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  • From: Bill McDorman <bm@seedsave.org>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] reDesign/reBuild Guild (Zack D)
  • Date: Tue, 06 Dec 2005 12:51:06 -0700

We started the Down Home Project in Missoula after reading the Integral
Urban House. It was our attempt to duplicate the experiment in Missoula.
Four of us bought the property originally and eventually sold it to the
503(c)3. I think the reason the Down Home Project didn't fail in 25+ years
is that it did indeed own the property.

bill

on 12/6/05 11:57, Zack D at zack@riseup.net wrote:


> Elsa -
>
> Nice. Have you read The Integral Urban House? It's a book by the Farallones
> Institute in the seventies that did some of what you're talking about. I
> think
> the guild model could, with imagination attempt a great variety of projects
> and
> differing applications, similar to how plant communities vary in membership
> and
> function throughout changing elevation, climate, and time.
>
> Occidental Arts and Ecology Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit operating on a
> site
> run by Sowing Circle, a limited liability company. There is some overlap
> between
> board members and staff, but their model is exciting in the way it is
> structured, in that actual ownership of property is held by Sowing Circle
> LLC,
> eliminating risk in the event that OAEC should fail. Two separate sources of
> finances make the system more resilient. Does anyone have any other examples
> of
> a similar structure?
>
>> From Oxford English Dictionary:
>
> Guild: A confraternity or association formed for the mutual aid and
> protection
> of its members, or for the furtherance of some common purpose.
>
> My proposal for a design guild is not entirely new. Larry Santoyo at
> EarthFlow
> has been using a similar model for years and years. Blending specialized
> professions under one umbrella enables a relatively small organization to
> appeal
> to a large market (by market I mean both audience and source of income)
> Where
> their skills as individuals overlap, creating a sort of "ecotone" in which
> new
> and unprecedented possibilities can arise. Thus, a group of five
> individuals:
> an
> electrician, a plumber, a builder/carpenter, a stove specialist, and a
> permaculture landscape designer are each all of these, if the situation is
> right. Everyone can swing a hammer, wire fixtures, plaster a house, etc.
> More
> paid work is available in the event of a shortage in any one profession,
> although I doubt this will be the case, considering where consciousness (and
> market) is moving. Even so, hiring on additional laborers or interns for
> building projects would be simple, since hordes like myself are dying to get
> into this line of work anyway. This could easily replicate the
> apprentice/journeyman model that guilds have historically employed, although
> the
> historic guild differs from this idea significantly in two ways: Guilds were
> commonly comprised of a group of professionals working in the same field
> (i.e.
> a
> "Guild of Blacksmiths"), and Guilds eventually sought to suppress their
> competition through control of the market (i.e. Screen Actors Guild).
>
> Where the use of "guild" to denote functional plant communities borrowed the
> term from conventional guilds, it has itself evolved a new concept that we
> can
> look to as an organic model of cooperation. Multiple elements support each
> other, multiple functions support each single element. A synergism appears,
> and
> a support structure for the furtherance of a common cause comes into play.
> Multiple yields: livelihoods, a strengthened community, garden projects,
> restoration work, public classes, workshops and others could be possible.
> Also,
> the advantages of working together are obvious. Rather than disparate
> specialists working one piece at a time, an inspired group of individuals
> would
> have a synergistic effect on everything they tackled. Another advantage is
> that
> of word-of-mouth referrals. The builder knows a good electrician, a
> plasterer,
> a
> plumber, etc. etc. and "would be happy to give you their number".
>
> So I have a few questions for the list, if you would, please:
>
> How could such a group be structured?
> An LLC owning land and the company title, operating a 501(C)3 for grants and
> community projects? Are there any working models out there?
>
> Like plant communities, this model could be adaptable to a wide variety of
> environments/situations, but the most obvious to me is the
> building/landscaping
> world, where many trades overlap. I'm sure forestry, furniture building,
> pottery
> and ceramics, and metalworking could also be applied. Any ideas for
> adaptations
> beyond the homebuilding world? Something involving teachers, farmers, etc?
>
> Let's keep an open discussion if we can. I've had several emails from
> interested
> folks filled with great ideas, but please post any responses to the list so
> that
> others can see.
>
> Peace,
>
> Zack
>
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> permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture
>

__o
_'\<,_
___________(_)/ (_)_______________
Bill W. McDorman
Seeds Trust, High Altitude Gardens
PO Box 596
Cornville, AZ 86325
928.649.3315
bm@seedsave.org
http://www.seedstrust.com






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