Cobb Hill (www.cobbhill.org) is a community of people who are exploring ways to live that are ecologically, materially, and socially sustainable. Built in 2001, our community comprises 23 energy-efficient homes, a working farm and dairy and a number of member-owned agricultural enterprises: award-winning cheese, frozen yogurt, mushrooms, maple syrup, and sheep. Our 260-acre property includes a large common house, barns, hiking and cross-country ski trails, a managed forest, pastures, sugar bush and gardens. Homes feature solar hot water, passive-solar orientation, green building design, a central wood-burning system, and high-speed internet.
Our community is intergenerational, with ages ranging from babies to 80s. Kids love having a playing field, their own art area, acres and acres of woods to explore, and the opportunity to learn about farming through 4H. Adults have fun here too, with frequent community dinners and lots of social events: open mikes, an annual prom, special dinners, singing, campfires, and frequent impromptu gatherings. Our decision-making is by consensus, and we have a very strong informal mutual support system (we take care of each other). A few of our residents are retired; the rest practice a variety of professions including forestry, sustainability nonprofits, homemaking, medicine, farming, cheesemaking and high tech. Serious about trying to live more sustainably, both in our infrastructure and in our lifestyle, we look for members who share our interests and intentions and who will be active participants in community life.
Cobb Hill Cohousing is located just 20 minutes from Dartmouth College and from one of New England’s premier medical centers. This is a vibrant area where the arts flourish and outdoor recreational opportunities abound. Excellent schools and a healthy, safe environment make it a great place to raise children. Here are some links showing the wide range of opportunities in our local area: hop.dartmouth.edu, northernstage.org, dailyuv.com, vitalcommunities.org, uppervalleyfood.coop, uvtrails.org, osher.dartmouth.edu.
sustainability, environment, agriculture, community
Our Principles
Community arises when individuals form a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Sustainability and community both require long-term thinking and a dedication to something larger than our narrowly defined selves. We have embarked on a journey toward sustainable living as a small community, because we feel that a small scale is necessary for learning and practicing the skills of cooperation and right livelihood.
This purpose statement lends guidance as we journey forward together. We intend to be guided by values and principles, rather than by expedience. This statement will always be under development, as our membership learns and evolves.
Our purpose is to learn, practice, and share the art of living sustainably, productively, joyfully, in ways that replenish ourselves, our communities, and the natural world, and that deepen our spiritual development and awareness.
We come to this venture with humility, acknowledging there is no single path to sustainability. We will pursue our path to the best of our ability, and refrain from judging those who explore other paths. We come willing to experiment, to tell the truth about our experiments, and to learn from our mistakes. We can’t claim to follow the principles listed here perfectly. They point out the direction we want to take, not a place we have reached.
Yes, but only when there is a home for sale or rent
The whole membership decides collectively.
Everyone must agree before moving forward.
Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.
Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.
Regular fees: Yes
Labor: Yes
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed
not quantified in hours. We stoke a wood burning furnace that heats all the buildings, clean the common house, make and clean up from community dinners twice/week; monthly workday is another opportunity to contribute labor
monthly fee covers our utilities (shared systems) and winter ploughing plus budgeted needs of committees
Common House, Library, Workshop, Outbuilding(s), Swimming pond or pool, Tractor & Farm Equipment, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas
Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.
Private homes with shared common facilities, designed for neighborly
interaction while maintaining independence.
Integrated communities designed around ecological principles with sustainable living practices.
Geographically close groups of independently-owned homes whose residents actively cultivate community relationships and shared values.
Connecting people and communities through an intentional online marketplace
A residential project: people live here as their primary home.
An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).
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