Who We Are

Members & Residents

Rachel working with seedlings in greehouse

Chenchira with a heart shaped tomato and a wide grin

Rachel (Co-founder)

After over a decade apprenticing on organic farms, educational gardens, and intentional communities around the country, Rachel is excited to finally set down roots and see what unfurls from the process of listening, learning from, and partnering with this patch of earth and the amazing humans that surround it. She is particularly excited to deepen her relationship with beneficial insects and pollinators, and find creative ways to weave together her interests in farming and seed stewardship, outdoor education, language, and social and ecological justice. She finds deep joy in wandering through the woods, washing dishes, and celebrating the everyday.

Chenchira (Co-founder)

With a background of offering alternative medicine for the past 15 years, Chenchira has migrated down to the Louisa communities to help weave together a more sustainable lifestyle for herself and her son. Eager to learn more about permaculture, seed saving, organic farming, and off grid living – she brings a joy of honoring the sacred from her trainings as a holistic healthcare worker and shamanic practitioner. She puzzles over how to bridge traditional/indigenous teachings with the contemporary off-grid, permaculture systems that are becoming ever more powerful. You will often find her by her very loud cackling, as she cracks jokes that often fall short. But don’t worry – she’s so tall, there’s still plenty to laugh about.

Xander

Xander is a silly teen that loves making and hearing really good (bad) jokes. He tends to do some really funny things, like singing about everything he’s doing. He loves tinkering, crocheting, and creative projects with scraps he finds around. He is the welcoming comittee for the community and always says “the more the merrier.” He plays a lot of board games with his housemates and guests, and helps out with chores, so that he doesn’t get bored.