Earthaven Ecovillage Visitor Weekend

Live, Work, and Learn at Earthaven

September 3-6, 2021

Earthaven Ecovillage
Near Asheville, NC

Earthaven Ecovillage Experience Weekend is a residential service-learning program that immerses participants in the life of Earthaven Ecovillage. It offers a shorter version of the Experience Week for those with tighter schedules or budgets.

Our ecovillage provides the ideal living laboratory for a whole-life skills curriculum—a place to see regenerative systems in practice, food production in action, and community living on a personal level. Participants connect with the people, businesses, and farms of the Taylor Creek Watershed community for a hands-on, skill-building, life-changing experience.

The Earthaven Ecovillage Visitor Weekend curriculum encourages participants to examine sustainability through social, ecological, economic, and eco-spiritual lenses. The learning journey weaves large-group discussions and classes together with intimate hands-on experiences in the village and farms alongside community members. SOIL instructors, together with the community at large, support participants to build important skills, foster awareness for global issues, empower the self, increase connection, and develop the resources required for daily life.

Visit natural building Leela at Earthaven Ecovillage

Earthaven Experience Week was among the most enlightening and extraordinary spiritual experiences of my life to date. ~ Steve (72 years old), 2019 Participant

Curriculum

Classes, discussions and activities will explore the following:

Organic Food Production and Natural Buildings

  • Green homes (tiny houses, stud-frame, cob, straw-bale, earthship)

  • Small-scale farms and home gardens (permaculture gardens, integrated farms)

  • Nourishing, local, sustainably-grown, organic, and wild food

Renewable Energy and Off-Grid Utilities

  •  Off-grid renewable systems in practice (photovoltaic, micro-hydro, radiant-floor heating, hot water diversions, wood-fired boiler)

  • Development of energy alternatives to meet the world’s impending energy crisis

Resilient Community and Regenerative Culture

  • Earthaven and other successful ecovillages and land-based endeavors (both rural and urban)

  • The three-legged stool of sustainability—the social, environmental, and economic factors necessary for sustainable projects to succeed

  • Earthaven legal structure and governance 101

Personal Growth and Empowerments

  • Connection to yourself, others, and the natural world

  • Designing an authentic, meaningful, and responsible life in the modern world

In addition to classes, discussions, and activities, you’ll enjoy meals with community members as well as authentic community experience within your SOIL participant cohort.

Permaculture designer Zev Friedman explaining contours to permaculture design class

Program

This long weekend program consists of expert lectures, fireside storytelling, community conversations, land-walks, and tours to provide an intimate, well-rounded and powerful learning experience.

Friday, September 3
1:00–2:30pm Arrival, Check-in, and Camp Setup
2:30-3:30pm Welcome and Orientation
3:30-6:00pm Tour of Earthaven
6:30–7:30pm Dinner
7:30–9:30pm Opening Circle

Saturday and Sunday, September 4 – 5
8:00-9:00am Breakfast
9:00am–12:00pm Morning Session
12:00–2:00pm Lunch and Independent Time
2:00–5:00pm Afternoon Session
5:00–6:30pm Independent Time
6:30–7:30pm Dinner
7:30–9:30pm Fireside Conversations with Community Members

Monday, September 6
8:00-9:00am Breakfast
9:00am–12:00pm Final Session and Closing Circle
12:00–1:30pm Lunch and Departure

The Group

This program is primarily designed for adults. However, mature young adults under 18 years old are also welcome. Please contact SOIL to discuss the enrollment of passionate individuals under 18.

We welcome families with children to attend and will do our best to support you and your children, however we are not able to offer childcare. As much of the content involves focused, sit-down presentations, attending with a young child will likely mean being less able to participate fully in the course.

Wading in the creek at Earthaven Ecovillage

Sliding Scale Tuition

Because some people have more financial means than others, we have created a sliding scale fee system to accommodate a range of economic realities. The high-end of the scale reflects the value we believe the program holds, and the low-end offers a more accessible entry point.

By choosing a higher price point, you are helping make the program more accessible to others for whom the low-end may be cost-prohibitive. Please consider your needs and resources to determine what might be a stretch, but not a strain.

Cost

General
Tuition Sliding Scale: $375-475

What’s Included

Tuition includes 3 nights camping, meals, instruction, and all materials. Shared and private indoor lodging as well as transportation are available for an additional cost.

Scholarships
We offer partial scholarships (50% of the middle of the sliding scale) to black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) with financial needs who otherwise would not be able to afford to attend. We understand that BIPOC experience more financial and institutional barriers to participation, and this is one way we are able to create more access. If you identify as BIPOC with financial needs and would like to receive a scholarship, please contact us.

Logistics

Lodging

Several accommodation options are available at Earthaven Ecovillage and in the surrounding area.

Camping
Included in tuition

Shared Indoor Lodging
Cost per person: 3 nights $45

Private Indoor Lodging
Cost for 1 person: 3 nights $90
Cost for 2 people (shared bed): 3 nights $165

Off-Site Options
Various options in Bat Cave, Black Mountain, and Asheville.

Read More About Accommodations

Health Considerations

To meet our needs for connection and learning as well as health and safety, we’re creatively adapting our programs. SOIL’s in-person classes take place primarily outdoors, with appropriate shelter in inclement weather.

Let’s connect with each other and the natural world to stay healthy!

For more information, see SOIL's Health and Safety Practices.

Food

Composite image of bowls of pasta, soup and salad

Delicious, omnivorous meals are prepared by talented culinary artists from the Earthaven community. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available. Snacks and beverages (tea, coffee) are provided. Participants are invited to help with meal clean-up. Many hands make light work.

As much food as possible is sourced from Earthaven and its surrounding farms and gardens, with some ingredients sourced from local grocery stores. Our meals are created with seasonal, local, fresh, wildcrafted, humanely-raised, and organic ingredients.

***If you have dietary needs beyond the ones listed here, please be prepared to bring supplemental food to support your nourishment and well-being. Our kitchen simply cannot accommodate all diets.

Program Specific Info

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included, Friday dinner through Monday lunch.

Cancellation & Refunds

If you cancel your registration, you may:

  • Donate your tuition to support our continued work
  • Request a refund per our policy:
    • 90% refund for cancellations prior to 30 days before the start of the program
    • 50% refund for cancellations prior to 10 days before the start of the program

If SOIL cancels this program for any reason whatsoever, you would receive a 100% refund.

Contact us at [email protected] with registration questions.

Crowdfunding & Fundraising

Check out our Crowdfunding & Fundraising page for creative ways to engage your community and launch a "Community Supported Education" campaign. This approach can help support your investment in yourself, your community, the planet, and future generations.

Location

This program takes place at Earthaven Ecovillage. This permaculture-based community offers a unique living classroom where participants will engage with the natural world, eco-infrastructure, and the intimate experience of rural community living.

What to Expect at Earthaven

Instructors

Photo of intentional communities expert Diana Leafe Christian

Diana Leafe Christian

Earthaven Experience Programs Faculty

Diana speaks at conferences, offers consultations, and leads webinars and workshops internationally on starting successful new intentional communities, how existing communities can resolve conflicts and become more healthy and thriving, and sociocracy, a self-governance and decision-making method she finds especially effective for communities. She is also an author and editor focused on these areas, and a Member of Earthaven Ecovillage.

Off-grid energy system expert Chris Farmer

Chris Farmer

Since his arrival to EH in 1997, Chris has cleared his own farm field, designed and built passive solar homes using the wood from the trees he has killed (including his own Microhut), held leadership positions in the community, raised turkeys, grown vegetables, co-founded the Forestry Cooperative, designed and installed multiple off-grid energy systems, and a few other things. His newest excitement is dabbling in small-scale biochar production and wood gasification at Gateway Farm.

Wild foods expert Dimitri Magiasis

Dimitrios Magiasis

Earthaven Experience Programs Faculty

Dimitri is a naturalist, natural builder, and naturopathic doctor, one who teaches that wellness comes from cultivating a deep connection to the natural world.  His other passions are nature awareness, foraging for food and medicine, gardening, and supporting bonds that engender a tightly-knit community.

NikiAnne Feinberg

NikiAnne Feinberg

In-person Programs Director, Faculty

Throughout the last two decades, NikiAnne has been immersed in community and in service to a wide range of educational endeavors focused on nature connection, personal empowerment, and community resilience. No matter what she’s teaching, NikiAnne is always on the same mission: to raise awareness of our whole selves – gifts, passions, blind spots, shadows – and help those whole selves find and fill niches in their communities.

Intentional community governance and financial expert Carmen Lescher

Carmen Lescher

Assistant Director, Bookkeeper, and Faculty

Carmen is dedicated to learning how to be human on this planet at this time. She considers herself a generalist and has owned and operated a pasture-based poultry farm; worked on construction crews building passive solar, off-grid houses; and supported many small businesses with online marketing, administration, and bookkeeping.

Registration

Complete the registration form once per participant. It takes 5-10 minutes, and you will complete your enrollment with a credit card authorization.

As your enrollment is processed, you will receive several email messages…

  1. An automatic confirmation of receiving your registration form
  2. A payment confirmation from our credit card processor
  3. Additional program information from our registrar about a week before the program

Contact Info - Step 1 of 3

Earthaven Ecovillage Visitor Weekend

Sept 3-6, 2021
Please check all that apply