Earthaven is an independent-income community, which means each community member is responsible for earning her or his own living. Below are some of our businesses and other ways some of our members earn a living.
We are in the process of developing our own village-scale economy, and so encourage Earthaven members to make a living here in the village, by operating their own small-scale ecologically sound businesses, by hiring each other whenever possible, or by telecommuting to outside jobs. We also encourage members, when possible, to invest in other members' homesite development projects and businesses. We would someday like to establish our own small credit union, through which we could deposit funds and make loans to our members for homesites, home construction, on-site business development, and so on.
Meanwhile, many of our members do earn a living here at Earthaven, often with various part-time incomes. For example, one of our members has three Earthaven-based income sources: woodworking, selling books (in another member's business), and giving guided tours of Earthaven.
Earthaven-based Businesses
Site Planning, Building Design, and Construction. Construction and lumber businesses at Earthaven include Mihaly Bartalos and the team of Chris Farmer and Brian Love. Finish lumber for sale.
Mihaly Bartalos provides services as a builder, logger, carpenter, and stucco professional, using sustainable building techniques and local materials. More information. 828-669-4328,
Combining the best of natural building and green construction, Chris Farmer and Brian Love design and construct passive-solar homes, multi-family dwellings, and outbuildings from start to finish. They also provide sustainable forestry and landscaping services, custom cabinetry and concrete countertops, roofwater catchment, and solar power systems. More information. 828-669-8464,
Finding Community: How to Join an Ecovillage or Intentional Community.
Written by Earthaven member Diana Leafe Christian with a chapter by longtime Earthaven member Sue Stone. Based on personal experiences of community seekers and communities seeking new members, the book includes how to research communities online; find those that match your vision, values, preferred climate and location, employment needs, and affordability needs; get the most out of your community visits; intelligently evaluate what you’ve seen; and join your chosen community gracefully.
Published by New Society Publishers, 2007. $24.95 from your local independent bookstore, or order from www.store.ic.org/catalog. (Click "Community Bookshelf.")
Forest Children Program. The Forest Children Program is a Homeschool Enrichment Program for Earthaven members and local families. Program Coordinators live at or near Earthaven and are chosen for their skill and background in childhood education. About a dozen children, ages 5-10 years old, attend the program three days a week. http://www.earthaven.org/children;
Red Moon Herbs and Southeast Wise Women. Corinna Wood, Lee Warren, Carmen Lescher, Julie McMahan, and others neighboring Earthaven. Red Moon Herbs makes herbal medicines from fresh, wildcrafted local plants, and sells them regionally through wholesale accounts and nationally by mail order. www.redmoonherbs.com. Southeast Wise Women is a sister organization nurturing the Wise Woman tradition through educational programs in the Southeast. Their programs include the Southeast Women’s Herbal Conference, an annual fall conference that draws over 500 participants, Corinna Wood’s classes in herbal medicine and women's health, and apprenticeships. www.sewisewomen.com. See About Us for current staff openings.
Useful Plants Nursery. Landscape Design. Chuck Marsh.
Hardy perennial trees, shrubs, vines, and herbaceous perennials for food, medicine, and other uses, specifically adapted for soil and climatic conditions of Katuah Bioregion and surrounding regions. Thirty years' experience designing gardens, landscapes, and other outdoor projects in the Southeast and other regions. www.usefulplants.org;
Email
; 828-669-1759.
Teachers and Consultants
A number of Earthaven members make their living by teaching classes on various aspects of natural and community living, and by offering consulting services. The skills these experienced and visionary teachers brought to Earthaven are part of what makes Earthaven the success it is today. Nationally recognized, most of these teachers offer their services both at Earthaven and at other locations.
Patricia Allison. Permaculture Training and Consensus Training. Eleven
years' experience teaching Permaculture Design Course, workshops, seminars, and
lectures at Earthaven and throughout the US.
Eight years' experience teaching
workshops in consensus decision-making and facilitation. Facilitation services
for groups in the area.
828-664-0067;
Patriciaallison.net.
Mollie Curry. Natural Building. Eight years' experience in natural building, including cob, strawbale, straw-clay, wattle and daub, and earth- and lime-based plasters and paints. Consults and contracts home-building projects, with a special focus on natural paints and plasters. Teaches natural building regionally, with the Natural Building School at Earthaven, and through Kleiwerks (www.kleiwerks.com).
Arjuna da Silva. Consensus Training. Fifteen years training folks and facilitating consensus and group processes. A recent testimonial: "We were impressed with Arjuna's capacity to assess the group, ask the right questions, and deliver the required information in a way most useful for the group." TL/GVP. References available. 828‑669‑0114;
Chuck Marsh. Permaculture Training and Design; Ecovillage Design. Twenty-four years' experience in permaculture design consulting on large and small projects, at Earthaven and in other regions. 1990 North American Permaculture Teacher of the Year. Instructor in Permaculture Design Course leading to certification: Part I (Introduction) and Part II (Practicum), taught at Earthaven and in other locations.
828‑669‑1759;
Corinna Wood. Herbal Medicine and Women's Health. Director of Southeast Wise Women and Red Moon Herbs, Corinna has opened the hearts of thousands to the wisdom of the plants, the earth, and their own bodies. Specializes in herbal medicine, women’s health, fertility awareness, nutrition. www.sewisewomen.com.
Other Goods and Services at Earthaven
Alternative Electric and Water Systems. Greg Geis. Email
Candle Lanterns made at Earthaven. Clark Goslee, Susan Lathrop.
828-669-2073;
Carpentry and Home Construction.
Michaeljon Drouin, 828-669-4243
Darren Geffert,
