A Community to Inspire Your Genius :)

Maine: HopeWell Community Land Trust

Information

Hello Big Glow Family!

Here is a welcome to come visit us for a bit or to stay!

Location: Thorndike Maine USA
Members: 26
Latest Activity: Oct 29, 2012

I wanted to share our project with all of you and invite you to come visit us to enjoy some time or maybe to stay. This is a 10 year project culmination and we are very grateful to be in the position to extend a welcome to our little place here in Maine. Pictures to come soon.

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We are a community of individuals living with the Hope in the new consciousness of humanity. We feel deep reverence for the Earth for other humans and all life upon it. We believe our work here is to live from the freedom of our hearts and do what is in front of us to do each day. We do this with love and compassion when it seems impossible to be loving and compassionate. We feel this is the most important work. True forgivness every day.

We steward a patch of land(8 acres of pasture and woods)in which we farm 1/2 acre using permaculture and biodynamic methods. We raise goats(milk), chickens and ducks(eggs),and a few other animals for companionship and manure. We help grow a diversity of vegetables and fruits, medicinal and culinary herbs and beautiful flowers. We also have bees for honey and pollination along with the many butterflys that live alongside us in the fields.

We have small homes that utilize south facing warmth and simple design for function and are esthetically beautiful. They are each between 150-350square feet and are designed to maximize space. Our common land is also designed as such with clustered houses and permaculture design of garden space to utilize what is here for food and beauty.

Our community does not share finances, but we believe in associative economics. It places value in the human being rather than in the system of monetary exchange. So we are open about what we have available to use(in freedom) whether it is money or other resources which includes ideas. The basis for the community land trust model is to make land available to all and it is not ever used for profit. There is no set fee to join our community and only a willingness to contribute with whatever resources you have to offer is asked. That way someone who has an excess of money (which of course is a up to the individual) can contribute financially(in freedom) and a person who has very little money, but lots of wonderful ideas can contribute equally. Also the young and elders contribute differently , but equally.

Some other features about us and the community:

composting toilets with grey water systems

root cellar

outdoor oven

solar hot water

wind power

car sharing/bike sharing

waldorf/homeschooling

small community workshop/retreat space

We look forward to meeting you if our community resonates with you.

Many Blessings!

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Comment by yvonne palumbo on July 18, 2011 at 7:58am: There are only three of us here full time. Just our small family. Although one more is on the way! Lots of others are involved in our community though.

Comment by Brian Piergrossi TheBigGlow on July 17, 2011 at 12:13pm: thank you yvonne for this info... lovely... remind me again how many are living there full time or part time...

Comment by yvonne palumbo on July 16, 2011 at 7:13pm: Okay, here I am. So to answer the question of how many can sleep here, Brian. I guess that depends on the accomodations. We have a lot of great tent spaces( platforms and open field setting) and for inside sleeping we have about 6-8 spaces. So...hmmm. That sounds small when I write it down, but I think it is still possible if the retreat were worded as a more "rustic" type. As far as the closest city (Thorndike is the town that the land is on) , that would be Belfast which is a BEAUTIFUL little place right on the Belfast Bay. Very artsy and hip and organic. We live close to some really cool other places too. All ten minutes from here. Unity which is home to MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association) and the CommonGround Fair (http://www.mofga.org/TheFair/tabid/135/Default.aspx ) and then there is the New Forest Institute which is a permaculture learning center (http://www.newforestinstitute.org/). Well I could say more, but I'll stop and see if we would even fit the first criteria of enough inside spaces. I love visioning into to this and thanks for considering it , Brian.

LOVE,

Yvonne

Comment by Brian Piergrossi TheBigGlow on July 16, 2011 at 10:10am: ok... looks like 'thorndike' ...

Comment by Brian Piergrossi TheBigGlow on July 16, 2011 at 10:09am: btw.. what is the closest city to the land ?

Comment by Brian Piergrossi TheBigGlow on July 16, 2011 at 10:07am: i will make a promise right now...

definitely no retreat in maine in the winter :):)

Comment by Barry Hesperus on July 16, 2011 at 8:31am: If Brian leads a Big Glow retreat at the Hopewell Community, I would plan to attend, since I already live in Maine. I would prefer for such a gathering not to be held in the winter, when the roads are filled with snow and ice.

Comment by Brian Piergrossi TheBigGlow on July 15, 2011 at 7:08pm: hi yvonne .. well my first question is how many people can sleep there?

Comment by yvonne palumbo on July 15, 2011 at 1:53pm: Hello Brian,

I would love to explore what it would look like if we were to host a Big Glow retreat here on our farm and community. It would have to be during the summer months and of course next year. What is the criteria that you look for in a space for these retreats?

Comment by Teresa Golden on June 23, 2011 at 3:27am: Am visiting the US very soon. Would love to visit you, Yvonne. My trip feels very much in God's hands :)