You can begin before you have it all figured out

There are peach trees to care for, plum trees, figs and mulberries. There are flowers, pine stands, woods, and trails. There is also a long list of things that we want to grow, repair, learn, and make possible together.

Collective Spaces is a working farm on over 200 acres in Halifax County, Virginia. It is also a community that is still becoming. Those two things are very connected for me.

I think of the land as a canvas with the edges painted in. Some things are already there: the land itself, the work that people have put into it, our shared ownership, and the way we make big decisions together. There is still a great deal of room for the people who come into relationship with it to add something of their own.

That relationship doesn’t have to begin with moving here or making a huge commitment. It can begin with a conversation. You can join an online meeting, ask questions, tell us what interests you, and see how it feels to talk with us. We can talk about a visit or a work-play weekend from there. Monday nights are one way to meet us, not the only way.

Maybe you like growing food. Maybe you can repair things, teach something, or help people work through decisions. Maybe you’re nearby and want a relationship with land that you don’t have to take care of entirely on your own. Those are all good reasons to say hi.

Our founders helped make this place possible and continue to sustain it around their jobs, distance, and everything else in their lives. We’re looking for more people who can be present alongside them. More hands in the soil, more conversations that turn into shared plans, more people returning because this place matters to them. That adds to the community we have.

There are no firm hourly requirements for working on the farm or doing related community work. There is, however, a lot to do. We want people who find meaning in contributing and helping shape what happens here. Big shared decisions use sociocracy, and ideas that affect the land or other people are things we work through together.

We don’t have finished housing on the farm. Temporary, self-contained arrangements can be part of a later conversation, but they take getting to know one another and working through practical details. You don’t need to be seeking a place to live to belong in this conversation.

If we get to the point of discussing membership, we’ll also talk plainly about money. Our monthly member contributions use a sliding scale grounded in financial accessibility and class solidarity, with around $200 as the current reference point. Some members contribute more and some less. Those dues are part of a member’s capital account, not a fee charged to people who are simply getting to know us.

For now, tell me what draws you to the land and what you would want to explore. Email info@collectivespacesfarm.com. You can also join us every Monday at 8:30 PM Eastern at https://meet.google.com/jmx-twzh-qri.

Let’s start there and see what takes root.

Peter