Scenic view of a lush green landscape with trees and a rainbow.

Phoenix Forest Gardens

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Ecological
  • Rural

Founding year

  • 2013

What we do

Our community is based on a gorgeous 18 acre property on Salt Spring Island, BC.
Rolling fields, multiple established orchards, berry patches and gardens are interspersed with private corners for residences and groves of trees.
There are currently 8-10 adults and a teenager living on our part of the land (The other land partner has multiple tenants on her side and is not part of this project per se).
We also accommodate work traders throughout the growing season and have a large dome as a communal structure for workshops, events, ceremonies etc.
There is no religious affiliation of the project.

Our Mission

Vision Statement :
Creating paradise together on our little piece of Earth
Who we are:
A small group of individuals stewarding a beautiful piece of land on Salt Spring Island, BC
Goals:
Regenerating the land
growing a food forest garden with a wide diversity of edible, medicine, and other helpful perennial plants for the long term and future generations
Annual gardens to feed our community and beyond
Striving towards a localized food system and food security
Beautiful, healthy micro-Housing with some shared facilities
Creating a beautiful, uplifting place that others want to visit and be inspired by (agri-tourism, teachings…)
Values:
Caring for our planet
Sustainability
Collaboration and friendship
Clear communication
Respecting each other
Listening
Taking responsibility for ourselves and what we use
Abundance mindset (no scarcity/poverty mentality)
Can-do attitude
Fairness and equality
Play and fun

  • Purpose
  • Ecological
  • Community type
  • Ecovillage
  • Activities
  • Farming

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2013
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2013
  • Started living together
  • 8 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
19

How to join

If you are interested, please read our Operating Agreement and Vision Statement.
The next step is to send an introductory letter to fr****@************si.com – letting us know who you are, what you can bring to the table and why you think you would be a good fit.
Then there will be a meeting with at least one farm member, which will be followed by a meeting with all current members if the first meeting is positive.
All members must contribute monthly fees to cover the operating costs of the farm, infrastructure, and agricultural lease.
Beyond that all members must take on certain areas of responsibility as well as be involved in the farm, garden, managing work traders, be available for weekly meetings and work parties, and reliably use Slack as our communication Channel as well as organizational documents.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Please send a brief introduction and we will share more of our operating documents.
you can also fill out the membership questionnaire on our website.
If it resonates with you, please send a more detailed letter of intent outlining what you can bring to the community as well.
then we can schedule a visit or online meeting and go from there.
You are also welcome to join our Friday farm days, help out and get to know some members and the land.

Primary decision-making authority

  • All Community Members Together

The whole membership decides collectively.

Decision-making process

  • Majority Vote

More than 50% agreement needed.

Governance structure

  • Representative/Democratic

Members elect leaders who make decisions within defined roles.

Conflict resolution approach

The land is leased by the community from the owner, who is also a community member.
while the owner has the right to veto a decision that is against their vision, and certain lease conditions and agreements need to be fulfilled and cannot be changed, day to day operating decisions are made by the community with a more horizontal governance structure.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Regular fees: $700
Labor: Yes (8 hrs/week)
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed
Operating costs contributions may change based on number of members and needs, and be re-evaluated at year end.
They may also change if the community purchases the land.
Labor requirements change seasonally with the farming season and based on projects on the land, and are not fixed hours.

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Workshop, Outbuilding(s), Swimming pond or pool, Large Scale Kitchen, Tractor & Farm Equipment, Fire pit, Gym or sports area, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • About once a week

Significant food acquisition practices

  • Locally sourced

Community activities and engagement

  • WWOOF'ing, Guest Farming

Substance use culture

  • Substance use appears in public spaces but no pressure
  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies
  • Religions
  • Buddhist

Gender composition

  • Roughly balanced (no group over 60%)

Age demographics

  • Multi-generational (all ages well represented)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By a single individual, couple, or Family Trust

Setting

  • Rural

Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.

Community type

  • Ecovillage

    Integrated communities designed around ecological principles with sustainable living practices.

Self-produced energy

  • Over 66%

Energy sources used

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • 33 - 66%

Food systems

  • Community garden
  • Food forest
  • Greenhouse / aquaponics
  • Land area size
    9 acres

Guest Book

Written reviews are available for plus members. Click here to upgrade.

Location

  • BC, Canada

Needs and Offers

Offer
  • Communities with Openings
2 months ago

Community House in SE Portland Seeks Membership!

Ellis Street Community House is seeking kind, present, and engaged new housemates with experience in community living. We are currently 3 adults, one baby, and two cats living in a 6 bedroom, 3 bath house on ÂĽ acre of land near Powell Butte nature park and the Springwater Corridor bike trail. We expect to be joined by a shy and sweet 2 year old in the next few months. For us, living in community is a collaborative process, one that helps improve our quality of life. We’re able to eat great food, keep the place clean, maintain a garden, and hold a space large enough to host guests and events by working together. We have an extensive community library and art/craft material collection, as well as a great tea selection, stocked pantry, and functional kitchens ready for feast-making, canning, and fermentation dreams. We make kombucha, ginger beer, sauerkraut, bone broth, natto, and apple/pear butter on a rotating basis. With two fridges and two deep freezers we can save blueberries and blackberries we harvested from close by and get meat directly from farmers. We hold potlucks and other events like bonfires and game nights about once a month, and make a house dinner together weekly. We maintain a home free from artificial fragrances and voice-activated technology. The larger downstairs room is available for $740 per month. The smaller downstairs room will be available for $600 per month starting on September 1rst. The main kitchen is on the second floor. We also have private outdoor space for someone sleeping in their home on wheels available for $200-500 per month depending on the size of the vehicle. This would include membership in the community and use of the common spaces. Guest space is available for friends and relatives of residents – upstairs there is an office/guest room for longer visits, and the couches/pads in the common areas are available for shorter stays. The home has heating and cooling through an efficient heat pump, and we ju

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Communities

A residential project: people live here as their primary home.

Organizations

An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).

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