Sustainable settlement around Portland Area.

Greetings Permies,

Like most of you wanting to start a community, I have come to the realization that it would be easier to build from the ground up then work within the system we are experiencing. Where do I begin with all the problems I see in the world. There are more problems to talk about then I would ever like to spend energy with. Like Paul says I would rather learn really cool things than talk about the bad guys. The more people listening to the good news the more people spreading the good word. I am looking for passionate people. What a better place(social network) to look than here. I think I have come to the right place to share my dream, passion, and desire to make a change in the world. When I think about it, I just want to be free(creative) while living with the land. Nothing has been able to extinguish that fire in my heart and soul, and it is time to make it happen.

I grew up loving nature. My dad and I camped and backpacked frequently through out my childhood. Since I live on the East Coast we spent a lot of time in the Appalachian Mountains. I have always felt more at peace with just a backpack, surrounded by the mountain forest than any other place in the world. That is why I will be hiking the Appalachian Trail in two weeks. It has always been a life goal of mine since I first stepped foot on the Trail. As wonderful as the trail is going to be, I can't help but plan for the future. I'm 25 year old Farmer and Yoga Teacher. Along with those interests I have experience with Earthship Building, Thai Massage, permaculture, and Ecology. After finishing the Trail, I intend to find land in the Pac northwest, suitable for Natural Building, Permaculture, and a Yoga School. Many of my friends have expressed serious interest in collaborating to create a community based on these principles. There is a common phrase it is not where you live but the people you live with that make the difference. Well I say it doesn't hurt to have the best in both categories. The Pac northwest has plenty of good people as well as beautiful landscape to go along with it.

My timing for buying land will be around august/September of this year. I want to be straight forward with my ideal piece of land: Trees, Sun, and space to grow. I like to keep things simple and concise. I want to work totally within the authorities, so that We may pave way for more people to live sustainably. With more and more people moving toward communal living, starting a new community is getting easier and easier. I am committed to this idea, and I would love to have more like minded people to collaborate with. Looking forward to talking with fellow inspired humans, to live with the Earth.
Peace, love and hugs
Gabriel Grace

Welcome to permies, Gabriel! As far as online communities go, I don't think you can find a better one...

As for intentional communal living - have you visited other communities that are working well? I think it's really a great idea to experience what a good organizational structure looks like on a day-to-day basis. I lived in community for a year, back in 2000, and it was an amazing, eye-opening experience. I also took a road trip around the country about 10 years ago, and one of the things I did was to visit several communities on my travels, helping them out with farm chores and building projects in exchange for a bed and food. It can be invaluable to see how different each IC can be, and get a sense for yourself as to how you'd like to live.

Best of luck with your thru-hike and looking for land. I'm assuming in your title you mean Portland, Oregon? But if you happen to mean Maine, keep in touch - I want to encourage as much sustainable living in my adopted state as I can!

Hey Jessica
Thanks for the reply. I have not been to a intentional community, but I have found my self living amongst intentional human beings and it is a wonderful thing. I know that it must seem like I don't know what I'm getting into, but that's the best part. I would be happy to just live on the land myself. However,I meet people with the same intentions as I do almost everyday, so why not start fresh. I can't wait to start the homestead and become a steward of the land. I can't imagine how a community might form but I know it will unfold organically. Personally I've always had my strongest relationships form in person, but I thought I would post to y'all on the possibility that some fellow permies would be gearing up to do the same thing.

Hi GG, my name is Alissa, I am a massage therapist with Earthship, natural building and permaculture experience, looking fur people to go in on some land with. If you'd like to discuss further details and we can get to know each other to see if it would be a good fit. My email is AA.digsearth@gmail.com cheers!

Hi gabriel, don't know what your budget is but this place is right next to us. don't know if it will still be on the market in 6 months, just FYI.
have a good trip
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/24319-NE-151st-St-Brush-Prairie-WA-98606/23322578_zpid/

Thanks for sharing jahnnavi, but I am looking to land to build on.
gabe

Hi Gabriel,
We are looking for the same thing in the same area. We have experience in Earthship and strawbale building, permaculture and are raising a small herd of dairy goats. We're looking to share land with other like minded people somewhere in the Portland/ Oregon City area if possible. We have twin girls so we hope to be within a reasonable distance of civilization. We're off to Hawaii in a couple of weeks to fix up and (hopefully) sell a house we own there. After that we're exploring what happens next. We've always dreamed of building a natural house, but the costs of land in northern Oregon are pretty steep. We've shared properties before and think it's the best way to go. Keep in touch if your plans begin shaping up or if you come across some suitable land for a community.
Cheers!
Karen
karenwyeth@yahoo.com

Hey Karen,
I appreciate your response to the thread because it sounds like you've got your head in the right direction. As of right now, I got about 2000 miles to hike on the Appalachian Trail. Then in august I will become an apprentice, timber framing and natural building in Utah. Upon finishing that, we will hopefully have a peice of land to start the dream of permaculture and living with the land. I don't know the exact date the apprenticeship will end but I imagine it will end before October, probably earlier. I am super excited to hear about your goats, as I love them so much. I also love kids and feel like they are a integral part of life, because we can learn so much from them everyday. Looking forward to talking more, feel free to email or purple mooseage me. My email is livingyogawithgrace@Gmail.com
Gabriel Grace