- Start small: Begin with a backyard food forest that shows immediate benefits - Focus on practical sharing: Tools, seeds, produce, meals in tupperware - Build incrementally: 10 households → 50 → 150 → 400+ over 10 years - Connect through nature: Use woodland corridors to link neighborhoods - Keep it voluntary: Not everyone has to participate, but benefits are open to all - Solve real problems: Address water management, food costs, isolation - Create simple systems: Shared maintenance schedules, tool libraries - Document success: Track savings, yields, volunteer hours, community benefits - Expand strategically: Focus on adjacent neighborhoods with connecting land - Aim for recognition: Build toward formal municipality status in ~10 years Example: Instead of 10 households each buying a pressure washer, buy one good one and create a simple checkout system. Save money, storage space, and create an excuse to connect. | Metric | Year 1 | Year 3 | Year 5 | Year 10 | | ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | | **Households Involved** | 10 | 50-100 | 150-200 | 400-500 | | **Land Area Managed** | 2-5 acres | 15-30 acres | 40-60 acres | 100-150 acres | | **Food Production** | Demonstration garden, 1-2 beehives | Multiple food forests, community gardens, 5-10 beehives | Small-scale farming, orchard network, poultry | Self-sufficient food system for basics | | **Shared Resources** | Tool library, skill-sharing events | Community kitchen, shared vehicles, childcare co-op | Maker spaces, renewable energy systems | Full community infrastructure | | **Governance** | Informal gathering, consensus process | Multi-neighborhood coalition, formal decision processes | Nonprofit entity, task system implementation | Municipal incorporation, direct democracy | | **Economic Integration** | Volunteer-based, personal donations | Membership dues, grant funding, joint purchasing | Community-owned enterprises, worker co-ops | Internal economy with external interfaces | | **Natural Systems** | Forest garden demo, water management | Connected green corridors, watershed management | Natural building projects, renewable energy | Fully integrated natural systems | | **Funding Sources** | Personal investments, HOA funds | Community grants, crowdfunding, membership fees | Government grants, enterprise revenue | Municipal budget, bonds, enterprise revenue | | **Key Milestones** | First community harvest, documented plan | Legal entity formation, multi-neighborhood network | Petition preparation, formal incorporation planning | Municipal incorporation, charter adoption |