Scenic view of Zephyr Valley Community Co-op with rolling hills and farm buildings.

Zephyr Valley Community Co-op

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Home-sharing
  • Rural

Founding year

  • 1993

What we do

Zephyr Valley Community Cooperative is a vibrant rural cohousing intentional community. Currently we have 7 households with 12 adults and 4 children living on 500 acres of farm and woodlands in the beautiful bluff country of SE Minnesota. The land, bought by the Coop in 1994 and cooperatively owned, has restored wetlands, pastures, woodland, bluff lands, high grass meadows, ponds, creeks and a trout stream. Approximately one hundred acres are farmed organically, currently in pasture, hay & prairie flower plantings. We have a large barn, several outbuildings and a community center (for community meals, parties, meetings, guests, etc.) as well as a spring-fed swimming pond, a soccer/baseball field, and trails for walking and skiing. Decisions about the land and community are made by consensus, all other decisions are individual ones. There are seven individually owned homes and one small apartment that is owned by the community. Homes are occasionally available and it is possible to build on approved building sites. Winona, Rushford, and La Crosse are all within a 30-minute drive, offering six college campuses, an arts community, and a family-friendly environment. This is a wonderful place to live and a great place for children to grow up with an intimate knowledge of the natural world. Whether you are interested in small-scale, organic farming and gardening or just living in a rural community, your interest is welcomed. Please email us to arrange a visit.

Our Mission

Building community and Nurturing the land.

  • Purpose
  • Home-sharing
  • Community type
  • Cohousing
  • Activities
  • Experiences

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 1993
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 1994
  • Started living together
  • 12 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
16

How to join

Our membership process is described on our website: www.zephyrvalleycoop.org

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Contact Zephyr in advance by letter or email, letting us know something about yourself and your interest in intentional communities. We need a least a few days notice in order to make arrangements for someone to show you around

Primary decision-making authority

  • All Community Members Together

The whole membership decides collectively.

Decision-making process

  • Full Consensus

Everyone must agree before moving forward.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Conflict resolution approach

We have bi-monthly all community business meetings and subcommittees as part of our decision making process.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • There is a one-time fee, investment, or share purchase to join the community separate from accessing housing
  • 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

Join fee: $10000
Regular fees: $90
Labor: Yes (0 hrs/week)
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed
Seasonal community work parties 4-5 times a years generally requiring a few hours of work.

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

Common House, Garden(s), Library, Outbuilding(s), Swimming pond or pool, Tractor & Farm Equipment, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas

Frequency of communal meals

  • About once a week

Significant food acquisition practices

  • Locally sourced

Community activities and engagement

  • Festivals, Conferences, Events

Substance use culture

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

Gender composition

  • Roughly balanced (no group over 60%)

Age demographics

  • Multi-generational (all ages well represented)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By a Land Trust, Home Owners Association, or corporation

Setting

  • Rural

Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.

Community type

  • Cohousing

    Private homes with shared common facilities, designed for neighborly
    interaction while maintaining independence.

Self-produced energy

  • Up to 33%

Energy sources used

  • Photovoltaic Solar

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • 33 - 66%

Food systems

  • Community garden
  • Land area size
    500 acres

Guest Book

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

Location

  • Minnesota, United States

Needs and Offers

Offer
  • Real Estate For Sale
2 months ago

37-Acre Sanctuary for Community, Homesteading and Off-Grid Living

Imagine waking to birdsong, mist rising over open meadows, and sunlight filtering through towering cedars. Picture a place where you can gather with community around a fire, cultivate food from rich living soil, steward a thriving ecosystem, and build a life rooted in connection, resilience, and purpose. Welcome to Heartwood Homestead — a remarkable 37-acre land project in Washington’s South Sound region that offers a rare combination of established off-grid infrastructure, development potential, ecological abundance, and accessibility. Whether you’re dreaming of creating an intentional community, regenerative farm, eco-village, healing retreat center, artist sanctuary, educational land project, family compound, or simply a private homestead with room to grow, Heartwood Homestead provides an extraordinary foundation to bring that vision to life. A Property Designed for Possibility Finding land is easy. Finding land that already has the infrastructure, water systems, power generation, multiple dwellings, community spaces, and zoning flexibility needed for a larger vision is exceptionally rare. Heartwood Homestead has spent years evolving into a functioning land project. Much of the difficult and expensive groundwork has already been completed, allowing new stewards to focus on creating rather than merely building. The property is zoned RR1/5, allowing for up to seven homes plus ADUs, creating significant potential for cooperative ownership structures, multi-family living, intentional community development, rental income, retreat accommodations, or phased expansion. For those seeking a community-oriented property, this is one of the most compelling opportunities available in the Pacific Northwest. Water Security and Off-Grid Resilience One of the greatest challenges facing many rural properties is water access. Heartwood Homestead shines in this regard. A brand-new 21 ga
Need
  • Forming Communities
6 months ago

Pacific Northwest Cohousing Village Seeking Members

FIND YOUR HOME IN COMMUNITY AT ROOTED NORTHWEST A new kind of village is forming in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Rooted Northwest is building a future cohousing neighborhood of values-aligned households living with purpose. Together, they’re connecting to the land, to each other, and to a shared mission of supporting a more resilient future. Whether you’re raising a family, working remotely, entering retirement, or dreaming of a more intentional life, Rooted Northwest offers a chance to live differently. Here, you don’t just buy a home, you become part of a village built on connection, sustainability, and stewardship. One where neighbors collaborate, kids roam free, and everyday life is shaped by shared values like mutual support, environmental care, and community-driven living. 🏠 Homeownership at Rooted Northwest includes: • Beautiful, energy-efficient, privately-owned homes nestled on shared land • A walkable village designed for connection • Shared amenities and thriving farms in your backyard • Opportunities to co-create community life 🍃 Rooted in Community. Grounded in Regeneration. Rooted Northwest isn’t just a place to live, it’s a commitment to restoring connection between people, land, and food. By living here, you directly support a growing network of regenerative farmers stewarding land for future generations. 🔑 Now Selling: Reserve Your Home Rooted Northwest is now reserving a limited number of homes, with construction beginning soon. Prices start in the high $800,000s. We welcome households ready to help form this community. 😊 Join an information session to learn how to reserve your future home. JOIN AN INFO SESSION https://rootednw.org
  • Promoted
Offer
Offer
  • Housing For Rent + Shared
12 hours ago

Turn-key commune opportunity on 30 acres in beautiful rural Minnesota (~$500-550k)

Hi everyone! Our founding group of queer women is transitioning ownership of our rural Minnesota homestead, and we’re looking for new stewards to keep it running as an intentional community! Let me give you a tiny window into what to expect: Picture yourself stepping out of the overwhelming corporate chaos of the city, into an idyllic little slice of a slower life – there’s a certain look of relief we tend to see on our visitors’ faces. When you enter, the path is surrounded by vibrant flowers in every color that come back every year. To your left is a stone path to the organic gardens, growing easily without much effort. Straight ahead are the barns and pathways to the fields – you might pass by the occasional honeybee or butterfly. To the right is a large farmhouse, behind which there is a mossy forested area where you’ll find a conversation circle fashioned out of old logs and stones, and a small sitting platform up in the trees.    The Highlights: 30 Acres: Forest, pond, creek, permaculture gardens (Hügelkultur), native plants, perennial flowers and future fruit trees, and ~1 acre dry-farmed. 9-Bedroom Farmhouse: ~4,000 sq ft across 3 levels. Solid heating, great bones, in good shape, quiet layout. Outbuildings: Garage, woodshop barn, event barn, quonset storage, a silo, plus honeybees & resident farm cat! Location: Quiet and peaceful. Remote with off-the-grid features like a well and pending solar installation, yet under 10 mins to hospital/town. Zero flood/fire risk, and a wonderfully welcoming, queer-friendly local network.   Ideal for an established group of 2+ people ready to take on a relatively large farmhouse and property. We are open to an outright purchase or a gradual transition/shared-ownership arrangements with existing members. -> Full details, photos, and contact info here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ONZk-TUYQg3Xzh5Q7yl14PPeuwl5NYXu9ZDTgFGT4sY/edit?usp=sharing   Feel free to message me or share with anyone looking for land!  

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