Vacant land 20 miles north of Seattle. Looking for new members. (Whidbey Island)

Hey Permies friends!

My husband and I purchased four acres two summers ago with big dreams of creating a community space and biodynamic food forest. Since then there have been some major shifts in our life, our hands are now full with other projects and we don't have the time to commit to the land. We went back in forth about selling and decided we'd rather offer it up to the community and see if we could come across a few folks who were in need of their own space to build, grow, create etc. Knowing how hard it is to acquire land get going we think this is a great opportunity. We're open to your ideas and the potential of a long term arrangement.

Our property is on beautiful whidbey island in a small picturesque town called Langley. We're about two miles from the center of town, 6min drive, 11min bike ride tucked at the end of a road that backs into endless hiking trails. The land is raw with a mixture of open fields and forest. Two of the acres are cleared and are separated by a ravine with a year round fresh water spring. We were planning to do a hand dug well as the water just continuously flows up from the earth. Water catchment would also be a great option. It gets incredible sunshine year round. You could easily power everything you need with the right solar set up or grow food abundance. The soil is mostly sand and is in need of some organic matter. Currently there is a 30ft yurt there and a school bus waiting to be renovated (we were thinking communal kitchen?). We also have a 24ft yurt in storage which could also be put up and access to another bus if anyone so desired.

We are looking for 4-6 people who are interested in contributing $200 a month in exchange for their spot on the property.

Thanks!

What kind of projects would you be okay with people doing on the land?

One of the things that is bubbling in my mind is doing something like Sepp Holzer and creating a you-harvest hugelkultur maze/tour of sorts. And maybe perhaps creating giant mounds and deep textured ponds that various types of fish could live in.

Would paddock shift systems be allowed on the land?

And being twenty minutes away from Seattle, that creates a potential market, too. Maybe health coaching and wellness could also be done?

How would revenue sharing work for people doing permaculture-ish operations on your land?

And also, I'm wondering, do you know for sure the history of the land that you're on? Who's previously owned the land and what they did to it?

And then, of course, about the community. What style are thinking of in your mind? At the moment, I'm thinking independent-consensus-dictator hybrid is a pretty cool system.

Wow! Awesome! Well, we can dream... This is the kind of situation my wife and I have wanted to find, but we are locked into the normal workaday routine mostly. (Wife has J.O.B.) Property like this could 100% make for a small community (very small) but would make an interesting spot for some small cabins to rent out perhaps. (It is not necessary to be "locked into" the idea of communal poverty, etc.) Lots of possibilities. A crafty vacation place where artists come and have workshops... Organic farming might not really be enough income to fully support folks, so what do you do past that? In my little brain, though, my goal would be to own it (or a piece of it) instead of rent a spot. (My wife and I are looking down the road to retirement.) And the need for some kind of community is totally present. If the county were agreeable you could put some small buildings there  for income without breaking the bank. Think off-grid "glamping" getaways. I was a residential lot developer long ago for a bit, so I see the need for layout, land use planning, facilities, blah blah blah. $200 a month is so low it would not be hard to get folks who were serious to contribute more substantially. I could see someone getting a little tractor and contributing, doing construction, farming, etc., stuff like that. (I mean above the few dollars you're asking.) "Intentional community" sounds very very attractive! What is your goal? Get through the stuff on your plate and move out there in a few years? Do tell!

Hello! My and my girlfriend live on Friday harbor and would love to talk with you more about the property. We think it Sounds great and would be of help. My email is drewmontes@gmail.com. Would love to talk with ya!

Hi there,

We have family in Langley that we are planning on seeing this summer. We have an RV and 2 kids, and were hoping to find a place to settle on the island. We would be interested in paying a monthly fee if you'd let us park our RV on the land while my husband looks for a job and we visit family. How can we contact you to work out some details?

hi chloe, i live in snohomish county and would be interested in coming for a visit.  sounds like you are not now on the land, so could visit wherever you are.  would like to do this soon.  i have an rv that i could live in.  www.handsonpermaculture.org, victorygardensforall@gmail.com

Would you be open to a converted school bus on the property? It has solar panels, mini stove...