People enjoying outdoor activities at Camphill Village Kimberton Hills.

Camphill Village Kimberton Hills

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Ecological
  • Suburban

Founding year

  • 1972

What we do

Located in the rolling hills of Chester County one hour west of Philadelphia, our 432-acre agricultural and crafts community is home to about 110 members, especially including some with developmental disabilities. We have 12 “extended family” households whose members share meals and free time. Members of all abilities help out in the houses or in our grass-fed raw milk dairy, 15 acre CSA garden, herb garden, orchard, bakery, fiber arts, mosaic studio, pottery, and cafe. All agriculture here is organic and/or biodynamic. All members, regardless of ability, are integrated into the daily life of the village and help carry the responsibility for running the community. We have a vibrant cultural life that integrates art, music, seasonal festivals, plays, lectures and continuing education into the fabric of the community.
Volunteers are welcome to share in our life for a few months, a year, or perhaps a lifetime. We welcome individuals, couples and families to join us from across the world. Our community sponsors apprenticeships in biodynamic agriculture as well as ongoing trainings in Social Therapy, homemaking and applied arts.
Camphill Village Kimberton Hills is one of 100 communities in the Camphill movement (10 in North America), each one unique yet all with similar purposes. We seek to create a renewed village life and to establish healthy social forms of human interdependence. Our approach is based on the inspirations of Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy, which allows each person to evolve to their potential as a respected individual. Our community has roots in Christianity and we celebrate many festivals together but we welcome people of all faiths. Participation in the spiritual life of the community is up to each person’s free choice.

Our Mission

To create and maintain a land-based community together with adults with special needs and to contribute to the wider society through biodynamic agriculture, handcrafts, and other endeavors.

  • Purpose
  • Ecological
  • Community type
  • Coliving
  • Ecovillage
  • Spiritual Retreat Centers
  • Activities
  • Farming
  • Education
  • Experiences

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 1972
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 1972
  • Started living together

Video

  • 108 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
127

How to join

Because of the special nature of our community, we ask that prospective members fill out an application with references and submit a routine background check. Applications can be downloaded from our website, or feel free to ask and we will email one to you.
The application processes differ based on the applicant’s desired commitment; for long-term (3+ years) applicants, we ask to schedule a week-long trial visit as a part of the process.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Contact us by phone or email.

Primary decision-making authority

  • Small Leadership Group

A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.

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

As a non-profit, we do have an Executive Director (or Village Coordinator) as well as a Board of Directors. However, decision making is a collaborative process where all members have a voice and provide input on day-to-day as well as long-range decisions.

Economic model

  • Complete Income-Sharing

All member income goes into common pool for community use.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • There is a labor obligation

Additional economic information

Labor: Yes
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed
Community income is shared.
We work out of the principle that the fruits of each person’s labor go to support one another, rather than just for that individual. In that spirit, we help alongside one another on the land, in the craft studios and in the houses to support the community life for the good of all.

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

Common House, Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Vehicle Share, Library, Workshop, Outbuilding(s), Swimming pond or pool, Tractor & Farm Equipment, Stage or Auditorium, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • Approximately all meals

Dietary type

  • Vegetarian Only

Dietary restriction

  • People can cook and eat what they want in their own residence

Community activities and engagement

  • School, Educational Institute or Experience
  • Volunteer, Internship, or Apprenticeship, or WWOOF’ing
  • WWOOF'ing, Guest Farming
  • Festivals, Conferences, Events

Substance use culture

  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies
  • Religions
  • Christian
  • Buddhist
  • Jewish

Gender composition

  • Roughly balanced (no group over 60%)

Age demographics

  • Family-focused (many children and parents)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

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

Setting

  • Suburban

Residential areas outside city centers but within metropolitan regions.

Community type

  • Coliving

    Shared living spaces with private bedrooms/bathrooms and communal
    kitchens, dining, and social areas.

  • Ecovillage

    Integrated communities designed around ecological principles with sustainable living practices.

  • Spiritual Retreat Centers

    Residential communities focused on providing space for meditation, spiritual practice, and personal growth retreats.

Self-produced energy

  • Up to 33%

Energy sources used

  • Photovoltaic Solar

Self-produced food

  • 33 - 66%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • 33 - 66%

Food systems

  • Community garden
  • Greenhouse / aquaponics
  • Land area size
    432 acres

Guest Book

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

Location

  • Pennsylvania, United States

Camphill Village Kimberton Hills

Needs and Offers

Connecting people and communities through an intentional online marketplace

Offer
  • Real Estate For Sale
5 days ago

Co-housing Unit For Sale in Portland Oregon

Light-filled 976 sq ft, 3-bedroom, 1-bath end unit in Columbia Ecovillage, Portland’sestablished cohousing community in the Cully neighborhood. With windows onthree sides, this ground-floor home gets natural light all day, even onPortland’s grey ones. The open living and dining area has warm hardwood floors and flows into akitchen with solid wood cabinets and granite counters. The dining roomwindows look straight into a native vine maple — a wall of green from springthrough fall. There’s good storagein the unit, plus an extra storage space in the community storage building.A ductless mini-split provides efficient heating and air conditioning, andthe plumbing was fully replaced in 2026. The primary bedroom has a full-width closet behind a sliding barn door; thesecond bedroom’s closet sits behind a pair of French doors. The thirdbedroom has no closet, which makes it a flexible room — guest room, office,or playroom. Step out the sliding glass door onto your own covered patio, which opens onto the community grounds: organic gardens, personal garden plots,greenhouses, a grape arbor, a bamboo grove, native plantings throughout, andtrees everywhere — including a truly massive old black walnut. The orchard alone is a reason to live here — to name a few:apples, pears, plums, figs, mulberries, chestnuts, walnuts, grapes,blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, in several varieties each. A75,000-gallon rainwater catchment system keeps it all watered through thesummer. Kids have a playhouse, sandbox, small soccer field, a favorite climbingtree, and a parking loop where bikes can circle but cars can’t; adults havea workshop, garden shed, fire pit, quiet space and big community porches. The common hall is the heart of the village: a commercial kitchen anyresident can use, a kids’ play area, pool table and ping pong, and asoapstone stove that burns every winter evening. Residents can reserve it forevents for almost nothing. The historic farmhouse has guest rooms owners canbook for visiting family (about 30 nights a year). Shared laundry rooms(three washers and dryers) come with indoor drying racks and outdoorclotheslines, and there’s a craft room and a trade room where things you nolonger need find a new home next door. Potlucks, communitymeals, work parties, and acres of safe space for kids to roam makethis a rare chance to own a home and a neighborhood at the same time. Built in 1973 and fully remodeled in 2008–09 for energy efficiency and healthy indoor air — metal roof, HardiePlank siding, and standard community-built finishes throughout. Nothing to update, nothing deferred. The $522 monthly HOA coverswater, sewer, and garbage, plus the roof, siding, exterior paint, and allstructural maintenance — and it’s what pays for the grounds, the common hall,and everything else described above. And it’s close in: Cully’s cafés andparks are a short walk or bike ride away, the rest of Portland’s food,music, and neighborhoods are minutes beyond that, and the commute downtownor to the airport is easy by car, bus, or bike – 3.7-acre grounds with organic gardens, personal plots, greenhouses, native plantings, and mature trees (huge black walnut)- Orchard: apples, pears, plums, figs, mulberries, chestnuts, walnuts, grapes, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries- 75,000-gallon rainwater catchment feeds the gardens year-round- Workshop, garden shed, fire pit, quiet space, community porches  
Need
  • Forming Communities
2 weeks ago

A call for pioneers, trade-builders, and the four Elemental Elders to construct our first cooperative village prototype.

Intake Open: Flagship WE Network Village in Clubb, MO Call for pioneers, trade-builders, and 4 Elemental Elders to construct our first cooperative village prototype. WE Network is opening ground zero in Clubb, Missouri—our living model to build trade shops and train leadership teams for nationwide village rollout. We are building a self-sustaining, salvaged homestead ecosystem operating as a parallel society alongside existing systems. Bring your own living setup (tents, micro-campers, trucks, schoolies, tiny homes) to secure your lot within the co-op village. The 3×3 Exchange: Mental, Physical, & Spiritual Maintain your lot via our 3×3 exchange (3 hours/day, 3 days/week = 9 hours total): Mental: Classroom teaching, strategy, skill-sharing, and village instruction. Physical: Hands-on labor building active land and shop projects. Spiritual: Participation in our weekly Friday Fellowship Fire Circle. Trade Shops & Lot Placement Every member contributes directly to our local micro-economy: Trade Holders: Set up your specific service shop for the co-op. Transitioning Members: Assigned a trade lot to focus on constructing the physical shop structure. Weekend Operations: Retail open Saturdays and Sundays. Mid-week is reserved for building and life. Priority Intake: The Four Elemental Elders We are recruiting four foundational Elders: Earth Elder: Land, soil, livestock, permaculture, and natural materials. Air Elder: Building structures and Eco Junk waste-to-material upcycling. Fire Elder: Spiritual health, Natural Law, body healing, and Fire Circles. Water Elder: Resource flow, food storage, bookkeeping, and services. How to Apply 👉 Visit fffc.wtf to submit your intake request today.
Need
Offer

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