Rock Ridge Community & Cooperative live on 175 acres of land near Dodgeville, WI that includes forests, meadows, spring-fed creeks, gardens, a small orchard, and unique rock formations. There are trails that take you past the old farmhouse and barn, over the creek, and up to three earth homes, two small cabins, Table Rock, a secret cave, and our beloved oak tree.
OPENINGS
We have openings for long-term members starting June 1, 2025 in the following space.
Farm House: This wood building has pretty wood floors and ceilings, and large windows overlooking gardens, fields, and rolling hills. It has 1 large bedroom, 1 small bedroom, and attic bedrooms, and a 3/4 bath (shower but no tub). $855/mo for the building, which includes all utilities, including internet and firewood. Gas heat plus an optional wood stove for coziness! We think this building is great for 2-3 adults or a small family. (A family of 6 did live here for many years once upon a time!)
All adult members also contribute $50/mo towards land use fee – access to 175 private beautiful acres in the Driftless, which includes multiple spring-fed creeks, oak savanna prairies, woods and rock formations on par with Governor Dodge State Park.
We are seeking new members who share some (not all!) of the above interests, and have a commitment to sustainability, co-operation, and equity, and who want to work with others to care for our buildings, the land, and the living beings we co-exist with. Our core values include mutual aid and support, shared problem solving, sustainability, collective land maintenance, and educational outreach.
THE COMMUNITY
We average 7-12 members, depending on household size. Currently, we range from 32 to 62 years old, but recently have also had members as young as 9, and into their late 70s – we really value intergenerational living. We have weekly dinners together and work individually and collectively on a range of projects including home improvement, gardening, chicken care, trail maintenance, and land stewardship. We do not have specific work requirements, but each of us contributes about 12 hours a month or more.
Our personal interests include, among other things, gardening, knitting, baking, herbal medicine, holistic nutrition, writing, foraging, mushrooms, bugs, birds/wildlife, farming, archery, hunting, kayaking, ceramics, painting, bluegrass music, mutual aid, solidarity economies, racial justice, rural queerness, and community empowerment.
MEMBERSHIP PROCESS
If Rock Ridge sounds intriguing and you want to learn more, please send an email to Rock Ridge (ro********************@***il.com) with the following information:
Who are you? Tell us a little about yourself, why you’re interested in Rock Ridge Cooperative and how you would align with our values, mission, and projects.
We will respond to emails received by January 4th as a priority, and will likely respond to later inquiries in mid-February. Thanks in advance for your interest & curiosity, and for passing this along to others.
We invite respondents who seem to overlap with our Community/Cooperative vision for a group tour and introductory meeting; where there is mutual interest in moving forward we will host individuals for longer sessions to learn more.
Community/Cooperative members will invite folks to become Cooperative members & residents when there is high compatibility. There is then a nine-month trial period, after which a Cooperative member can apply (or not) to become a full Community member.
We strive to be an enduring, multi-generational, land-owning community of people whose life together manifests the shared values of mutual aid and support, shared problem solving, sustainability, collective land maintenance and educational outreach.
If Rock Ridge sounds intriguing and you want to learn more, please send an email to Rock Ridge (ro********************@***il.com) with the following information: Who are you? Tell us a little about yourself, why you’re interested in Rock Ridge Cooperative and how you would align with our values, mission, and projects. We will respond to emails received by January 4th as a priority, and will likely respond to later inquiries in mid-February. Thanks in advance for your interest & curiosity, and for passing this along to others. We invite respondents who seem to overlap with our Community/Cooperative vision for a group tour and introductory meeting; where there is mutual interest in moving forward we will host individuals for longer sessions to learn more. Community/Cooperative members will invite folks to become Cooperative members & residents when there is high compatibility. There is then a nine-month trial period, after which a Cooperative member can apply (or not) to become a full Community member.
Contact Judy Kingsbury at ro********************@***il.com to make arrangements.
The whole membership decides collectively.
Generally seek agreement, but have backup methods when consensus isn’t reached.
Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.
We use the formal consensus decision making process, usually, but sometimes vote on items to make a decision. Decision are made in our meetings.
Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.
Join fee: Yes
Regular fees: Yes
Labor: Yes
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed
Common House, Garden(s), Outbuilding(s), Tractor & Farm Equipment, Fire pit, Internet
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.
Connecting 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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