Land Project
Convening &
Dreaming
Monday, November 30th to Sunday, December 6th, 2026 (1 week)
Monday, January 4th to Sunday, January 31st, 2027 (4 weeks)
No workshop fee
It was a leap of faith into the unknown world of un-programmed living, a crucial step in breaking away from a bondage so familiar we didn't even know there was another way. (Sometimes the only way to begin something new is to stop what you're doing. Just stop - without knowing what comes next.) ...Now that I'm here I can say with conviction that I know of no way of preparing to live on earth short of jumping in and doing it, and doing it as simply as possible.
- River, co-founder of Salmon Creek Farm, from Dwelling, 1974
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A special program for folks anywhere on the path to setting down the roots of a land project - from modest homestead to ambitious commune. We have learned so much from our experiences here since 2014 at Salmon Creek Farm, and from the original communards - a few of them now neighbors - who established the commune in 1971. Over the years we have heard from many of you who are dreaming and plotting to live closer to the land in some way yourselves. It seems to be a ripe moment to re-examine this back-to-the-land impulse and provide the space for those on their way to come together to share our stories and skills. As artists we are interested in imagining new worlds and ways of living, the entire spectrum from the practicalities of daily survival to the aesthetic possibilities of our environments, from the philosophies that guide us, to the cultural nature of our seasonal chores, routines, and rituals.
We start with a tour and detailed orientation to the history and current life on the land at Salmon Creek Farm: the Coastal Redwoods we are under, the Central Pomo land we are on, the counter-culture commune remains that we live in, and today’s non-profit land-based arts program. We’ll spend time with the Salmon Creek Farm archives, including the original charter, weekly meeting minutes, legal documents, and correspondence - a fascinating insight into daily communal life and the struggles of consensus group decision making. A few of the original Salmon Creek communards - now in their 70’s and 80’s - will join us to share their stories from the early days.
Monday, January 4th to Sunday, January 31st, 2027 (4 weeks)
No workshop fee
It was a leap of faith into the unknown world of un-programmed living, a crucial step in breaking away from a bondage so familiar we didn't even know there was another way. (Sometimes the only way to begin something new is to stop what you're doing. Just stop - without knowing what comes next.) ...Now that I'm here I can say with conviction that I know of no way of preparing to live on earth short of jumping in and doing it, and doing it as simply as possible.
- River, co-founder of Salmon Creek Farm, from Dwelling, 1974
A special program for folks anywhere on the path to setting down the roots of a land project - from modest homestead to ambitious commune. We have learned so much from our experiences here since 2014 at Salmon Creek Farm, and from the original communards - a few of them now neighbors - who established the commune in 1971. Over the years we have heard from many of you who are dreaming and plotting to live closer to the land in some way yourselves. It seems to be a ripe moment to re-examine this back-to-the-land impulse and provide the space for those on their way to come together to share our stories and skills. As artists we are interested in imagining new worlds and ways of living, the entire spectrum from the practicalities of daily survival to the aesthetic possibilities of our environments, from the philosophies that guide us, to the cultural nature of our seasonal chores, routines, and rituals.
We start with a tour and detailed orientation to the history and current life on the land at Salmon Creek Farm: the Coastal Redwoods we are under, the Central Pomo land we are on, the counter-culture commune remains that we live in, and today’s non-profit land-based arts program. We’ll spend time with the Salmon Creek Farm archives, including the original charter, weekly meeting minutes, legal documents, and correspondence - a fascinating insight into daily communal life and the struggles of consensus group decision making. A few of the original Salmon Creek communards - now in their 70’s and 80’s - will join us to share their stories from the early days.
Photos from the Salmon Creek Archives
Each participant offers an informal presentation of their own land projects, future plans, or dreams. Together we’ll create a plan for the week based on the workshops, field trips, and reading discussions proposed by each participant.
General topics may include:
General topics may include:
- Communal Organizing
- Community Relations
- Climate Considerations
- Design & Planning
- Financial & Legal Arrangements
- Indigenous Awareness
- Land Search Criteria
- Publishing & Sharing Stories
- Role of Art, Culture, and Ritual
- Construction & Carpentry
- Compost & Humanure
- Firewood Processing
- Food Cultivation
- Habitat Restoration
- Land Stewardship
- Solar & Off-grid Systems
- Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)
- Water Systems
Before arrivals we’ll post a reading list comprised of the publications, resources, and references proposed by each of the participants to prepare for our time. The week living on the land together will be an illuminating introduction to all of the various joys and complexities of communal living: taking turns cooking and cleaning dishes, tending fires and compost, and so on…
Welcoming those of any skill/experience level and anywhere on their path to land...
- A dream for the future
- Starting to scheme
- Looking for land
- Have land but not there yet
- On the land and doing it
...come prepared with something to share with the group.
Workshop activities will be scheduled for around four hours per day on weekdays, leaving the rest of the day and weekends open for exploring, resting, reading, writing, and dreaming.
Workshop activities will be scheduled for around four hours per day on weekdays, leaving the rest of the day and weekends open for exploring, resting, reading, writing, and dreaming.