People participating in permaculture and homesteading activities at Wheaton Labs.

Wheaton Labs

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Ecological
  • Rural

Founding year

  • 2013

What we do

Wheaton Labs is owned by Paul Wheaton and is over 220 acres near Missoula, Montana. It is actually TWO pieces of property, base camp and the lab. Base camp is on-grid, ROCKY, has wifi, and is where Paul lives in the “Fisher Price House.” The lab is down a paved, then gravel, then dirt (some times mud adventure!) road, is off-grid (with our solar trailers), no wifi / spotty cell reception, and is where ant village is located.
The main goal of Wheaton Labs is permaculture innovation and to build a better world in our backyard.
There are a few ways to join us at Wheaton Labs. You can join us a boot at the permaculture bootcamp, as someone who is Seriously Excited about Permaculture, or join our deep roots lifetime rent program.
The Permaculture Boot Camp is an experiential learning environment in which you develop permaculture skills through a little hard work. You’ll grow gardens and food forests to feed yourself and fellow Boots; you’ll learn natural building skills that will house your bootcamp community for years to come. Come try it out with no long-term commitment! Earn tickets to our pdc, ptj, and skip events! if you love it, stay for a while and earn lifetime rent for an acre of your own!
This link will have more info! https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp/
As a SEPPer (Seriously Excited about Permaculture) you are not required to do 40+ hours of project work but will need to pay rent and provide your own food. This is a great way to test the waters before committing to working the bootcamp or purchasing lifetime rent of land in our deep roots program. You can join as a SEPPer an day that works for you, rather than waiting for the boot arrival date. There is no waitlist and your accommodations do not depend on the comings and goings of other boots.
Follow this link for more info: https://permies.com/wiki/sepper
Our deep roots program is for those who are already familiar with Paul Wheaton and how we do things at Wheaton Labs. You can buy lifetime rent on an acre or 3. You cannot put your first post in the ground without meeting certain requirements. The important thing is that we only want deep roots people that are a good fit for our community and appreciate our values.
Learn more here: https://permies.com/t/168047

Our Mission

Permaculture Innovation
Develop permaculture and homesteading skills through a little hard work.
Make the world better instead of being angry at bad guys.
World Domination through Permaculture!

  • Purpose
  • Ecological
  • Community type
  • Coliving
  • Ecovillage
  • Sustainability practices
  • Renewable energy systems
  • Permaculture design
  • Natural / low-impact building
  • Activities
  • Property management
  • Education
  • Experiences
  • Networking
  • Services Business

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2013
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2013
  • Started living together
  • 8 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
8

How to join

(Recommended) To join wheaton labs as a SEPPer without the work requirement of bootcamp, follow this link here: https://permies.com/wiki/sepper
(For those who don’t mind hardwork and want the hands on experience) To join wheaton labs permaculture bootcamp, you pay the $100 sign up fee, fill out a questionnaire, and pick your arrival date! It is that easy! Sign up here: https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp/
We prefer you stay at least 1 week.
But if you decide to stay awhile…
+eight weeks in the bootcamp to get a ticket to our Permaculture Design Course or some of our other events.
+four months in the bootcamp to get more than a year of rent in Ant Village
+two years in the bootcamp to get “deep roots” – a lifetime of rent on an acre.
For those who are already familiar with Paul Wheaton and Wheaton Labs, we also have 1-3 acre plots that you can shell out cash for. These are lifetime rentals. Learn more here: https://permies.com/t/168047/permaculture-projects/Deep-roots-wheaton-labs-rent

Basic expectations or agreements for members

If you would like to visit Wheaton Labs as a casual, permaculture enthusiast, but not have to meet the work requirements, go to this link here: https://permies.com/wiki/rentals
If you would like to visit Wheaton Labs as a boot (the permaculture bootcamp) go to this link here: https://wheaton-labs.com/bootcamp/

Primary decision-making authority

  • Single Leader or Founding Couple

One person or partnership has ultimate authority.

Decision-making process

  • Leadership Decides

A single person, couple, or small group makes most major decisions.

Governance structure

  • Founder/Leader-led

Primary authority rests with the community’s founder(s) or designated leader(s).

Conflict resolution approach

https://wheaton-labs.com/#Frequently%20Asked%20Questions

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • There is a one-time fee, investment, or share purchase to join the community separate from accessing housing
  • 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

Join fee: $100
Labor: Encouraged or suggested (40 hrs/week)
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed
As a boot in our permaculture bootcamp, you earn your room and board by working 40 hours a week. The 40 hours per week is called “project labor.” All boots are expected to chip in to do the cooking for one another and cleaning up after one another. Plus four to eight hours per week of “nest labor,” that would include shoveling snow, deep cleaning, maintenance, garden harvesting – things of short term benefit to the boots community. (Planting a garden to feed people months into the future falls into “project labor.” Harvesting from a garden to feed yourself and other boots in the next few days falls into “nest labor.”)
There are individuals who have earned their spot at ant village or are deep roots members that are not required to put in the 40 hours of labor. Learn more here: https://permies.com/wiki/bootcamp

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

Common House, Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Vehicle Share, Library, Workshop, Outbuilding(s), Outdoor Kitchen, Tractor & Farm Equipment, Fire pit, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • Approximately 1 meal per day

Significant food acquisition practices

  • Locally sourced

Community activities and engagement

  • School, Educational Institute or Experience
  • Volunteer, Internship, or Apprenticeship, or WWOOF’ing
  • Neighborhood, Community Housing, or Homeowner's Association
  • Ethical Business, Investment Group, or Alternative Currency
  • Organization, Resource, or Network
  • Festivals, Conferences, Events

Substance use culture

  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies
  • Substance use is prohibited in the community

Age demographics

  • Mixed adults (few or no children)

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

  • 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.

Community type

  • Partially built or remodeled with recycled or environmentally friendly materials, and/or using natural building methods

Sustainability approach

  • Renewable energy systems
  • Permaculture design
  • Natural / low-impact building

Land practices in our community

  • The community practices permaculture

Community type

  • Partially built or remodeled with recycled or environmentally friendly materials, and/or using natural building methods

Some or all of the buildings are...

  • Partially built or remodeled with recycled or environmentally friendly materials, and/or using natural building methods

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
  • Food forest
  • Greenhouse / aquaponics
  • Land area size
    220 acres

Guest Book

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

Location

  • Montana, United States

Wheaton Labs

Needs and Offers

Connecting people and communities through an intentional online marketplace

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3 days 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
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  • Real Estate For Sale
3 weeks 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.
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  • Communities with Openings
4 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
  • Events
1 month ago

Coastal Regeneration Immersion: Permaculture Design Certification in Jalisco, Mexico

Tropical Dry Forest Permaculture Design & Regenerative Stewardship Certification (PDC)12-Day Intensive | 120 Hours | Costalegre, Jalisco, Mexico Join us for an immersive Permaculture Design Certificate course set in the tropical dry forest bioregion of coastal Jalisco. This 120-hour intensive blends internationally recognized PDC curriculum with hands-on regenerative practice — combining ecological design, agroforestry, natural building, and community stewardship into one integrated learning experience. Lead Faculty Jorge Luis Gtz. Olarte (Arborescencia RedGenerativa) – Regenerative Design, Soil Biology & Agroforestry Ozzy Lusth (Survior & XochiraĂ­z) – Wilderness Resilience & Survival Skills Dave Collins (Capacha Coastal Conservation Center) – Bioarchitecture & Ecological Development What You’ll LearnThe course moves through six progressive phases: Permaculture & Ecological Literacy – ethics, principles, and reading the tropical dry forest landscape Water & Soil Systems – keyline design, water harvesting, living soils, and compost systems Horticulture – food garden design, propagation, and biological pest control Regenerative Food Systems – tropical agroforestry, food forest design, and guild planting Ecological Infrastructure – bamboo bioarchitecture, bioclimatic farm design, compost toilets, greywater, and rocket stoves Integrated Design Studio – team-based final design projects covering watershed strategy, agroforestry, food forest layout, infrastructure, and phased implementation Daily RhythmMornings begin with optional surf/yoga and journaling, followed by field practicums and hands-on workshops. Afternoons include design studio and construction lab work, with reflection circles, communal dinners, and evening talks, films, or campfire discussions rounding out the day. Final ProjectParticipants work in teams to produce a full regenerative design package — landscape analysis, water plan, agroforestry design, food forest plan, ecological infrastructure, and bioclimatic farm plan — presented to a faculty review panel on the final day, followed by a closing ceremony, certificate delivery, and community feast. CertificationGraduates receive the Tropical Dry Forest Permaculture Design & Regenerative Stewardship Certification (120 contact hours), hosted by Capacha Coastal Conservation Center and Tierralegre, A.C. Curriculum integrates international PDC standards with tropical ecology, agroforestry, ecological restoration, bamboo bioarchitecture, bioclimatic design, GIS/photogrammetry, and regenerative leadership. Highlights Hands-on bamboo construction (temazcal, bathhouses, sculpture) Tropical dry forest silviculture practicum Community mapping and design project for Ekoa Green Community Talent show and sea turtle release
November 13, 2026 09:00 – November 25, 2026 16:00
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