Cedar Moon Residential Collective:

How can we live well by sharing our lives with each other and the earth? What are tools for people born into disconnection, to root deeply all our relations with the rest of life, and take collective action as a result? How can we become ancestors of people once again woven with the land?

In a time of growing tumult, this land project is a node in a web of change. We are a motley crew of committed, caring people connected to a wide variety of movements and communities. We don’t always agree — and we have different styles, as you’ll see in the writing of this ad.

But our calling to service with the land weaves us together.

Living and working here is a commitment — we explore ways that can transform daily life. It’s not a place to just live a regular life in capitalism with some landmates and nice scenery.

On the other hand, if the land calls you into collective action, then this is a super magical place. It’s a 7 acre land project nestled into a 700 acre state park. We are surrounded by forest and serenaded nightly by owls and the moon. Rural feeling within the city limits of Portland, Oregon. Only 15 minutes by car to downtown, decent bus access, and/or a hilly bike ride. Great opportunity to weave the movement impact of a biggish city with the land-connection of wilder places. Land is shared amongst ~20 people, including BIPOC, queer and trans folk. Must be literate in BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S relations – these points are important for the safer culture of our community. We practice daily solidarity with Indigenous landmates and friends; our land acknowledgements are not abstract.

About the currently available space (though others are possible in near to medium term, and it’s ideal if we get to know you over time):

Our collective shares access to full 7 acres of land and its many resources, as well as a 1500 sq ft floor of common space, with a kitchen, large round table, living room, community room, office, and back porch.

Personal spaces are relatively small, in contrast. The most likely personal space is either a single small room (inside a shared house, or as an outbuilding) or two small rooms connected by a door as a suite. This means that this is a relatively rare opportunity for a couple or family to move in! We’re also particularly looking for people with experience building/maintaining physical structures, working with land and animals, connecting with broader movements, and cultivating strong social fabric.

Move in date: from 12/15/2023 till space is filled

Ongoing fees (for short-term residents – longterm members contribute capital as needed):

~$350/mo/room – depending on size; add $100/person in room

~$75/mo/person – utilities

~$230/mo/person – food and consumables

Fees include deep collective learning experiences for the time you’re here, up to a year, as well as room, resources, shared activities, utilities, and collective hearth fund (bulk food, house, goat and garden supplies), and a shared community meal system. Some people live here with virtually no other household expenses.

Initial deposit: First and last month’s fees for 1 person (add $100 per additional person), plus $200 refundable cleaning deposit before move in. Pets considered on case-by-case basis with refundable pet deposit

Participation in the project includes food! Shared community food program provides abundant vegetarian bulk food and veggies (you could cook all your meals here and literally never go to the grocery store) and includes mostly-vegetarian community dinners ~5 nights/wk. You would contribute one weekly shift of either cooking or cleaning (typically 1.5-2 hours commitment per week). Parking and laundry onsite. We have composting toilets and grey water system which means only biodegradable products down the drain. Non-smoking please.

Land is shared amongst two collectives who live in parallel and share the land while having separate organizational structures. The collective seeking applicants is a multiracial mix of cis, trans, nonbinary, queer and straight folk. The other collective is specifically for members of marginalized peoples i.e. trans and BIPOC folks. There are ~20 people sharing the land, including kids, elders, as well as goats, chickens, bees, apple trees, etc.

A major part of our work is cultivating reciprocal relationship with the land in ways that others can connect with and grow into. CM participants work together in service of a larger weave. Part of this happens through informal connections and networks, but the land is also shared with a nonprofit education center run by volunteers, including many residents. CM participants are encouraged to join this effort.

As we are an intentional community and invest a lot in our participants the interview process is more thorough than a regular household. Email pond [at] cedarmoon.us with an intro, your relevant experience, and why you sense we may be a good fit. If it seems appropriate to take the next step we will send a link to the application.

For more info, see our vision document: http://cedarmoon.us/vision .

Also see the nonprofit website: http://tryonfarm.org