by Joe Cole
[With apologies from Hope — this was completed a month ago but did not get posted. Oy!]
On Sunday, February 19, 2017, participants in the architectural design workshops held a Retreat to review and assess the products and process from the Sch
ematic Architectural Design phase. The community received drawings and models from the Architects at the beginning of February, and we gathered a few weeks later to evaluate not only the drawings and plans, but also our work together around the dimensions of process, power, leadership, and collaboration.
In the morning, we shared our reactions on the Site plan, the Common House, the Houses, and the Drawings. We evaluated the designs based on criteria that included Aesthetics, Functionality, Affordability, Energy efficiency, and Sustainable features. We also addressed the Marketability of the 
designs as we seek to expand our membership and find more people committed to living at Hart’s Mill. Although our group expressed a wide range of feelings, concerns, and reactions towards the designs, overall people were largely positive about the products that the Architects had delivered, and felt inspired by the vision of our Ecovillage that is coming into clearer focus.
In the afternoon, we shifted our attention to issues of process. Our facilitator, Maria, 
began with a teaching about Power and Leadership and shared a handout on “101 Ways to have Power in a Group.” As we each reflected individually on ways that we exercise power in a group setting, people were able to identify both healthy and unhealthy ways we exercise power.
We then spent time examining the dynamics, challenges, and successes in our six-month process within and among three groups: our 3-person shepherding committee, the community members and workshop group, and the architects. This was a very informative discussion as we learned more about the different roles and experiences across these different groups. We closed this segment by discussing possible next steps in the Architecture Design Process before shifting to the last topic of the day on collaboration.
For our final hour, we evaluated how well our group and we as individuals exercised 
cooperative skills during the Schematic Design process. To begin, Maria provided some reflections on the necessity of a deep Culture Shift for cooperative groups to succeed. Then we each evaluated our personal strengths and weaknesses based on our Hart’s Mill meeting Ground Rules—including criteria like staying on topic, welcoming diversity, sharing thoughts and feelings, and making decisions based on our mission, vision, and values.
It was a long day—both challenging and invigorating. It’s important not to understate the difficulties of a collaborative design process. Yet I am personally impressed with the group’s ability to navigate this process and end up with beautiful and inspiring architectural drawings and plans. Furthermore, I find it inspiring that the group was willing to devote time to evaluate not only the products of the work, but also the process—including difficult conversations about power, leadership, and cooperation. This work is not only a step towards our goal of living in an Ecovillage; it is also the very process of creating community together along the way.
We’d been closely following the weather all week. The forecast warned of a snowstorm and wintry temperatures on Sunday, the very day of our big party. But this Celebration had been months in the planning and years in the making. We were not about to let a little snow stop us—and fortunately it ceased by mid-morning. As the day brightened and warmed, we threw open the doors to receive dozens of guests on a gorgeous late-winter day at RambleRill Farm. 
…sampling delicious food from Sweetie’s Catering, including a whole salmon with cucumber scales and a festive cake decorated with our brand new logo, designed by Margret Mueller
and the energetic support of many other members, I am very pleased to announce that the Frazier Road entrance is now the official gateway to Hart’s Mill Ecovillage! Though for the moment it is still a gravel, dirt, and meadow road, this route tracks fairly closely our eventual main access to the community, and Land Stewardship made it our first 2017 priority to bring it into usable condition.
There is more work to be done, for sure, but after a great deal of clearing, grading, gravel-spreading, remounting the gate, and planting of special new flowering shrubs and other specially-chosen plants – again with the contributions of many people – the long road in is now quite passable and indeed lovely. Watch for the new directions for the Frazier entrance to go up on the website. On workdays and other major meeting days we will fly a special banner at Frazier Road so that people unused to that entrance can find us.
Fire Circle, built more shelves in the storage unit, planted blackberries, took turns holding and touring around two babies – we also had a 4-year-old and 14-year-old join us, and taking full part 
in the work too – and this account could not be complete without mentioning that Paul got to spend most of the afternoon pulling out ailanthus stumps with Randy’s rented excavator – only the coming of night could stop him. 
The afternoon started out with a community lunch in the warm sun though the air was nippy. Thanks to all – another great day on the land!
February 11 was busy for Hart’s Millers, with several of us beginning our day with a rally and the 11th annual Forward Together and Moral March in Raleigh to reaffirm our commitment to fight social injustice at the state and national levels. We all then found our way to Eno Commons in Durham Co-housing Community for an afternoon Membership Retreat. 
acticing reflective listening and working through a five-step process for discussing a conflict. Our other goals were to brainstorm ways to best support our members and to recruit members who match well with Hart’s Mill. In addition to building skills and ideas, a towering contribution was made by Anthony and his young friend.
significant time and effort from many members, the General Circle consented to four Principles and Intentions that relate to farm animals, pets, and food choices at Hart’s Mill. These P&Is offer a point of departure for working out more detailed policies and practices when relevant. Our deepest appreciation goes to everyone in the community who participated in this complex and challenging discernment process. 
So many people showed up for our 1/28 workday and/or tours that I am worried I will forget someone if I try listing everyone! Suffice it to say that all along the route from Frazier Road down to nearly the central gathering area, Hart’s Mill members and friends were at work for much of a sunny but brisk Saturday afternoon, moving brush
piles, sawing branches out of the route, sometimes from ladders, and taking down trees, hauling the cuttings back into the woods, and in general widening and clearing the road that is planned for the main community entrance.
The Land Stewardship Functional Circle is making a major push to prepare it for general use by later Spring (and it is already passable now if you hang to the north edge of the meadow and drive carefully). Soon we will enter the land down the wooded hill and then see the land spread out before us as we emerge from the trees! In the course of the afternoon there were also wildflower plantings, bark strippings, multiple tours by multiple people, reconnections with old friends and returning members, and a circle 
ceremony in 
the sun recognizing our purchase of the land and the outstanding contributions of two members. Paul Voss was honored for his signal efforts in leading the initiative to buy the land, and Jeffry Goodrum received kudos (and a flagon of beer) for his 
mighty mowing achievements. 
this spirit that Paul and I tripped off for a family visit in the California Bay Area, extending our stay to give us enough time to visit some long-standing intentional communities. Paul did the research and zeroed in on three communities north of San Francisco that have successfully operated with shared ownership models for decades: Monan’s Rill, Santa Rosa Creek Commons, and Occidental Arts and Ecology Center (Sowing Circle). Additionally, we visited an urban ecovillage called Canticle Farms in Oakland which we will write about at another time.
was a cold day and rain followed us as we wound our way up a long rise towards the village nestled in the hills. Founded in 1974 by a small group of Quaker friends, Monan’s Rill currently has 12 homes on 440 beautiful wooded acres with 16 adult members, 6 non-member residents, and 6 children. (for excellent views and descriptions, visit monansrill.org)
We were given a very warm welcome by Rick and Sue who have lived at Monan’s Rill almost since the beginning. They had done their homework on Hart’s Mill by thoroughly reading the web site, and Rick presented us with three marvelous pages of comments that he thought would be useful to us. After a lengthy discussion and a delicious lunch, we took a tour of the community and also visited the home of another long-term resident named Ken, a talented wood sculptor. We took in a lot of very useful particulars, but here are some highlights of what we learned:
We headed back to Santa Rosa amid persistent rain and darkening skies towards 
units to about 30 adult residents. There are two, multi-unit buildings which face a central courtyard, and an additional 2 houses facing the street. It is a beautiful setting and the buildings are both attractive and practical. A key organizing principle is long-term affordability. Many similar values and attitudes to Monan’s Rill are also present at SRCC and I won’t repeat them. Here is some of what we learned at SRCC:
The next morning, we traveled west to Occidental in the driving rain. We had an appointment with Dave Henson, executive director of 
cooperatively own 12 homes and 80 acres of land as well as all buildings. OAEC is a non-profit 501(c)3 which runs a farm and educational programs, leasing land and buildings from Sowing Circle, LLC. Sowing Circle, LLC, also maintains an agricultural easement for organic farming, granted at the time of founding in 1994. 
Our time with Dave was limited and we focused solely on ownership models. We returned with some new and useful perspectives on how we might legally organize Hart’s Mill Ecovillage which we will share with the community in due time. We are extremely grateful to Dave for sharing his time and expertise with us! 
