Scenic view of community buildings with mountains in the background.

Dancing Rocks Community/Bean Tree Farm

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Social
  • Rural

Founding year

  • 1989

What we do

Dancing Rocks (DR) is a small residential community of 5 homes and work/study accommodations designed and developed over the last 35 years.

Located in the Tucson Mountain foothills, DR is also the home of Bean Tree Farm, a home business which creates value-added products from the edible and medicinal wild plants of the Sonoran Desert Food Forest, weaving food production, resource conservation, solar energy, water harvesting, green building, permaculture and creative arts in an evolving system and rich learning environment.

Bean Tree Farm collaborates with schools and organizations to provide hands-on educational experiences for students through presentations, workshops and other events. Current partners include Desert Harvesters, Arizona Homemade Artisans, Sonoran Permaculture Guild, Pima County Public Library and Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.

Info and applications are available on request for internships of six months or longer. Occasionally, longer term positions become available for dedicated individuals such as farm manager, site steward, educational project coordinator. Lodging is provided in exchange for work hours.

Currently, no homes are available for purchase.

Our Mission

Focus: aridland appropriate living, regenerative relationship with place, inspired by Sonoran Desert food and culture, personal responsibility and ethics.

  • Purpose
  • Social
  • Sustainability practices
  • Renewable energy systems
  • Water conservation and management
  • Regenerative agriculture or permaculture
  • Permaculture design
  • Activities
  • Education
  • Experiences
  • Networking

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 1989
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 1989
  • Started living together

Gallery

  • 5 Total members
  • Not open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
10

How to join

1 year trial period. or more.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Visitor opportunities by appointment, monthly at farm events by invitation. We can not accommodate drop-ins.

Primary decision-making authority

  • Single Leader or Founding Couple

One person or partnership has ultimate authority.

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

  • 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: Yes
Labor: Encouraged or suggested
common maintenance as needed, 1-4 hrs/mo.

current contribution is $50/month for common space maintenance

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

Garden(s), Library, Workshop, Outbuilding(s), Fire pit

Frequency of communal meals

  • 1-3 times per month

Significant food acquisition practices

  • Locally sourced

Community activities and engagement

  • School, Educational Institute or Experience
  • Volunteer, Internship, or Apprenticeship, or WWOOF’ing
  • Organization, Resource, or Network

Substance use culture

  • Substance use appears in public spaces but no pressure
  • Substance use is prohibited in the community

Gender composition

  • Majority non-binary/gender diverse (over 30%)

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.

Sustainability approach

  • Renewable energy systems
  • Water conservation and management
  • Regenerative agriculture or permaculture
  • Permaculture design

Land practices in our community

  • The community practices permaculture

Self-produced energy

  • Over 66%

Energy sources used

  • Photovoltaic Solar

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • 33 - 66%

Food systems

  • Community garden
  • Food forest

Source of water

  • Rainwater capture and storage for use (barrels, cisterns, etc.)
  • Land area size
    20 acres

Guest Book

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

Location

  • Arizona, United States

Dancing Rocks Community/Bean Tree Farm

Needs and Offers

Connecting people and communities through an intentional online marketplace

  • Promoted
Offer
  • Real Estate For Sale
1 week ago

Beautiful 3+ Bed, 2.5 Bath Townhome in Established West Emerald CoHousing, Seattle

A rare home is available at West Emerald Cohousing, an established all-ages intentional community in West Seattle. For those considering a move to the Pacific Northwest—or hoping to join a mature community rather than one still in the forming stages—West Emerald offers decades of community life, beautiful gardens, shared resources and a peaceful setting within the city in a convenient location since 1999. This unit has a unique floor plan that is ideal for co-buying, co-living, or for one household. The home itself offers a flexible 3+ bedroom, 2.5 bath layout: Garden-level room with a separate exterior entrance and half bath—ideal for a home office, studio, guest space or client-facing business Main-level bedroom and full bath, laundry, making one-level living possible Open great room with large windows overlooking gardens filled with birdsong Well-designed kitchen with generous storage and pantry Two additional light-filled spacious bedrooms and a full bath upstairs Thoughtfully maintained and updated Located at the end of a common pathway for added privacy and garden views, Just feet from parking, which is out of view West Emerald community amenities include: Common House with gathering and activity spaces Community meals and events Mature gardens and shared outdoor spaces Workshop/maker spaces and bike barn Exercise room EV charging opportunity Excellent Metro access to Downtown Seattle just minutes away Nestled into a dell, it’s Seattle’s best-kept secret South Seattle College and lifelong learning, NW Wine Academy, the Seattle Chinese Garden are nearby, with easy access to Alki Beach, Lincoln Park, magnet schools, ferries, and the shops and restaurants of the West Seattle Junction. 6000 17th Ave SW, Seattle, WA Is a wonderful opportunity to have your own comfortable, private home while becoming part of a vibrant and well-established Seattle all-ages cohousing community. For more information contact the friendly Realtor at 206-579-9066, or at ki**********@**********te.com who will be happy to meet you there or do a facetime tour.
  • Promoted
Offer
  • Communities with Openings
3 months ago

Do you feel called to help co-create a small, newly forming eco-spiritual community?

Old structures are crumbling. New ways of living are calling. We are answering that call. Wild Grace is an eco-spiritual community located in the Sierra foothills 30 minutes from Grass Valley, California. We recently completed new homes for those who feel called to our vision. Currently there are four of us living on this sacred 80 acres of land although we are a hub for an expanded neighborhood community. Many join us weekly for potlucks, expressive dance, Qi Gong, monthly musical gatherings, and seasonal celebrations in our temple, as well as tending to our orchard. We are excited to welcome others to join us on the land who are dedicating their lives to spiritual growth and ready to live in a more focused and intimate heart-centered lifestyle. Might that be you or someone you know? The fundamentals are simple. Spirit. We listen personally and collectively together most mornings, usually starting with a musical offering, a prayer, or a short reading, followed by about 40 minutes of what we call “sacred silence.” Heart Circles. About once a week we gather to share and listen. We are informed by authentic and compassionate communication practices. Nature. The land itself—an 80-acre oasis of field and forest perched above the wild and scenic South Yuba River—calls for our stewardship in the gardens, orchard, greenhouses, and general care. In turn, nature feeds us abundantly, both literally and spiritually. Interbeing. We join with others to share inspiration and connection as we host monthly gatherings of song, story and prayer that draws from the larger community in addition to other events we share with our closer neighbors. As we attend to these fundamentals, Grace flows to and through us—often in “Wild” or unexpected ways. Grace catalyzes through us, but is not something we possess. Because we all are connected, we feel that Grace actively transforms n
Need
Offer
  • Professional Services
5 days ago

Rebalancing your pet's well being (also looking for intentional community of animal lovers)

🌿 Can animals look after their own well-being? Science says yes! Zoopharmacognosy is the fascinating behavior in which animals self-medicate by selecting, inhaling, or topically applying plants, soils, and insects with natural well-being properties. Applied zoopharmacognosy brings these principles into practical use, providing animals with sensory choices for general well-being and environmental enrichment. 🧠 Driven by Consciousness & Evolution The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness (2012): Signed by global neuroscientists, this milestone established that non-human animals possess the neurological framework for consciousness, intentional behaviors, and emotional states. Describing an animal experiencing fear, joy, or grief is a biologically accurate observation, not a human projection. Prominent advocates like Jane Goodall and animal lovers have always known this from personal experience! Innate Sensory Guidance: Only the animal knows the required plant and amount. This behavior is entirely guided by highly specialized senses of taste and smell, which is an evolutionary survival mechanism of animals. 👀 Incredible Behaviors Observed in Nature: 🐦 Birds (Starlings): Male starlings incorporate yarrow, wild carrot, and agrimony into their nests to ward off pests; chicks in nests lacking these plants suffer from significantly higher mite burdens (Clark & Mason 1988). 🦜 Birds (Parrots): Amazon parrots intentionally consume clay to neutralize toxic alkaloids ingested from wild plants (Gilardi 1999). 🐛 Insects: Parasitized caterpillars ingest specific plants rich in pyrrolizidine alkaloids to support their health (Singer & Bernays 2010; Smilanich et al. 2011). 🐒 Primates: Chimpanzees suffering from intestinal bugs intentionally select and consume bitter, anti-parasitic plants (Huffman & Seifu 1989). 🐑 Livestock: Lambs actively select plants high in tannins when dealing with internal challenges (Villalba & Provenza 2005). 🐘 Elephants: Excavate salt deposits to neutralize dietary toxins (Redmond 1992), and select botanical oils to support their natural defense mechanisms (Ingraham 2007). 🤝 How I Practice The IMIM approach honors the animal as an intelligent being capable of directing its own well-being by honoring its instinct and non-verbal language. I provide safe educational consultations to help you connect with your animal on a deeper level. (Contact me at ge*********@*****il.com to learn how to offer this sensory enrichment for the well-being of your animal!) ℹ️ Further Learning: Learn more about IMIM methodology, case studies and research at carolineingraham.com. ⚠️ Veterinary Disclaimer: Applied zoopharmacognosy is an educational and supportive tool for well-being. It does not offer veterinary advice, diagnose, or prescribe, and should never replace professional veterinary care.
Offer
Need
  • Communities with Openings
1 week ago

Looking for Founding Members to Join us

We are looking for someone who lives in Oregon or would like to live in Oregon who wants to help us clean up our new far, property and start building some off grid housing, compost toilets, fireplaces for cooking and building the farm out. We have about 10 acres and several barns, power on site for small wall tents for campers, solar panels we can setup and sooo soo much more to do.  Ideally this person would be around our age, late 20’s -early 30’s, family friendly as we have a daughter and family out sometimes. We are not looking for “anarchist” who see the glass half full and wants to ‘burn down the system’ as we farm and sell to the public, we rely on the system to pay our bills… that is really the only caveat. No hard drugs and no hard political opinions as we prefer to focus on our back-to-the-land culture, not the problem we cannot control outside the farm.  You tired of the noise and want some solitude? To get your hands dirty and build a farm from the ground up with a bunch of like minded people. All I want to do is feed people and have fun while we do it. I don’t want to try and fix the world, just rebuild the one directly around us into an oasis that we can enjoy each and everyday while keeping our moral compass pointing north. Some things to know – We do smoke pot. We like electronic and bass music sometimes and organize festivals and renegades, we still like to have fun, but when on farm, you would never know. We are super easy to be around and just want some friends who can enjoy this farm opportunity and make the most of it with us.  Kids are OK! Pets on a per person basis. Rent is negotiable ($100-300/month) with work trade being mandatory at 4 hours per week. Anything beyond that goes towards rent. Please reach out if interested or have any questions.    Kindest Regards, DJ & Reagan 

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