering Co., Ltd., the production engineering subsidiary of Honda.

By using thin film made from a compound of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS), Honda’s next-generation solar cell achieved a major reduction in energy consumed during the manufacturing process to approximately 50% of the amount required by conventional crystal silicon solar cells. Thus, this new solar cell is more environmentally-friendly by reducing the amount of CO2 even from the production stage. Further, this next-generation solar cell has achieved the highest level of photoelectric transfer efficiency for a thin film solar cell (almost equivalent to the conventional crystal silicon solar cell).

Since spring 2002, Honda has been using and monitoring the performance of this solar cell, first at the Outboard Engine Plant in Hosoe, and then also at 12 other Honda facilities including Honda Engineering headquarters and the Honda Wako Building in Japan and 3 overseas sites such as the U.S. and Thailand.

Achieving lower costs and higher photoelectric transfer efficiency is required in order to expand use of solar cells which will help protect the global environment. This non-silicon thin film solar cell has been attracting significant attention as a potential solution to these challenges. The only remaining challenges were the stabilization of performance and development of mass production technologies. The mass production of Honda’s next-generation solar cell became possible with a new mass production process for thin film solar cells developed independently by Honda Engineering – a production engineering company that has long developed production equipment and technologies for Honda’s motorcycle, automobile, engine, electric motor for hybrid vehicles and other items.

Source: Honda

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generous social-welfare state

Steven — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 06:49:17 GMT

There is an article in this month's Scientific American that shows how social-welfare states are doing well ahead of capitialist states like US in the World economy.

It says in summary, "Von Hayek was wrong. In strong and vibrant democracies, a generous social-welfare state is not a road to serfdom but rather to fairness, economic equality and international competitiveness."

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000AF3D5-6DC9-152E-A9F183414B7F0000&ref=sciam&chanID=sa006
Are higher taxes and strong social "safety nets" antagonistic to a prosperous market economy? The evidence is now in...

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Another potential property

Steven — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 08:03:08 GMT

Presented by: Carla Barber - 801-860-7676

List Price: $849,900 MLS# 634562 Stat: Active Ref # 5
Lease Price: $0 Price Per: Lot Num: Area: 105
Address: 4631 S THOUSAND OAKS Zoning: R-1 Sold Price: $0
City: Salt Lake City, UT 84121 Plat/Subdivision:
Quadrant: SE Coord: 4631 S/3815 E Type: Residential

Acres: 17.80
Frontage Faces: W
Tax ID: 22-01-376-024
Taxes: $5,784
Power: Available
Water: Culinary Available, Culinary Stubbed
Sewer: Public Avail, Public Stubbed
Gas: Available
Connect Fees:
Driveway/Access: Asphalt
CCRs: 1
Landscaping: Scrub Oak
Terms: Conv, Cash
Lot Facts: Terrain, Grad Slope, Terrain, Hilly, View, Mountain, View, Valley, Wooded
Remarks: THERE IS NOTHING LIKE THIS ON THE EAST BENCH FOR THIS PRICE!17.8 ACRE LOT IN GATED COMMUNITY AT THE TOP OF THE COVE, MOUNT OLYMPUS IS YOUR BACKYARD! VIEWS OF THE CITY AND ENTIRE VALLEY. DRIVE UP AND TAKE A LOOK!

Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Buyer to verify all information.

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Welcome!

Raines — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 15:07:17 GMT

Glad you're here. Be sure to cross-post activities of interest in the cohousing tribe:
http://coho.tribe.net/

Raines

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Land for sale

Steven — Sat, 14 Oct 2006 21:36:04 GMT

I asked my real estate agent if she knew of any property for sale. She ran a search on the MLS and found this 40 acre property available high up on the east bench for $1,600,000.

Presented by: Carla Barber - 801-860-7676

List Price: $1,600,000 MLS# 541843 Stat: Active Ref # 2
Lease Price: $0 Price Per: Lot Num: Area: 103
Address: 4201 E 3401 S Zoning: FR-5 Sold Price: $0
City: Salt Lake City, UT 84109 Plat/Subdivision:
Quadrant: SE Coord: 3401/4201 Type: Residential, Recreational, Multi-Housing

Acres: 40.00
Frontage Faces: W
Tax ID: 16-25-400-005
Taxes: $1
Terms: Conv, Seller Subord, Seller Finance, Exchange, Cash
Lot Facts: Terrain, Hilly, View, Valley
Remarks: Seller financing with 30% down. East side parcel (1/16 section). Current zoning is FR5 requiring 5 acre parcels. Great view of the Salt Lake valley. Has access issues yet to be worked out. With access, value will increase dramatically.

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Vision Statement

Ben — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 21:32:42 GMT

Common Ground Sustainable Co-Housing Community
Vision Statement

We are committed to co-creating a sustainable co-housing community filled with peace, health, sufficiency and love.

Diversity is our strength. The loving contribution of individual gifts creates synergy from which each and everyone can be nourished. We cultivate our interdependence - both within our community and in the larger society. We respect the choices of each individual and honor others’ needs. We have fun, play, and celebrate life within a vibrant social environment. We feel safe and at home with each other.

Our communication is open and honest, in a spirit of cooperation for the common good. We move forward together through dialogue, consensus, and shared leadership. We are open to new ways to more fully express who we are.

As conscious stewards of the Earth’s resources, we create and
maintain a sustainable, livable community. Our homes, gardens
and common spaces are naturally beautiful, comfortable and
affordable. Empowered by love and enthusiasm, we design, build
and live wisely and efficiently, using the healthiest and most
practical technologies and methods.

Our love and respect for each other and the Earth nourishes our
spirit and inspires us to live consciously and responsibly.

Our community is an example of what is truly possible.

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