Green Burial Cemetery - Income Stream

Hello!  

Has anyone researched green burial cemeteries as an income stream for their land?   I believe that green cemeteries can be an income stream for people who have land that they would like to conserve, while providing a meaningful service to their community.   It seems that green burials are becoming more popular and each community would benefit from an alternative to the current conventional burial & cremation options.  There are many great resources in the form of websites, organizations and documentaries!

I live in rural Maine, where people can be buried in private cemeteries on their own land, but for people without enough land, there aren't many options.  Even people who have enough land are seeking communal green cemeteries that will be maintained for generations.  I've recently joined a working group that is setting up a non-profit with the goal of helping an individual, land trust or existing cemetery set up a conservation green burial cemetery.  There have been several individuals in Maine, who have started green cemeteries without a succession plan and the cemeteries are no longer open for new burials.  We are interested in helping to develop a long term plan that will be available for perpetuity.

We hope to find a land trust, funeral director and/or cemetery steward that will take on the management of the green burial cemetery, on land that is donated or purchased for that purpose.  Here is a draft of an advertisement seeking land for use as a green burial site.  

Midcoast Maine Green Burial (MMGB) is a local volunteer organization recently formed to  engage in education and advocacy for green burial cemeteries or hybrid cemeteries to be  established within the boundaries of Knox, Waldo and Lincoln counties. Green burial is a way of caring for the dead with minimal environmental impact that aids in the conservation of natural resources, reduction of carbon emissions, protection of worker health, and the restoration and/or preservation of habitat.

We are seeking a tract of land to ultimately create a conservation green burial cemetery  within the boundaries of Knox, Waldo and Lincoln counties.

Are you a land owner in our community who would be interested in putting a few acres  into this kind of natural burial ground?  Some rural property that is zoned agricultural will allow green cemeteries; this is what we are seeking.

Acquiring the Right Property  
The purchase agreements for the land would include contingencies upon getting approval  by the state, city or county, making sure the land has the appropriate zoning, municipal and  neighbor consent, does not have owner restrictions, does not have deed covenants, is  relatively flat, is not located in a flood zone, has no wells on the property, has little or no  surface water and is removed from development.  

We would ask for a 60-90 day wait period to gather all the information and get approvals  from all the parties involved.

I searched Permies and found a few threads about composting remains, but not using land for green cemeteries.  I'm looking for information on business models to present to potential land owners / donors.  I look forward to hearing what others have discovered or considered! TIA!!

It's a interesting concept, and I agree with the approach -- "don't pump me full of toxic gunk that will leach into the groundwater, or I'll climb back out and come looking for you."

I guess one concern that comes to mind is "concentration." The human body in modern times is hardly a temple of purity. Mercury, lead, and maybe a pinch of atmospheric nuclear testing byproducts? A few human remains won't really matter. A lot of human remains may get people's hackles up.

It would take some careful handling up-front because I can see governments and local citizens asking hard questions about this, and once opposition/fear solidifies it turns to concrete.

I also wonder about how well a property would sell down the road. I don't know that I would buy it. It may need to be incorporated into a public land trust.

Just thinking out loud.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:

I guess one concern that comes to mind is "concentration." The human body in modern times is hardly a temple of purity. Mercury, lead, and maybe a pinch of atmospheric nuclear testing byproducts? A few human remains won't really matter. A lot of human remains may get people's hackles up.

It would take some careful handling up-front because I can see governments and local citizens asking hard questions about this, and once opposition/fear solidifies it turns to concrete.

I also wonder about how well a property would sell down the road. I don't know that I would buy it. It may need to be incorporated into a public land trust.

We have come across a variety of objections from local town cemetery sextants, though some have been very open to adding green burials to their offerings.  A green cemetery allows people to have a green burial without having mini cemeteries on their own land, which may make it hard to sell, down the road.  The green cemetery would be land that is set aside, conserved, not land that anyone hopes to sell in the future.  Ideally, there would be a large piece of land with a smaller area, like 5 acres, in the middle, with walking paths around the outside. There is a land trust about 2 hours away that has a green cemetery as part of its conserved land.  The management of the cemetery is a job for a funeral director or someone with special place in their heart for those who are grieving.  Perhaps someone who is interested in permaculture will also be interested in managing a cemetery, as well.  I'm hoping to connect with someone like that who has made some forays towards putting together a business plan.  

Ah, I see. We are thinking along the same lines.

Most states already have guidelines for green burials.

Have you looked into what the state allows?

If you are really interested I would suggest this book from a past book promotion:

"Elizabeth Fournier is the owner and operator of Cornerstone Funeral Services in Boring, Oregon, the first green funeral home in the Portland metropolitan area."

https://permies.com/wiki/116034/Green-Burial-Guidebook-Elizabeth-Fournier

You and others might find this interesting:

https://permies.com/t/87862/Green-Family-Cemetery#791102

Anne Miller wrote:Most states already have guidelines for green burials.

Have you looked into what the state allows?

Yes, others in our working group are familiar with the guidelines for our state.  There are many resources, but the whole state of Maine has only a few defunct green cemeteries and 2 active green cemeteries that are far from us.  Our working group was started by folks who want a green burial in or near their community.  Our goal is to have green burial options in our 3 local counties.

I'm particularly asking if anyone on Permies is interested in, or has already, or is exploring setting up a green burial cemetery as part of their income stream for their land, if they are interested in managing the cemetery or in partnership with a funeral director or land trust that is willing and able to manage a green burial ground.

A viable business model would help encourage "if you build it they will come" and from the other end, creating a demand by having people request green burials from their town cemeteries, will hopefully encourage the supply.