We are creating a self-reliance community where families can extract themselves from being dependent on the power grid, gas company, city water, and grocery stores in the city. This is not a political or religious statement, it’s an agricultural cooperative created for the benefit of its members. Over 1 million people in the USA own their land or homes through cooperatives.
We are building 200 family online-but-off-grid, self-reliance community as an agricultural co-op under Arizona law. Your membership in the co-op makes you a co-owner of the entire 1,298 acres, AND, you get whichever 2-acre lot you pick for your exclusive use on a 99-year auto-renewing lease.
There is no HOA to tell you what you can and can’t do with your 2 acre paradise. However, since this IS an agricultural co-op, each shareholder…
A) agrees to build an off-grid home, well, a shop, barn, garden and greenhouse,
B) is required to engage in some form of pesticide-free agriculture – anything from raising worms to horses to fruits and veggies.
C) can (eventually) sell their surplus produce through the co-op which will eventually get an account with Associated Foods or the like.
D) can (eventually) sell products or services of their home-based businesses through the co-op’s online and brick-and-mortar stores.
E) can save around 30-35% on the cost of building their home, barn and greenhouse through bulk purchasing arranged by co-op members.
Why do developers never create such cooperative communities like this? Because there’s no profit in it! This is a non-profit agricultural co-op, created under Arizona law for the benefit of the shareholders.
Our mission is to make it as inexpensive as reasonably possible for a family to leave the lifestyle of dependencies in the city and transition comfortably to a country culture of cooperation and self-reliance, debt-free and surrounded by other self-reliant families.
1. Watch (Like & Follow) our update videos for our previous community, Riverbed Ranch, and for Coslor Cove:
Riverbed Ranch: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCefJX23MKjnPm2Ta65e9V4Q/videos
Coslor Cove: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2YBKaHSa3dMy9DR74uurFg
2. Watch our 1st and 2nd introductory videos – https://OSRcommunity.com/introduction-utah/ (site loads slowly)
3. Attend a Wednesday night Q&A zoom call – https://www.eventbrite.com/o/academy-of-self-reliance-27972265747
4. Take a tour! – https://www.eventbrite.com/o/academy-of-self-reliance-27972265747
5. Write up your “Self-Reliance Journey” (1-page history) and your “Transition Plan”.
6. Meet with our founder Philip Gleason to answer any remaining questions, review the shareholder application, and pay for your share in the co-op ($35,000). Assuming the board of directors finds that you are serious about putting in the work to becoming self-reliant, and you have the resources to build out your 2.0 to 2.4 acre homestead (at least $235,000), your application will be approved.
7. Fill out the shareholder paperwork (online).
8. Pay for your share in the land co-op.
9. Pick your lot.
10. Design your passive-solar home and your lot layout.
11. Begin setting up your infrastructure (solar, septic, well, and greenhouse)
To register for our tours, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/o/riverbed-ranch-27972265747
One person or partnership has ultimate authority.
A single person, couple, or small group makes most major decisions.
Primary authority rests with the community’s founder(s) or designated leader(s).
Specifically, like typical cooperatives, we are governed by a board of elected members from among our shareholders. During elections, it’s One share = one vote, and one adult can only own one share. This prevents any single person or company from wresting control of the co-op from the shareholders.
The strongest evidence that we’re not a cult (we get this question from people who don’t know the difference between a cult and a co-op) is that our founder, Philip Gleason, retired from the board and as CEO of Riverbed Ranch when his term was up. If this were a cult, he would have hung onto “power” by remaining in office. Philip will be the CEO of Coslor Cove until he can be replaced by residents living there.
Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.
Join fee: $25000
Regular fees: $45
Our goal is to help people get out of a lifestyle of dependencies in the city. This includes getting out of debt. You’re not truly self-reliant if the bank can take away your home! Each household will need to generate revenue to sustain itself, through goods and/or services provided to customers both within and without the community. Also, the co-op itself will (eventually) produce revenue through various agricultural projects. It is hoped (but not guaranteed) that these revenue-generation projects will eventually replace the need for a monthly maintenance fee.
Greenhouse(s), Outbuilding(s), Swimming pond or pool
Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.
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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