EcoShireJim
Gen X
Male
Sage, CA
Speed of commitment:
In between: Open to a commitment after a defined time for a trial run
IC types I would live in or am forming:
Cohousing: private residences around shared space, Ecovillage or agrihood, Farm or ranch, Cottage industry in community (e.g. biz partners or recreation venture teams), Retreat or event hosting as community, Artist collective & live work space, Senior cohousing, Disaster prep or timeshare cabin, Tiny homes community, Activist commune supporting shared work
Food production:
Working toward a mix of producing our own food and buying groceries
IC seeker or founder/resident:
IC resident: I am already in an established IC and looking for members to join. This may or may not include housing, a business partnership, or work trade.
ICmatch group or IC I'm part of:
www.ecoshiresage.com
Service-based IC (population):
Animal rescue, Physical disability, Learning disability, Low income families with children, Refugee resettlement
Vulnerable population as a proportion of residents:
Less than half, No can do
Residential proximity:
Shared land (separate houses possibly with some shared buildings)
Ownership types:
Rented with shared housing or shared land, Rent-to-own with shared housing or shared land, Co-operative (collectively owned separate houses or apartments), Joint land purchase to subdivide, hold shares, or hold "tenancy in common", Join an established IC to learn and possibly stay, Rent a room as a trial run
Reasons for shared housing:
Ecological sustainability to reduce carbon footprint, Lower cost of living, Sharing resources (spaces, equipment, tools, vehicles, gardens), Sharing meals and chores, Helping each other with childcare, Having a “chosen family” to share good times and support each other thru hard times, Friendship and sharing activities, Traveling frequently and wanting a home base that’s maintained, Working together in a business (e.g., remote location)
Décor of shared areas:
Decisions based on practical utility and durability
Clutter level of shared living areas or work space:
Tidy in shared spaces, with a designated place for things
Cleanliness level (germs & crumbs):
All food counters & tables wiped down after each use, All food counters & tables wiped down daily to not attract pests, Dishes washed (or loaded into dishwasher) daily to not attract pests
Yard or landscaping:
Tidy and clutter-free outdoors with storage out of sight, Covered space for storage, Space for kids and/or dogs to run, Gardens and edible landscaping
Neighborhood or scenery:
Nature scenery is a priority worth paying extra for
Current city/town and state/province:
Sage, CA
Preferred regions:
Pacific Coast U.S., Southwest U.S.
Population density:
Small town, Rural, Remote, Nomadic
Resource sharing:
Time bank, Car share, Child care swap, Pet care swap, Garden (share work and produce), Farm or food forest (share work and produce), Joint business (share work and profits), Tool share (maintenance and use of expensive equipment), Emergency preparedness efforts, Meal preparation, Care of elderly, disabled, or incapacitated relatives
My socioeconomic status:
Not applicable or prefer not to say
Leisure and lifestyle:
Somewhat frugal about leisure and entertainment expenditures
Leadership availability:
I'm currently in IC leadership
Roles and responsibilities:
Transactional relationships are more fair; to a reasonable extent there should be accountability through written agreements, Clear responsibilities are important to minimize conflict, Flexible responsibilities are often best, which aren't assigned or micromanaged
Practical skills:
Cooking for groups, Childcare, Cleaning, Gardening or crop cultivation, Permaculture, Carpentry & repair, Farm animal care, Grant-writing, Group facilitation, Organizing & labeling, First responder (first aid) or EMT
Experience or schooling:
Food preservation (e.g., cheesemaking, home canning, drying, smoking), Activism & organizing, Humanitarian work, Ecological science, Architecture, Natural building, Carpentry & construction, Welding, Waterworks, plumbing, sanitation, Finance, economics, timebanking, Security (may include experience with weapons), City planning, zoning, & compliance, Event planning & management, Electrician, Mathematics, Certification for teaching children, Experience teaching adults, Sports or physical recreation, Travel, Filmmaking, Writing, Website design, Business management, Political campaigning, Group therapy or processing, Sociocracy or holocracy, Mediation or dispute resolution, Consensus facilitation, Short term rentals and hospitality, Long term rentals and maintenance, Diversity, equity, and inclusion trainer, Food handling certification trainer
Languages:
German, some Spanish
Occupation(s) and expertise:
Former fire fighter, public high school teacher, builder, campground and event manager
Years lived in an IC:
Lived with roommate(s) or housemate(s), 6-10 years in IC
Experience in community:
Founder of Down-To-Earth EcoShire
Professional certifications or degrees:
CA Teaching license, former EMT
Generation:
Gen X
Generations intended in IC:
Children (born 2013 or later), Gen Z (born 1997 – 2012), Millennial (born 1981 – 1996), Gen X (born 1965 – 1980), Younger boomer (born 1955 – 1964), Older boomer (born 1946 – 1954), Pre-boomer (born before 1946)
Number of working adults:
3
Alcohol (tolerable rules):
Should be regulated by group decision only if it becomes problematic
Tobacco smoking (tolerable rules):
Should only be allowed outdoors
Cannabis (tolerable rules):
Should be regulated by group decision only if it becomes problematic
Psychedelics (tolerable rules):
Legal psychedellics are okay if not disrupting to others
Illegal recreational drugs (tolerable rules):
Should not be policed by the community, as long as no minors are involved and others are not negatively impacted
Overnight guests (tolerable rules):
Should be permitted in limited circumstances as decided by the governance process, Should be allowed in designated guest areas, Should be subject to group decision only if it becomes problematic, Should not be a concern of the community, as long as everyone's privacy is respected
Daytime visitor access (tolerable rules):
Should be restricted to guest areas or residence of host, Should be discussed and limited by the IC agreements
Nudity (tolerable rules):
Should be welcome and discussed through the governance process, to consider each individual’s preferences
Required disclosures:
Past felony conviction, On sex offender registry, Current addictions even if under treatment, Credit check, Background check for landlord/tenant disputes
Religious or spiritual practice-based IC:
No mandate of strict adherence to shared religious beliefs and practices
My religious beliefs or practices:
Spiritual but not religious
Practices welcome in IC:
Atheist, Agnostic, Spiritual but not religious, Christian, Muslim/Islam, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Bahai, Spiritualist, Pagan, Wiccan, Taoist, Jainist, Astrology, Pantheist, Native American / First Nations, Shamanic or indigenous animist, Zoroastrian, Kabbalah, Tarot, Near-death experience or out-of-body, Theosophical Society, New Thought (law of attraction), New Age (mix), 12 steps (from AA, NA, etc.)
Ecological preservation ethics:
Local food commitment for low carbon footprint, Use of alternative power such as solar or wind, Commitment to reduce, re-use, recycle, Gray water recycling where permitted, Composting toilet
Belief-related practices:
No requirements
Wisdom sharing:
Sense of humor, not just here for cheap place to live, should be easy to get along with
Size of community:
11 to 20
Sense of togetherness:
An IC should have regular opportunities to encourage all to share their feelings, An IC should have regular mandated “group work” to resolve conflicts as they arise, An IC should foster close interpersonal relationships
My gender + number:
Male
Genders welcome in IC:
Non-binary, Male, Female
My current couple situation:
I'm in committed partnership
Couple situations welcome in IC:
Committed closed partnership(s) (e.g., married monogamous couples), Single (not in a committed closed partnership), Available somewhat (e.g., in open relationship), Not available (e.g., you're okay if you're not going to be a threat to my primary relationship), Not applicable
My sexual orientation:
Monogamous, Straight
Sexual identities welcome in IC:
Heterosexual (straight), Cisgender (gender aligns with natal sex), Monogamous (committed to a single sexual partner), Non-monogamous, LGBTQ+ (non-normative gender identity and/or same-sex attraction), Polyamorous (in more than one physically intimate relationship with consent of all involved), Polygamous (married to more than one spouse)
Sex & intimacy norms in IC:
Celibate community, Primarily left to the individual to determine, with the understanding that personal choices can impact community culture, A topic discussed with curiosity and respect, allowing for experimentation around what works for the community
Physical affection:
I am a big hugger; I’m affectionate even with people I don't know well, I enjoy hugs and lean toward the easily affectionate side
My availability for physical intimacy:
Prefer not to share at this time
Children in IC:
Children are welcome but not a necessity (not a dealbreaker issue)
Children present in household:
No dependent children
Other people’s children:
I want to be in a setting in which all feel a responsibility for well-being of children in the community, I am open to sharing child-care responsibilities such as carpooling or swapping child-care, Parents shouldn't be so untrusting that they consider all adults a potential child abuser, I am open to a community of free-range children who are allowed to roam the majority of community spaces unsupervised
Behavior correction:
Parents shouldn't be offended if other adults respectfully question their child(ren)'s behavior, Parents shouldn't have to micro-manage their child(ren) for the benefit of adults around them, Parents shouldn't allow their child(ren) to be loud and disruptive in group settings
I prefer that children not be exposed to
violent images or lyrics, guns, adult nudity, vulgar language, drug use
Screen time (acceptable rules):
Screen time and content limits are up to individual families, Screen-free locations agreed on as a group
Dogs:
Indoor dog(s) okay, Indoor dog(s) okay if small, Indoor dog(s) okay if non-shedding, Indoor dog(s) okay if some rooms are off limits, Outdoor dog(s) okay, Outdoor dog(s) okay if not frequent barkers
Cats:
Indoor cat(s) okay, Outdoor cat(s) okay
Pets or farm animals I have or want:
We have cats, sheep, chickens, fish, bees and a lot of wildlife
Special food needs:
Strongly prefer home-processed foods, Strongly prefer a high quality of food preparation
Plant-based or not:
Everyone makes their own food choices even when eating together
Organic:
Organic non-certified is okay, Commitment to local-grown as much as possible, Commitment to non-GMO, All food choices are accepted, Not applicable (e.g., no obligation for shared meals)
Shared meals (acceptable norms):
Prefer shared meals weekly or monthly, Shared meals should be optional
Medical risk bubbles:
I can't live with or work physically close to people who need strict precautions from people in their IC
Pandemic norms:
Keep good health practices for good immune function
Severe allergies:
One woman is allergic to peanuts
Noise level:
A quiet serene living space should be the norm, One quiet space should be reserved for those who need to focus on work, One space should be available for those who like to have videos or games on frequently, Parents with children shouldn't have to constantly keep them quiet, As long as the vibe is positive, loud gatherings can be frequent, Different noise tolerance can be managed by having designated times for noise and quiet, Just keep it down enuf that neighbors don't complain
Sleep:
I’m not very consistent with my waking and bedtimes
Comfort & convenience:
I cannot participate in a rugged life and hard physical work, I enjoy a rugged life and hard physical work, I can participate in a rugged life and hard physical work, I can tolerate extreme temperatures
Tech savvy:
I'm about average with tech use
Wifi:
I can work without consistent internet connection
Off-grid:
Is okay but not so important
Leisure time:
Reading and writing
Films, books, music, podcasts, shows:
Star Wars, Grapes of Wrath, Razor's Edge, The Who, Pink Floyd, New Wave, techno, I'm a burner so whatever...
Political orientation:
Progressive left
Culture influencers:
I often listen to "The Great Simplification" with Nate Hagens.
Civic, political, or activist groups or movements:
former president of both local Lions Club and Green Coalition
Extroversion (under 50% means more introverted than average):
Yup, but I prefer when people come to my place rather than visiting.
Emotional even keel (under 50% means more ups & downs than average):
Stable with many long term friendships and relationships
Agreeableness (under 50% means less compliant or more contrary than average):
pretty much
Conscientiousness (under 50% means more easygoing than average):
Very much so
Open to new experiences / imagination (under 50% means more traditional than average, sticks with "tried and true"):
Let's do this
Tendency for dealing with others' expectations:
I do me, you do you...
Myers-Briggs (& Keirsey-Bates) temperament type:
Pretty agreeable
Astrological sign(s):
Libra
Weaknesses and superpowers:
I have very strong Empathy, pay close attention to word choices, and can sense energy of people quite well
A note about me/us:
Campfire gatherings are the best
Dealbreakers:
getting tired of people who are only worried about what's in it for themselves, people who can't handle tough situations, I work to surround myself with people of character.
Dealmakers:
You're not lazy, not a cheat, you're not living to be the sum of your traumas, but rather the manifestation of your dreams