Hi, my name is Jonathan. I want to spread the word about a land-based co-op I'm setting up ideally near Bradford as that is where I'm from but I would consider elsewhere depending on the group we get together. Just me at the moment. Anyone who wants to get involved please let me know! Below is what I'm thinking but this will be a project for every member to plan so please let me know your ideas. When there are at least a handful of people I will call a meeting for us all to meet each other and find out what everyone wants from it. The process is to set up a legal structure, make a business plan, find land, perhaps get a loan from Radical Routes for the deposit and take out a mortgage with the Ecology Building Society probably. There's more to it than that obviously but we can make it happen!

Aims (some are aims over a long period of time as they won't be possible straight off the bat):

• Create a permaculture plan for the whole site after a long period of observation.
• Grow as much of our own needs as possible (food, fuel, timber).
• To rely on the sun's energy (in growing things, passive solar heating, solar panels etc).
• A large forest garden.
• Produce no waste.
• Produce renewable electricity on site.
• Consensus decision making and effective conflict resolution.
• Multiple generations able to be part of the community.
• Vegetarian.
• Able to take visitors.
• All building work we undertake to use local materials (eg earth, wood, stone) and a high ecological standard.
• Create resilience in response to peak oil and climate change.
• Minimise fossil fuel usage but use it where appropriate to work towards the above aims.

My motivations are to enhance and protect the land, live as a community and grow our own needs first and foremost. I think now is the time to sink what money we can get (from part time jobs, and benefits can also go towards it) in to something that will provide for ourselves and future generations. I think collective ownership is important so that we can reap the rewards from all the work we invest. A co-op structure means that we are our own landlords and people are free to move in and out without needing to be bought out.

It's a project to live on the land, as I believe this is the best way of getting to know the land and being able to observe it and respond to changes that occur. For homes, I like to think of cob buildings (which uitilise earth) and using local wood and stone. Ambitious though! Different sites will have different possibilities and planning permission is difficult although I know of a fair few precedents elsewhere. All 5 of the land based co-ops that I have visited have some sort of very large farmhouse or old mansion where everyone lives. They eat money in maintenance but at least you can move in straight away.

Anyway, that's all I can think of right now. Originally I just wanted a housing co-op in the city but I thought I might as well and go the whole 9 yards 'cos our monetary system and reliance on fossil fuels don't seem up to much to me. And I thought about moving to an existing one but this is a chance to create a whole new permaculture site! The more land in the hands of environmentalists the better and we need as many working examples as possible to convince others another way is possible. So I did think of a little more, but that really is it from me. Hope to hear from you!

If you are interested please e-mail Jonathan Pollard.