Resurrecting a Ghost Village in Portugal

Pedro Pedrosa and his wife Sofia left city life over a decade ago to live in a mostly-abandoned farming village in Central Portugal. After creating their home from several small outbuildings, they continued to experiment with local building materials- cork, pine, lime, and slate- by transforming three stone storage sheds into “Nature Houses.” Their town, … Read more

Off-Grid New Mexico Conservation Ranch

JJ and Fred Milder were looking for their dream home- they’d spent most of their married life in Boston-, but now with their daughters in college, they were looking to relocate. They stumbled on a former cattle ranch in the high desert outside Sante Fe that was being sold as part of a conservation trust. … Read more

Awareness Ranch: Permaculture and Natural Building In Action

Awareness Ranch uses the ideas of permaculture design to grow food and create buildings. Following the adage of “think globally and act locally” they aim to provide a working model of sustainable agriculture and construction which can be replicated or adapted to many settings. By cultivating an awareness of our interconnected world, they believe we … Read more

Couple Builds Off-Grid Ecovillage with Friends & Leftovers

Emma and Edo were once a hotel stage show dance team, until they quit to live out their dream of rescuing animals (Emma) and farming (Edo) on the island of Tenerife. They bought cheap land and began to transform the rocky, dusty soil into a lush homestead. In the beginning, it was just the two … Read more

Kailash Ecovillage in Portland, Oregon

In 2007, Ole and Maitri Ersson bought the rundown Cabana apartment complex in Portland, Oregon and immediately began to de-pave parking spaces to make room for what today is a huge permaculture co-housing space and urban food forest. Today, the Kailash Ecovillage has 55 residents who all help farm. The community is well-prepared for systems … Read more

The Kul Kul Farm and Bamboo U in Bali

Promoting values that respect and care for the Earth while strengthening community bonds, the Kul Kul Farm has become a beacon of sustainability and connection with the natural environment. Maria and Orin started this project to inspire and empower both local Balinese and tourists to live a life connected to the natural world. Initially they … Read more