Village Economics: The In’s & Out’s of Money & Wealth at Earthaven Ecovillage

A self-paced online course through Earthaven Ecovillage

Village Economics at Earthaven Ecovillage

The Ins and Outs of Money and Wealth at Earthaven Ecovillage

Self-Paced Online Course
Cost: $35

A viable economy is a key component to the success of all ecovillage and residential community projects. Yet, in stark contrast to the predatory, industrial, and highly consumptive nature of our world economic systems, Earthaven looks towards a more elegant, fair-share design for economics that includes right livelihood, living wages, sustainability, cooperation, and village well-being.

Discover the economic structure of our rural Appalachian intentional community, including:

How the community raises funds for capital and operating expenses
How the neighborhood coops are structured — ownership structures, ownership and fees
How individual members survive financially

The course also covers business structures, what we’ve gotten right and wrong, and the future we hope to create around money.

Nine videos totaling 78 minutes.
Each video has subtitles, includes resources, and transcription.
Lifetime access to this course.

Village Economics Self-Paced Online Course

Course Details:

Introduction

Video 1: Introduction to the course and the instructor.

Context of Economics

Video 2: Context of economics, including the three-legged stool of sustainability metaphor and related models, impact of the mainstream focus of profit, other ways that people are exploring.

Video 3: Introduction to the thinkers that influenced the instructor in regenerative and sustainable economics, including Charles Eisenstein, David Korten, and Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Components of Village Economics

Video 4: Earthaven village context, including native lands, regional economic geography, and Earthaven demographics.

Video 5: Community structure (economic parts), including different types and economic models of intentional communities, Earthaven’s legal entities and what each governs, an introduction of Earthaven’s internal governance structure and currency, and fees and labor requirements for residents.

Video 6: Neighborhood structure, including the relative sizes and costs of housing at Earthaven and in our region, and the finances involved with building and living in the Village Terraces Housing Coop at Earthaven.

Video 7: Making a living, including the concepts of energy slaves, the Happiness Index, the gig economy, and examples of how Earthaven residents make a living.

Video 8: Businesses, including businesses at or near Earthaven, businesses that were at Earthaven in the past, and examples of businesses in other communities.

Celebrations and Challenges

Video 9: Celebrations and challenges of village economics at Earthaven Ecovillage.

To purchase the Village Economics self-paced online course, visit the SOIL website (Earthaven Ecovillage’s education non-profit.)

Village Economics Self-Paced Online Course

Instructor

Lee Warren is reclaiming wisdom through conscious relating with self, land, and other. She has 25 years of experience envisioning, designing, and living innovative solutions to mutually empowered relationships, land-based and community living, regenerative systems, interpersonal communication, and sustainability education. She’s been living in rural intentional community since 1995 and at Earthaven Ecovillage since 2000. She is a co-founder, co-owner, and builder of the Village Terraces Cohousing Neighborhood, the co-founder and manager of Imani Farm, and the co-founder of SOIL, School of Integrated Living, whole-life skills for a radically different future. She is the principal and founder of Reclaiming Wisdom and a writer, teacher, and activist, with a passion for embodiment practices, rural wisdom, sustainable economics, conscious dying, and community of all kinds.

Subscribe To Our

To receive articles, news, special event invitations and more in your inbox.

Get In Touch

Shared Experiences

Patrick Davis, MA

Hospice Chaplin & Leadership Coach

“After 25 years of coaching leaders and teams, I have found Lee’s Relational Leadership workshop to be a unique and powerful combination of both practical tools and effective leadership principles. Her proven experience leading different causes makes for an approach that balances both head and heart.”
Evalena Rose

Meta Therapist & Channel

"Lee is an experienced and truly competent guide in the vast landscapes of end of life plans. Her thoughtful pacing helps us navigate the territory of decisions to make, who to involve, emotions and choices. Being supported in preparing for this rite of passage by creating our death care team settles a lot in me. I highly recommend. Everyone involved will benefit."
Teri Grunthaner

Re: Thriving in Community Workshop

"This course covers the vital social-emotional aspects of community that just isn't talked about openly enough. I so appreciated Lee's candid sharing of her own experience and warm encouragement of our own self-reflection. I truly believe that if more folks did the kind of personal and interpersonal work Lee outlines in this course, more communities would thrive!"
Keary Jenkins

Executive Vice President & Wellness Coordinator

"When I heard Lee say, "functional teams demonstrate communication, transparency, and trust," in her Relational Leadership workshop, it changed everything for me. I'm being that change in my workplace and finding others who resonate with that change. It is having impact with everyone in the entire organization, including the CEO. Employees who felt powerless in the past are now starting to light up. Our work ecology is changing and the transformation is beyond powerful."