Group of people in a garden with flowers and trees at Acorn Community Farm.

Acorn Community Farm

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Social
  • Rural

Founding year

  • 1993

What we do

Acorn Community Farm is an intentional community located in the rolling farmlands and woods of Central Virginia. We are an egalitarian, income-sharing, secular, anarchist, feminist, and consensus-based commune. The community was founded in 1993 and has since co-owned and -operated a successful bioregional seed cooperative that is the primary source of our shared income. Membership in the community usually fluctuates between twenty and thirty individuals.
Full members of the community receive an equal share in the land and its assets, and in return are expected to work 42-hours per week in the community. This is inclusive of our cooperative, but also includes garden work, domestic work, volunteer work, carpentry and maintenance work, and other diverse labor options.
Acorn has many shared amenities that our members enjoy open access to, such as a music room, art room, hot tub, libraries, and a gym. We also have 72 acres of land that we use for various building projects, organic and permaculture gardening, and animal husbandry. Each member is entitled to their own room, and full members have access to shared vehicles. Members tend to take up personal projects in the community, such as earth building a sauna, creating parking infrastructure, installing solar panels, and other self-directed, community-approved initiatives.
We are currently working on community-building, which includes hiking trips, volunteering in Richmond, developing workshops, and other coordinated events. Everyday we share lunch and dinner, and each week there are two community meetings. People tend to congregate informally everyday to organize get togethers, dance parties, game nights, and more.
Acorn is currently seeking candidates for full membership! We especially encourage women and non-binary folks to consider joining us for a visitor period. Our community is looking for people who share our values while also being self-driven, passionate, and ready to live communally. The membership process includes a month-long visitor period, and a year-long provisional membership status before acceptance as full members. Please feel free to inquire about our openings, the membership process, or anything else!

Our Mission

Secular, Egalitarian, Anarchist, Autonomous, Sustainable, Cooperative, Non-Violent, Feminist, Intentional Community

  • Purpose
  • Social
  • Community type
  • Commune
  • Sustainability practices
  • Renewable energy systems
  • Permaculture design
  • Activities
  • Farming
  • Experiences
  • Services Business

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 1993
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 1993
  • Started living together
  • 14 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
27

Basic expectations or agreements for members

All visitors must be approved in advance. Please see our website for the information we need from you to consider your request for a visit or internship. We prefer email, though if your internet access is limited we could also gather this information by mail.

Primary decision-making authority

  • All Community Members Together

The whole membership decides collectively.

Decision-making process

  • Modified Consensus

Generally seek agreement, but have backup methods when consensus isn’t reached.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Economic model

  • Complete Income-Sharing

All member income goes into common pool for community use.

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

Additional economic information

Regular fees: $0
Labor: Yes (42 hrs/week)
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed
All members are expected to contribute 42 hours per week, with one month of vacation time per year. Over-quota work can be turned into vacation time, or monetary support for forming FEC communities. While residing at Acorn, members are expected maintain an egalitarian setting by not using personal outside resources (savings, vehicles, etc.).

Vehicle accessibility

  • There are car sharing opportunities in your community

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, Hot tub or hot springs, Outdoor Kitchen, Large Scale Kitchen, Tractor & Farm Equipment, Stage or Auditorium, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Gym or sports area, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • Approximately all meals

Significant food acquisition practices

  • Locally sourced
  • Livestock / Animal Husbandry

Community activities and engagement

  • Volunteer, Internship, or Apprenticeship, or WWOOF’ing
  • Ethical Business, Investment Group, or Alternative Currency
  • WWOOF'ing, Guest Farming

Substance use culture

  • Substance use is frequent and public in the community

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

  • Commune

    Communal living with shared resources, property, and often income or work responsibilities

Sustainability approach

  • Renewable energy systems
  • Permaculture design

Land practices in our community

  • The community practices permaculture

Self-produced energy

  • Up to 33%

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • 33 - 66%

Food systems

  • Community garden
  • Greenhouse / aquaponics
  • Shared kitchen or food co-op
  • Land area size
    72 acres

Guest Book

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Location

  • Virginia, 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
14 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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