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Commenced:
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01/01/1964 |
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Submitted:
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10/04/2014 |
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Last updated:
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07/10/2015 |
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Location:
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21300 Heathcote Road, Freeland, Maryland, US |
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Phone:
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4103433478 |
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Website:
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www.heathcote.org |
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Climate zone:
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Cool Temperate |
Heathcote is an intentional community demonstrating permaculture with educational workshops and internships.
Located 30 miles north of Baltimore, MD and 20 miles south of York, PA, Heathcote Community is nestled in a narrow wooded stream valley on a 44 acre community land trust plus a 68 acre plot of woods that's owned by some of our members. We are a community of friends and family who choose to live cooperatively and consciously create a better way of life. We strive to care for one another and for the natural systems that nurture us. Our diet is organic and vegetarian. We have several organic vegetable, herb, and flower gardens; hiking trails; and stream-side hammocks. Heathcote is a drug-free and smoke-free community.
Members live in a 150 year-old grain mill, a 100 year-old farmhouse, a 200 year-old log cabin, and several outbuildings. We plan to build alternative, energy-efficient group housing with individual and family units. We are in the process of renovating the mill to improve our shared living spaces. We are just finishing the process of building a new strawbale house. The new residence features many aspects of green design and natural building, including strawbale, cob, natural plasters, natural paint, an earthen floor, and a masonry stove. We currently have 15 adult residents and 6 child residents (ages from 4 to 15). We have an associate membership category for those who would like to be associated with Heathcote, but don't live here.
We are committed to creating a permaculture demonstration site at Heathcote Community where we can live sustainably in balance with the Earth and guide others on this path. We strive to foster gender balance and a diversity of culture, spirituality and thought. The Heathcote Conference Center helps us to maintain an interconnectedness to the larger society through education and community outreach. The community is run by a board of directors composed of the adult members of the community. Decisions are made by consensus at our weekly business meetings. We have each made a commitment to deal honestly with one another and to let the good of the community as a whole guide our decisions. Most of us lead busy lives and are involved in activities outside the community. We don't currently have community businesses, so each member earns income individually and supports the community through monthly contributions to cover community expenses and food. As a community, we eat dinner together each night, have weekly community meetings, participate in other regular meetings to deal with interpersonal relationships and emotions, do community work projects on the weekends once each month, and participate in quarterly retreats.
Note: The various badges displayed in people profiles are largely honesty-based self-proclamations by the individuals themselves. There are reporting functions users can use if they know of blatant misrepresentation (for both people and projects). Legitimacy, competency and reputation for all people and projects can be evidenced and/or developed through their providing regular updates on permaculture work they’re involved in, before/after photographs, etc. A spirit of objective nurturing of both people and projects through knowledge/encouragement/inspiration/resource sharing is the aim of the Worldwide Permaculture Network.
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MemberA member is a permaculturist who has never taken a PDC course. These cannot become PDC teachers. Members may be novice or highly experienced permaculturists or anywhere in between. Watch their updates for evaluation. |
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Permaculture MatchmakerOne of these badges will show if you select your gender and the "I'm single, looking for a permaculture partner" option in your profile. |
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PDCPeople who claim to have taken a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course somewhere in the world. |
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PDC VerifiedPeople who have entered an email address for the teacher of their PDC course, and have had their PDC status verified by that teacher. Watch their updates for evaluation. |
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PRI PDCPeople who’ve taken a Permaculture Research Institute PDC somewhere in the world. |
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PDC TeacherPeople who claim to teach some version of PDC somewhere in the world. |
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PRI TeacherWith the exception of the ‘Member’ who has never taken a PDC, all of the above can apply to become a PRI PDC Teacher. PRI PDC Teachers are those who the PRI recognise, through a vetting board, as determined and competent to teach the full 72-hour course as developed by Permaculture founder Bill Mollison – covering all the topics of The Designers’ Manual as well as possible (i.e. not cherry picking only aspects the teacher feels most interested or competent in). Such teachers also commit to focussing on the design science, and not including subjective spiritual/metaphysical elements. The reason these items are not included in the PDC curriculum is because they are “belief” based. Permaculture Design education concerns itself with teaching good design based on strategies and techniques which are scientifically provable. PRI PDC Teachers may be given teaching and/or consultancy offerings as they become available as the network grows. |
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Aid WorkerThe individual with this badge is indicating they are, have, or would like to be involved in permaculture aid work. As such, the individual may or may not have permaculture aid worker experience. Watch their updates for evaluation. |
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ConsultantThe individual with this badge is indicating they are, have, or would like to do paid permaculture design consultancy work. As such, the individual may or may not have permaculture consultancy experience. Watch their updates for evaluation. |
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Community ProjectCommunity projects are projects that help develop sustainable community interaction and increase localised resiliency. |
