Community garden with greenhouses and lush trees at Headwaters Community.

Headwaters Community

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Ecological
  • Rural

Founding year

  • 2010

What we do

Our community is full and not open to the public at this time. We invite you to learn about us through the description below. Stay in the loop about when we have opportunities to visit or join by signing-up to our email list through our website.
If you would like to visit, we are one of the stops on the we are one of the stops on the annual Vermont Ecovillage Tour, which you can learn more about here: https://www.ecovillagetours.com/
We are a multi-generational community nestled into the wooded hills of Cabot, Vermont. Our community began in 2011 and today consists of 8 households on 14 acres. We are situated at the headwaters of the Winooski River, hence our name.
Most households have built their homes here using natural or sustainable building techniques. Homes are clustered near each other to allow for greater shared open space. The design of our community is loosely based on permaculture principles.
Households own the land around their home and we collectively own common areas, which includes a: bountiful garden, earthship greenhouse & hoop house, wood-fired hot tub & sauna, orchard & meadow
We share our home with goats, chickens, bees, dogs, cats, and many woodland critters. Our community is well connected with neighboring homesteads and the village of Cabot (within walking distance from our land).
We make decisions together during a monthly business meeting. Everyone pitches in to help with projects and contributes a monthly due to maintain our shared infrastructure and land. Most of us have jobs in the area or work remotely from home. Although not an income-sharing community, we do much informal sharing of tools and resources.
We enjoy caring for our land, having fun together, and co-creating a supportive environment for the young ones in our community to grow up in. We have lots of gatherings — birthday parties, summer games, winter sledding, and fireside chats.

Our Mission

Headwaters aims to be a nurturing community for the individuals and families who live here. We strive to grow a lot of our own food, live close to nature, and enjoy each other’s company.

  • Purpose
  • Ecological
  • Community type
  • Cohousing
  • Ecovillage
  • Sustainability practices
  • Permaculture design

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2010
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2011
  • Started living together
  • 14 Total members
  • Not open to new members
  • Not open to visitors
Total
22

How to join

While we do not currently have openings for new members, if we did have an opening, the process would be to visit and come to work days. Then if someone is still interested, they start attending our monthly meetings on a regular basis. There is an application process, and after some time spent attending meetings, visitors can submit an application that will be considered by the group. To build a home there, you would buy a home site and agree to pay monthly condo fees for shared facilities.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Unfortunately, we are not open to public visitors at this time. However, if you would like to visit, we are one of the stops on the annual Vermont Ecovillage Tour that you can learn more about at https://www.ecovillagetours.com/

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

Everyone who is a resident is part of the governing, and has an equal voice in decisions for Headwaters.

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
  • 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

Join fee: $25
Regular fees: $150
Labor: Encouraged or suggested (0 hrs/week)
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed

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

Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Vehicle Share, Outbuilding(s), Swimming pond or pool, Hot tub or hot springs, Large Scale Kitchen, Tractor & Farm Equipment, Stage or Auditorium, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • 1-3 times per month

Significant food acquisition practices

  • Locally sourced
  • Livestock / Animal Husbandry

Dietary type

  • Vegetarian Only

Dietary restriction

  • People can cook and eat what they want in their own residence

Substance use culture

  • Substance use appears in public spaces but no pressure
  • 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 Land Trust, Home Owners Association, or corporation

Setting

  • Rural

Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.

Community type

  • Cohousing

    Private homes with shared common facilities, designed for neighborly
    interaction while maintaining independence.

  • Ecovillage

    Integrated communities designed around ecological principles with sustainable living practices.

Sustainability approach

  • Permaculture design

Land practices in our community

  • The community practices permaculture

Self-produced energy

  • Up to 33%

Energy sources used

  • Photovoltaic Solar
  • Biomass (from wood or other organic materials)

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • 33 - 66%

Food systems

  • Community garden
  • Greenhouse / aquaponics
  • Livestock / poultry
  • Land area size
    14 acres

Guest Book

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Location

  • Vermont, United States

Needs and Offers

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  • Real Estate For Sale
1 month ago

Home For Sale at Cobb Hill CoHousing in Hartland, VT on 270 Beautiful Rural Acres

Dreaming of more community in your life? Rural and ecological living? There is a home for sale in Cobb Hill Cohousing in Hartland, Vermont, a community of 23 homes on 270 shared acres. This is a well loved and beautifully maintained three-story, passive solar house with triple paned windows, radiant floor heat, rich woodwork and custom touches throughout, and pastoral views. 36 Linden Rd, Hartland, VT 05048 2 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom, 3 floors, 2073 sqft Built in 2001 “This house feels like it was dipped in honey,” according to one neighbor! Be the lucky third owner of this beautiful, lovingly maintained, sunfilled home and dive into life at Cobb Hill. This home enjoys the same general layout (3 floors and many windows) and eco features as the other Cobb Hill homes, like extra thick walls, triple paned windows, passive solar heat, composting toilets, solar hot water, and more. Some highlights of this home include: -Cherry floors, kitchen cabinets, doors, and stairs -Radiant floor heating (basement and main floor) -Cold weather heat pumps/mini splits added in 2021 on each floor (used mainly for summer cooling and dehumidification) -Granite counters and window sills -Three hand-thrown pottery bathroom sinks -Custom-built wood features like the bar in the kitchen and counter in half bath -Natural wool carpeting upstairs -An over-sized primary bedroom with walk-in closet, plus a second closet -Large bay windows on lower and main levels -Custom Bali blinds on (almost) all windows -A more private location with no immediate neighbor to the west -Gorgeous pastoral views in all seasons to the south (see photos!) -Side deck, covered front porch, and attached shed -Mature blueberries, raspberries, flower and other garden space around the house Please explore the Cobb Hill Cohousing website (cobbhill.org) to understand what it means to buy a home and be a part of this vibrant, close-knit, agricultural, and mu
Offer
  • Communities with Openings
2 weeks ago

Still Point House Manager

Still Point House Manager (Northampton) Windhorse Integrative Mental Health, Inc Are you interested in working where you live? Do you want to make a difference in the lives of others? Do you have experience with running a household, and do you appreciate community-based environments? Windhorse is seeking a manager of a hosted home environment for individuals working with extreme mind states who are arriving to our step-down program. When a Windhorse client first arrives, they are received at our Still Point house, an established home environment where they can land, orient, and meet their clinical team. Each client remains at our Still Point house for two to twelve weeks, at which point they then move to an apartment, which they share with a housemate. Windhorse is seeking a Still Point Manager who will live ongoingly in a house in Northampton and help with these transitions as well as other uses for the house. This individual should be skilled at running an uplifted home (including typical home cleaning and maintenance), cooking, and shopping for the home. They also need to be emotionally regulated, welcoming, compassionate, organized, and patient. While the Still Point Manager has extensive clinical support, the job itself is not clinical. In addition, the Still Point Manager is anticipated to hold outside employment and may do so for up to 20 hours per week. During periods of vacancy when there is no client in residence, the Still Point Manager may also be asked to host guests in the home, either other housemates when they are on respite from their households, or friends and family members from the Windhorse community. In addition, during vacancy periods the Still Point Manager is responsible for providing short periods of respite coverage during housemate time off. This may involve staying with the client in their apartment while the housemate is away (typically for 3 nights) or hosting the client at the Still Point ho

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