Family of six by a lake with trees and calm water in the background.

Long Haul

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Forming
  • Ecological
  • Rural

Founding year

  • 2010

What we do

We can host visitors from May-October for general homestead infrastructure help including, gardening, building, firewood etc. During the winter months, we can sometimes host hardy visitors who are willing to work outside.
We’re a young family of 6 + 3 friends + 1 other young family of 4 with 534 acres of mature forest land surrounded by thousands of acres of wilderness. We’ve cleared a few acres and we’ve planted apples, plums, juneberries, raspberries, blueberries, currants, gooseberries, honeyberries, blackberries and strawberries among other things. We’re surrounded by mature maple and mixed boreal forest which is primarily public land. We do not have a functional well yet (no running water). There’s a spring near the center of the property and we catch rainwater off our roof. We’re 5 miles as the crow flies from the North Shore of Lake Superior and close to many smaller inland lakes. There are many hiking trails close by including the Superior Hiking Trail. We’re 20 miles south of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We’re primarily working on building infrastructure and raising and homeschooling out kids. We’re 7 miles from town on a good county dirt road and then 2 miles up a rough old logging road which is not maintained by any government entity. We plow the road in the winter but occasionally have to resort to snowmobile for access in some circumstances. We have a work party every fall. We’re off the grid with wi-fi internet through cell phone towers and solar electricity. We cook and heat with wood. We’re happy to host visitors who are willing to help out and who are self reliant and able to get their basic needs met in a primitive camp setting. We also sometimes have opportunities for work trade guests with meals and lodging provided. We have two insulated tiny houses and a yurt for guests. We prefer to host work trade visitors for a minimum of 1 month. Our long term vision is to share the land with up to 15 other households with similar interests. We envision it to look like a “Neighborhood of Awesome Autonomous Homesteads”. Feel free to contact us with any questions and thanks for your interest.

Our Mission

We aspire to live simple and healthy lives in a family oriented community setting. Our goal is to reconnect to our means of existence by meeting our needs with land based local economy. We also focus on getting along and character development. We hope to re-cultivate a more meaningful existence for our children than is offered by modern society.

  • Purpose
  • Ecological
  • Community type
  • Ecovillage
  • Sustainability practices
  • Renewable energy systems
  • Water conservation and management
  • Permaculture design
  • Activities
  • Farming
  • Experiences

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2010
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2011
  • Started living together
  • 6 Total members
  • Not open to new members
  • Not open to visitors
Total
14

How to join

People who can meet their own basic needs (food, shelter, financial, etc) without a permanent structure can stay for any amount of time for free as long as they are getting along with other residents. People who wish to build a permanent structure need to spend a lot of time here getting to know us first

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Please email and we will send you a questionnaire with more info.

Primary decision-making authority

  • Small Leadership Group

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

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.

Conflict resolution approach

Owners have the final say, but we’re open to input and suggestions.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • 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

Labor: Encouraged or suggested
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed

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

Garden(s), Workshop, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • 1-3 times per month

Significant food acquisition practices

  • Locally sourced
  • Wildcrafting / Foraging

Community activities and engagement

  • Volunteer, Internship, or Apprenticeship, or WWOOF’ing
  • WWOOF'ing, Guest Farming

Substance use culture

  • Substance use is frequent and public in the community
  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies

Gender composition

  • Roughly balanced (no group over 60%)

Age demographics

  • Family-focused (many children and parents)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By a single individual, couple, or Family Trust

Setting

  • Rural

Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.

Community type

  • Ecovillage

    Integrated communities designed around ecological principles with sustainable living practices.

Sustainability approach

  • Renewable energy systems
  • Water conservation and management
  • Permaculture design

Land practices in our community

  • The community practices permaculture

Self-produced energy

  • 33 - 66%

Energy sources used

  • Photovoltaic Solar

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • 33 - 66%

Food systems

  • Community garden

Source of water

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

Guest Book

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

Location

  • Minnesota, United States

Long Haul

Needs and Offers

Connecting people and communities through an intentional online marketplace

  • Promoted
Offer
  • Promoted
  • Events
4 weeks ago

Healing Love Healing Money: Trust As The Foundation For A New Culture

Money, love and power are among the hardest things any community works with, and many of us carry the same fears into both: not having enough, losing what we have, and the sense that if someone else gets money or love, we won’t. Healing Love, Healing Money: Trust as the Foundation for a New Culture is taught by two intentional communities. Karen McAllister and Duncan Cryle are from Clear Sky Meditation and Retreat Center, a Buddhist-lineage community in the BC Rockies. Monika Alleweldt and Benjamin von Mendelssohn from Tamera Healing Biotope, a community of about 160 people in southern Portugal that has spent decades studying love, trust and relationship. Clear Sky has spent years working on its relationship with money, and our two communities found surprising parallels in the fears beneath both. Over four sessions we explore the roots of fear around money and belonging, love, possession and power, trust as infrastructure (community as a container for healing), and ethical livelihood. We use short meditations, body-based practices, reflection and small-group conversation. You do not need to be in a romantic relationship or live in community. When: October 27, Nov 3, 10, 17. All four sessions: 12–2pm Vancouver, 1–3pm Alberta, 7–9pm UK and Portugal, 8–10pm Central Europe. Note: US and some Canadian provinces change clocks on November 1, so the US west coast is 12–2pm on October 27, then 11am–1pm for the remaining sessions, and Eastern is 3–5pm on October 27, then 2–4pm for the rest. Cost: sliding scale Details and registration: https://www.clearskycenter.org/event/healing-love-healing-money-online/  
October 27, 2026 13:00 – November 17, 2026 15:00
  • Promoted
Offer
Offer
Need
  • Communities with Openings
2 weeks ago

Needs: Quiet nature focused community with work exchange

About Me Hello, I’m Nanu. I’m 46 years old in need of a peaceful, nature-centered community where I can contribute, maintain my independence, and potentially establish a long-term home. I’m autistic and sometimes experience periods when I’m nonverbal. I appreciate direct communication, clear expectations, and people who respect different communication styles without making assumptions. I’m independent, value personal boundaries, and do best in environments where people can coexist comfortably without constant social interaction. The Environment I’m Seeking I’m looking for a wooded, green setting with mature trees, grass, and access to nature. Forests, trails, gardens, and peaceful outdoor spaces are important to me. I’d prefer a region with relatively mild winters, avoiding both desert landscapes and areas with harsh, snowy winters. Privacy is essential. I’m interested in a residential community where people respect one another’s space and participation in social activities is optional. I’m not looking for a retreat center, event venue, or community that regularly hosts outside groups, workshops, classes, or large gatherings on the residential property. Occasional visitors are understandable, but I prefer a quiet environment where residents can enjoy their homes without a constant flow of people coming and going. Work Exchange and Housing I’m interested in exchanging practical work for housing. Possible contributions include community gardening, planting, watering, harvesting, kitchen assistance, meal preparation, property upkeep, and other mutually agreed-upon tasks. I’d like the responsibilities, schedule, and expectations clearly established in advance. A trial stay or introductory period would be ideal so both sides can determine whether the arrangement is a good fit. Potential for Long-Term Ownership My longer-term goal is to explore purchasing a small home, a defined parcel of land, or a legally documented ownership interest in an established cooperative community. I have limited savings available for a potential investment and want to use those funds carefully toward lasting housing stability. I’m not interested in vague promises of future ownership or arrangements that depend entirely on one person’s continued involvement. I’d want clear documentation of ownership rights, decision-making, ongoing expenses, and what happens if a resident leaves or the community dissolves. I’m also not interested in traditional HOA-style arrangements or unpredictable fees. Reasonable, transparent shared expenses are open for discussion. Community Culture I’m looking for people who value mutual respect, personal autonomy, honest communication, and practical cooperation. I appreciate companionship but also need quiet and solitude. I don’t expect everyone to share my interests, only to respect one another’s boundaries. What I’d Like to Know If your community offers work exchange, a private and peaceful living environment, wooded surroundings, and a realistic possibility of long-term housing or ownership, I’d love to hear from you. Please share information about your location, climate, current residents, available housing, work-exchange expectations, visitor policies, ongoing costs, and potential ownership arrangements. I’d like to visit and get acquainted before making any commitments. My goal is to find a genuine mutual fit. Thank you for reading!

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