—Helena Norberg-Hodge

The ecovillage movement is largely a positive response to the destruction caused by modern industrialized culture. That is the culture of mass production and consumption that fosters the anonymity and isolation that Norberg-Hodge refers to, and which has blind faith in the global free market economy. Author and ecologist, Wendell Berry, describes the phenomenon of globalization as 'inherently an enemy to the natural world, to human health and freedom, to industrial workers and to farmers and other land use economies; and furthermore that it is inherently an enemy to good work and good economic practice.' Ecovillages, however, strive to combine the care of the natural world with the desire to be socially conscious and provide an alternative to the anomie that accompanies industrial society. After three years of studying social anthropology, I decided to explore the concept through an internship.

Earthaven Ecovillage is nestled deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, almost thirty minutes away from the nearest town. To get there you must wind along Route 9 beside dense forests, small farms and pastures and past the eastern continental divide. When you finally arrive at the entrance, you will notice that the road taking you into the heart of the community is called Another Way. At Earthaven, residents are growing a culture that is designed to be both socially and ecologically sustainable.

According to a study recently published by the World Watch Institute in Vital Signs 2003, 'Humanity is withdrawing resources 20% faster than the Earth can renew them.' Indeed, we hear the words sustainability and sustainable development more and more in mainstream media, and sustainability is central to life at Earthaven. In the community’s most recent newsletter it defines itself as 'a human scale, full-featured settlement in which human activities are harmlessly integrated into the natural world in a way that is supportive of healthy human development and can be successfully continued into the indefinite future.

Ecological sustainability at Earthaven often means efficient use of all resources on the 350-acre site. The village is based on permaculture design principles, which means that all things are seen as part of different interdependent systems and almost everything serves more than one purpose. For example, the water you shower in at night might later be used to irrigate garden beds. What might be considered waste to the average American household is probably considered a resource at Earthaven. Food scraps and other waste is composted and will provide rich nutrients for the topsoil in the gardens.

FROM EARTH PLASTERS TO STRAWBALE

Homes at Earthaven are often the first thing that visitors notice. All of the buildings there are made from natural and recycled materials; straw, clay, sand, sticks and scrap wooden lathe, local timber, strawbale, lime, used wooden palates, used doors, glass, and windows. These buildings include small houses and a café, as well as a store, sauna, meditation building and council hall, the Hut Hamlet Kitchen and the new Village Terraces—a common-wall residence which accommodates several families. Despite what many consider primitive building materials, these structures are beautiful inside and out. Most are finished with pigmented earth plaster and hardwood floors. The community offers periodic seminars and workshops open to the public that teach natural building techniques. Another feature of environmental sustainability is that Earthaven is completely 'off the grid' in terms of energy usage. All of its electricity comes from photovoltaic systems or hydro-power. The founders of Earthaven chose not only a fertile piece of land in a mountainous area with scenic views, but also a piece of land with plenty of water running through its rolling hills. Its hydro-power comes from a small dam in one of the creeks which powers the Café and the Trading Post.

There are many more details about the Earthaven lifestyle that contribute to its environmental sustainability. It has become apparent to me that in order to create a sustainable community, it must become socially sustainable as well. Acceptance of diversity, honest and compassionate relationships, opportunities for social development and livelihood are all ways the Earthaven Ecovillage works toward social sustainability. Because it is a small community and tensions are bound to arise, open communication is necessary to prevent conflicts and misunderstandings. Meetings are scheduled frequently and are open to all for discussion. And, while the resolution of conflict is vital, entertainment is also important. Almost every culture has some form of entertainment and if a newly created culture is to thrive, it must accommodate this critical element in human social development. Dances, a movie night, work parties, a talent show, even a bonfire and drum circle were all part of the fabric of Earthaven.

At Earthaven as in any community, it is necessary to earn a living. But to Earthaven residents, finding a livelihood that does not force them to compromise their values is the challenge. In such a remote location, this becomes an exercise in creativity, and for resident Corrinna Wood, an art. Wood’s Red Moon Herbs is an herb company that provides classes and workshops, as well as certain herbal medicines, to the surrounding cities and suburbs. Another example is the Forestry Cooperative, which employs many residents and does everything from building wooden trims and staircases to lumbering and land management. Their portable sawmill enables them to mill timber on-site, making ethically harvested, locally milled timber more available.

Earthaven Ecovillage is a truly dynamic and hopeful example of sustainability and it’s a place worth visiting. I left Earthaven reassured that another way is possible. This is a living alternative to the 'monoculture' of the globalized world and the destruction and inequity that accompanies its methods.

Earthaven summer intern Joanna Dean is a student at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina. She lives in the college’s newly completed Eco Dorm.

 

What is Permaculture? In the 1970’s Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, professors at the University of Queensland in Australia, created a diversified and holistic system of agriculture that they called Permaculture. Permaculture, Bill Mollison explains, 'Is a design system for creating sustainable human environments.' The word itself is a contraction not only of permanent agriculture, but also of permanent culture. In this system many disciplines are fused together to create the most resource efficient, diverse, and accessible garden design. Some of these disciplines include anthropology, architecture, horticulture, animal husbandry, geography, and a few others, which are all necessary to create a dynamic and compatible relationship between humans and landscapes. In Mollison’s book, Introduction to Permaculture, he distinguishes four primary elements taken into consideration when designing a permaculture garden. These elements are site components, energy components, abstract components, and social components. All aspects of permaculture design are founded in permaculture ethics, 'care of the earth, care of people, and [the cooperative decision about] the dispersal of surplus time, money, and materials towards these ends.' This ethic, based on cooperation and the recognition of the intrinsic, not just the commercial worth, of all things is completely opposite of conventional agricultural practices. Where industrial agriculture uses high impact, resource intensive machinery, gallons of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and exhausts the soil with acre after acre of the same crop, permaculture practices call for something quite different. The permaculture gardener might use a 'rabbit tractor' (a rabbit or two in a large bottomless cage), or other low-impact methods of tilling, fertilizing, and pest control. Unlike factory farms, the permaculture garden is highly diversified with trees, herbs, shrubs and vines specifically integrated so that the plants work cooperatively and receive the benefits of the plants around them. Industrial agriculture seeks to occupy the most land in order to receive the most profit, even though they may be producing more food than the market demands. Someone who practices permaculture, however, will garden only the amount of land that she or he can maintain and gain subsistence from. Permaculture, because of it’s planning with site, energy, abstract and social components in mind, is a system that can be ecologically and socially sustained. Industrial agriculture, however, often disregards the unique ecological components of the site, and is a proponent of the wasteful energy-use practices of mechanized farming. It ignores the need for seasonal production to maintain soil health. Finally, some blame factory farming for a negative impact on health, and point out that it has led to the destruction of rural communities. By incorporating permaculture ethics and practices into both rural and urban communities, it is possible to create more socially and ecologically sustainable human developments. Resources used: Vital Signs 2003 'Introduction to Permaculture' by Bill Mollison