An EcoVillage Recipe: The Permaculture Commons Hub
Goal:
Create a shared, regenerative “village nucleus” that models resilient living, connects neighbors, and demonstrates the permaculture ethics of People Care, Land Care, Fair Share.
Summary:
A Commons Hub serves as the physical heart of a Resilient Communities Network (RCN) village — a place combining food, water, energy, and social space under one cooperative management plan. Think of it as the “barn and hearth” for a modern permaculture eco-hamlet.
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Ingredients:
• 1 acre (or more) available for community use
• 6–12 committed households or volunteers
• Access to water and sun (south or southeast exposure preferred)
• Seed fund of $10,000–$25,000 (grants, co-op capital, or community investment)
• Building tools and local materials (adobe, timber, cob, recycled wood)
• Design team: permaculturist, local builder, community facilitator
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Steps:
1. Map the Land
Mark contours, shade patterns, and access routes. Identify ideal zones for a food forest, gathering area, and water catchment.
2. Form the Commons Council
Draft a cooperative agreement stating how decisions, maintenance, and benefits are shared. (Templates can follow the “Fair Share Co-op Charter.”)
3. Build the Core Structures
Construct a simple community kitchen, tool shed, and covered meeting space using natural building practices. Solarize the roof for off-grid power.
4. Plant the Food Web
Establish a guild-based perma-garden: tree layer (fruit & nut), understory berries, nitrogen fixers, and groundcovers. Incorporate pollinator patches and edible perennials.
. Harvest Water and Energy
Add rainwater tanks, swales, and a small bioswale pond. Install a micro-PV array or pedal-power generator for shared use.
6. Launch the Village Exchange
Host monthly “skill-share Saturdays” — workshops on tool repair, seed saving, and eco-construction. Encourage local barter instead of cash where possible.
7. Monitor, Adapt, Share
Keep records: yields, participation, energy inputs, lessons learned. Post progress logs and short videos on permies.com or RCN’s community forum.
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Timeframe:
6 months – establish basic infrastructure & landscape.
2 years – mature productive guilds and active member governance.
5 years – replicable village nucleus model for nearby communities.
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Key Outcomes:
• Functional commons governed by permaculture principles.
• Local food and skill autonomy.
• Embodied expression of RCN values through practice, not rhetoric.
• A replicable “proof-of-concept” for the wider regenerative network.
