Acorn Community is a 30-member, egalitarian, income-sharing, farm-based community that collectively owns and runs a seed company called Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. We strive to democratize the seed supply, promote organic agriculture and gardens, and preserve our genetic heritage and diversity.
We have a six-acre garden to grow seed for our business and food for ourselves. Our members have a variety of different projects, such as our outside garden at the local food pantry (Plant A Row for the Hungry), a growing dairy and meat goat operation (8 adult females so far), construction for expansion of our infrastructure, food and seed processing and preservation, raising chickens for eggs and meat, coordinating with other seed growers in our region, and much more.
May include care for dairy and meat goats (milking, watering, etc), meat and laying chickens, pasture rotation, maintenance and expansion of orchards, berries, mushrooms and other perennials, closing the gap in self-sufficient food systems through producing some of our animal feed (grain, fodder, black solder fly larvae), and helping to maintain food and seed crops in the garden.
Most of the education or training that is offered is self-directed. Acorn is full of resources, human and otherwise, and is very supportive of members and interns using community resources and projects to educate themselves and offers a high degree of latitude as an internship position.
You'll experience aspects of holistic agriculture, including animals, plants, and fungi, with an eye towards closed-loop self-sufficiency. Rejoice will teach you about care, feeding of critters and how to milk a goat.