GAIAN VILLAGES
What is a Gaian Village?
A Gaian Village is a collective of human beings who all come together to live a Sovereign, Ethical and Holistic way of life, in harmony with the land and each other. Each villager will be part of a co-operative, whilst also having their own private 1-acre to 2.5-acre domain in which they can steward their plot, cultivating and growing a magnificent forest garden and designing their very own naturally built home.
The Gaian Village model stands as a representation of how we can thrive whilst living symbiotically and harmoniously with our environment and with other human beings.
Inspiring collaboration, compassion and understanding, these villages will foster strong relationships between residents and the wider community. Providing opportunities for the exploration of our true selves and learning how to live a life that is full, vibrant and connected.
What Does a Gaian Village Consist of?
Private Domains Ranging from 1-acre to 2.5-acres
Each Gaian Villager will be given a plot of land to live on, and pass on to family members in perpetuity. These plots of land ranging from 1 acre to 2.5 acres will become private domain spaces, which include a Forest Garden, a Permaculture-inspired space and a naturally built home. From orchards, productive hedgerows, ponds, wells or springs, vegetable beds, bee hives, greenhouses, drying rooms, composting bays, wormeries, renewable energy, glades and much more. Private space within a community setting is very important, but we are aware that some people may not want to be full-time gardeners, and would rather share the task with others, focusing their time on other daily tasks. Each individual and family will have their needs, priorities, wants and desire met as best as possible.
Re-wilding Spaces
Each village regardless of acreage will strive to give 40% of the land back to nature whilst using 60% of the land for community space and domains. This encourages bio-diversity, helps regenerate land and re-wild existing overworked land. The Acre and Hectare Model may also include wild spaces or wild flower meadows, however this is optional. The domains will however contain forest gardens, ponds and growing spaces which will also contribute to the overall re-wilding and re-greening of the planet and local eco-system.
Community Growing Areas
These are areas where village members will come together to grow food to help kick start the villages as well as provide extra food for each family year-round. These community growing spaces will feed any guests, residents, helpers or people attending workshops or events.
Additionally, we aim to promote the use of these spaces for education as well as provide any surplus food to the local community and those in need, in order to help foster a deeper appreciation and hopefully open the doors for more interconnected relationships.
Communal Areas
Aside from the communal growing spaces, we have also included examples of how the community can benefit from a shared income and utilise the shared space for workshops and crafting. Depending on the size of the Gaian Village and what each villager's proposed interests are will also determine what the space can be used for.
It may include a wood workshop with a sawmill, a forest school space, blacksmiths or even a small farm shop and cafe. The shared communal area may also be a place to share a cooked meal once a week with all village residents, do a group meditations or even take part in exercise in a communal round house. Additionally, communal areas could include larger animals such as sheep or cows, or grain growing.
Financial Transitioning Support
Money, for most people, is a huge barrier when it comes to embarking on something new. You may have monthly outgoings which are £1,000 or above including your mortgage or rent. We understand that you may have outstanding debts to pay or a house that you are in the process of selling. You may even be thinking of relocating in order to live in a Gaian Village, which may mean leaving your job behind. We have factored in a living wage for individuals and families who need transitional support into this way of life. Everything an individual or family requires for basic living will be given in exchange for developing your Kins Domain.
Temporary Living
Personal and private space is highly important to make any community village a success, initially, people will need to stay in temporary accommodation until their homes can be built. This may look different based on people's preferences. Static caravans, cabins, shared housing, motor homes or yurts are some of the temporary accommodation examples we suggest. These will be provided for anyone moving to a Gaian village, or might already be owned by the individual(s) moving onto a village.
Anything up to the value of £10,000 will be provided, although we are looking to repurpose and reuse as much as possible, in alignment with our ethos.
The temporary accommodation we would usually provide would be a Static Caravan with either compost toilets or toilets connected to the mains.
Permanent Living
Naturally built homes made from locally sourced and renewable materials such as clay, straw, hemp, wood and sand will be used to create cob homes or wooden cabin homes. Homes will be built by village residents and other skilled professionals, each providing help and education so that every villager will have the skills required to build their own home and the homes of other residents, if it is something they are enthusiastic about.
Collaboration is something we are passionate about as well as traditional craftsmanship, sovereignty and education. Education will be provided for every resident who wishes to learn how to build, plan and design their own home. We appreciate some people may be happy to live in a static caravan or yurt permanently and that is also fine. We are also aware that some people may have disabilities which could prevent this being possible. In these cases, your home will be built for you, to your needs, requirements and with your input.
Image Credits in Link
Renewable Energy
As the world works towards a more ethical and sustainable way of generating power, we are conscious that certain materials involved in this transition to more renewable energy involve more suffering, such as slave labour for cobalt and the mining of the earth's resources, not forgetting the exploration of oversea countries resources. We are also aware of the distribution to the natural cycles of rivers that can occur with hydro power and the damage wind turbines can do to the bird population.
We are seeking alternative methods to these such as exploring the idea of solar glass, magnetism and using a tromp. Although, some of these technologies are still in development.
The Process of Moving to a Gaian Village
Animals, Poultry & Fish
The Acre model is based on a vegetarian/vegan model, with the addition of ducks, chickens, bees and maybe a small goat or pig. Larger animals such as sheep and cows require more land mass and so have not been included in this model. A village may decide to collectively agree to have cows, alpacas or sheep on their shared community area, but as these will need to be moved and rotated, extra fields or spaces need to be considered and factored in.
As well as traditional farm animals, we are also aware that pets, such as dogs and cats can disrupt the cycles of nature, produce waste which isn't great to use as fertiliser, and be another mouth to feed. As cats are carnivores and dogs omnivores, both require meat in their diets, and as these villages operate on a vegetarian/vegan basis, raising livestock for the purpose of pet food isn't in alignment with our principals and values. Cats and Dogs can help to keep other animals at bay such as mice, rats, voles, moles and squirrels. We also believe exotic pets should remain in their natural habitat and not in small tanks and cages.
Whilst we are aware that most people do have pets, we have taken this into consideration, and so respect that some people may have family pets which have been with them for years. There will be a transitioning period for people with pets, and we will try and ensure that there is a balance in terms of how many pets will be on a village in the beginning, as one family may have more than one pet. If fifty people had a cat each, then it would heavily damage to the ecology, leading to low bird populations and a decrease in bio-diversity.
In alignment with our values and principals we do not support or encourage the raising, exploitation or hunting of bees, animals or fish to slaughter for food or profit. Neither do we encourage or promote the keeping of exotic pets such as Birds, Fish, Reptiles or small Mammals.
Bees
Pollination
Honey
Wax
Bees are an essential component of a Gaian System, as they serve a great purpose in helping to pollinate the flora, ensuring that your garden is flourishing. Each Domain includes Bee Hives, but the honey from these hives can either be harvested or left alone. Preferably we would encourage naturally designed bee hives. Bee's also require honey to sustain themselves, especially through winter. If honey is harvested, we would encourage you to have a conscious awareness of how much you are leaving to the bees.
Chickens and Ducks are fantastic at reducing the number of pests around your crops; slugs, snails, ticks and aphids for example. They can provide you with eggs if you prefer and they are amazing elements in permaculture. They also may deter some rodents and larger pests.
Feathers
Ducks
Eggs
Chickens
Ticks
Slugs & Snails
Pigs
Truffle Mushroom
Soil Turnover
Pest Deterants
Pigs and Boars can be a great addition to a village, one species can even hunt out the famous truffle mushroom. They can be placed in an area that requires the soil to be turned over, creating the perfect template to plant into. However pigs will eat everything they come across, which has its benefits and its disadvantages.
Goats, similar to sheep are great at eating weeds and keeping the grass short. They can also provide milk which can be turned into cheese and yogurts. The manure us also fantastic fertiliser. Goats will eat almost anything, so again the placement of these animals should be heavily considered. Soaps can be made from the milk of a goat
Goats
Cheese
Milk
Manure
Sheep
Sheep's wool can be spun and turned into fabric and home decor, or it can be used as insulation for buildings or other animal bedding. The wool can also be used as mulch around plants and helps to keep plant roots stable from winter frost.
Sheep will eat anything they come in contact with and also require lots of land, as they will need to keep grazing on different pastures.
They are great for keeping the grass short and their poo can be used as fertiliser.
Cheese & Milk
Insulation
Wool & Textiles
Raising or keeping horses is time consuming and usually quite expensive. However, horse manure is incredible fertiliser and the hairs from a horse's main and fur can not only be turned into brushes, but used as animal bedding and insulation. Horses can be great for moving logs and heavy objects, whilst also becoming more common in therapy, mindfulness sessions. Riding and riding lessons could be a great way of generating income on the land, but with consideration and compassion for the animal, and not just for profit
Manure
Forest Gardens
Generating Income
Most people tend to work just to afford to live, rather than work because they are passionate or feel it's their purpose. We hope to change this, by giving people the tools and opportunity to explore their passions, get out of survival mode and focus on enjoyment and purpose, rather than spending 30+ hours a week trading time for money.
We believe in a shift in how we look at and perceive money. Many of the world's opportunities for growth, expansion and movement are usually dependent upon who has the money. The factors in acquiring money vary but often times it is collectively agreed that it requires hard work and sacrifice. A simple line of questioning in regards to the sanity of this idea may in fact bring a conclusion, that if we are to truly realise our potential as a people, then this has to change.
A forest garden takes time to develop into a fully-fledged system of abundant and flourishing fruits, foods, nuts, herbs and produce, so food will have to be sourced, organically and locally. Not only that but there will be other things which you may want to purchase with your money. This lifestyle isn't about eradicating money but living in a way that enables you to be able to have an authentic quality of life without the long-term concerns of needing savings or a high-paying salary to survive or have any standard quality of life.
Below we have included a list of a few ways of generating income as a community, as an individual and passively. We would like to highlight that money is not the main focus for this way of life, and our main purpose is to generate an economy based on gifting, sharing and exchanging skills rather than finances.
Community Income
This income can be shared amongst the villages or used to fund other projects, repairs or equipment. Community income is generated through collaborative actions, rather than via one individual. It is also important to share that some of the ideas listed under community could be done as an individual and vice versa.
- Property Rental - Camping
- Forest Schools
- Weddings - Event Hire - Seasonal Events (Strawberry Picking, Halloween Maze, Fairy Wooden Walk)
- Group Courses - 2-3 Day Courses
- Community Garden - Produce
- Foraging Walks
- Retreats
- One off Events
- Pilgrimages and Tours
- Soil Food Web Analysis
Individual Income
When working for yourself the opportunity to make money is infinite. Once you relinquish the need for survival you begin to look at what your true passions and interests are. Expanding who you are as a person and introducing yourself to new ways of doing things for yourself and then ultimately for others. Some examples would be as follows.
- Garden Design
- Heritage crafts (Clothes making, bow making etc.)
- Arts and Crafts
- Natural building services
- Carpentry
- Food and Animal Produce (Animal offspring, Vegetables and Friut, Nuts, Seeds and Grains, Honey and Bees wax, Eggs, Jams and Fermented Produce, Wool & Fur, Worms.)
- Workshops
- Education
- Foraging Walks
- Soil Food Web Analysis
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The Benefits of a Gaian Village
Our five E's outline the main principals of The Gaian Earth Trust, but these can be broken down into three main categories: Economics, Ecology and Ethics. Below you can see a detailed list of everything that the Gaian Earth Trust represents, encourages and promotes.
Economically
Ecologically
Ethically
