I'm currently living at Emerald Earth in Boonville as a work-trader. There are eight member adults living here full time, as well as a three and a four year old, plus seasonal work traders and visitors. We grow food and raise livestock—we don't provide all of our food needs but we're working toward it. The community is stable and organized, with consensus-based decision making that actually works reasonably well. Because it often comes up when I tell people I'm living at a community in Mendocino, I feel compelled to add that I haven't noticed any drug use by anyone here, other than the occasional beer with dinner.
The main land-based economic activity is natural building and teaching workshops. Most people here have a job in town for a few hours a week as well, but several people are working toward
sustainable land-based
income streams. The
land is 189 acres of edge of redwood forest and oak grassland, only a small area of which is gardens and homes; the rest is being allowed to recover from a destructive logging and sheep regime of the last century. I would say that people here devote a lot of
energy and time to community projects, but we all have a lot of fun doing it. I think we're about 45 minutes to an hour from the coast, if I recall my last trip, and folks forage the coast for mussels, sea salt, seaweed, and abalone (all sustainably harvested). Weather-wise we have more of an inland climate, but we get a marine fog on some summer mornings.
If you're interested in learning more about the community and/or paying a visit, check out emeraldearth.org. A great way to see what is happening here and get a sense of how you might plug in is to come to a work party—our last one of this season will be October 23-24.
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