Scenic view of a lush green yard with palm trees and cozy houses in Vista, CA.

EVO ~ The Emerald Village in Vista, CA

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Ecological
  • Rural

Founding year

  • 2011

What we do

The Emerald Village is an intentional community founded in 2011 by 10 members, and located on a 9-acre property in Vista, California.
We are a spiritually diverse community of entrepreneurs, artists, teachers, movers and shakers.
Community Culture Statement and Application Process
The Emerald Village is a multi-generational community whose focus is a practice of living from higher guidance to be of greatest service to ourselves, our families, our greater community and the planet.
We practice the following as part of our personal and spiritual cultivation:
Non-violent/ compassionate communication and radical responsibility
Mindful meditation
Qi gong, yoga, dance and flow arts
Monthly men’s and women’s groups
Sharing community meals
Regular group process meetings
Land and Animal Carehttps://www.emeraldvillageoasis.org/visit-request-form

Our Mission

To share a thriving home connected with our land and seasons where we support each other physically, emotionally and spiritually. Through play, learning, and growth we create a nourishing and inspiring community.

  • Purpose
  • Ecological
  • Community type
  • Cohousing
  • Ecovillage
  • Sustainability practices
  • Permaculture design
  • Activities
  • Property management
  • Experiences

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2011
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2011
  • Started living together
  • 6 Total members
  • Not open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
25

How to join

We don’t currently have a path to membership for new residents.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Visit us at www.emeraldvillageoasis.org/visit-request-form and request to join the next open community brunch (typically 2nd Sunday of the month).

Primary decision-making authority

  • Small Leadership Group

A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.

Decision-making process

  • Consent-Based (Sociocracy)

Decisions proceed unless someone has a reasoned objection.

Governance structure

  • Sociocratic/Circle-Based

Organized in circles or domains with distributed authority.

Conflict resolution approach

We are currently using Sociocracy as our model of governance.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Regular fees: Yes
Labor: Yes (10 hrs/week)
Everyone contributes a minimum of 10 hours per week toward the operations of the community. Each member is expected to join one primary circle in garden, animal husbandry, maintenance, marketing, events and general management as well as other project based contributions and cooking once per month.

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Garden(s), Swimming pond or pool, Hot tub or hot springs, Outdoor Kitchen, Large Scale Kitchen, Stage or Auditorium, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Gym or sports area, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • 2-5 times per week

Significant food acquisition practices

  • Locally sourced
  • Livestock / Animal Husbandry

Dietary restriction

  • People can cook and eat what they want in their own residence

Community activities and engagement

  • Neighborhood, Community Housing, or Homeowner's Association
  • Festivals, Conferences, Events

Substance use culture

  • Substance use appears in public spaces but no pressure
  • Religions
  • Christian
  • Buddhist
  • Jewish
  • Native
  • Wiccan, Paganism, or Earth Religions

Gender composition

  • Roughly balanced (no group over 60%)

Age demographics

  • Family-focused (many children and parents)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By several individuals through an LLC or a Tenancy In Common agreement

Setting

  • Rural

Countryside locations with significant distance from urban centers.

Community type

  • Cohousing

    Private homes with shared common facilities, designed for neighborly
    interaction while maintaining independence.

  • Ecovillage

    Integrated communities designed around ecological principles with sustainable living practices.

Sustainability approach

  • Permaculture design

Land practices in our community

  • The community practices permaculture

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • 33 - 66%

Food systems

  • Community garden
  • Land area size
    9 acres

Guest Book

Written reviews are available for plus members. Click here to upgrade.

Location

  • California, United States

EVO ~ The Emerald Village in Vista, CA

Promoted Needs and Offers

Offer
  • Professional Services
4 years ago

Sociocracy consulting and facilitation services offered by Sociocracy for All

Sociocracy consulting services offered by Sociocracy for All To learn more about our our consulting services, please visit our Consultant Services webpage. We offer just the level of hand-holding you want. By working with a coach, you can benefit from the experience and feedback of someone who has seen dozens of implementations and governance changes. We never forget that you’re the expert on your organization and culture, and you remain in the driving seat at all times. What does a consultant or coach do for you? Your consultant identifies with you what stage of implementation you’re on. Implementations follow a series of steps, and understanding what’s next for you might even be all you need. The consultant also assesses with you what kind of support might be useful to make your next steps effective and successful. Services that are typically part of an implementation: assessing training needs forming, coaching, and strategizing with the implementation circle/transformation team observing and facilitating meetings 1:1. or small-group conversations with stakeholders (the board, leadership, or people with concerns) and open Q&A sessions (e.g. for the whole membership or staff) Holding and facilitating “kick-off” events – we help you set up the first circles and the General Circle. This can be, for example, a two-day event with deeper training, formal adoption, and “flipping the switch” into your new governance system. Designing your circle structure and key roles, as well as documenting your governance system (see our samples and templates) Aligning your documents and bylaws with sociocracy Sociocracy facilitation services offered by Sociocracy for All To learn more about our our consulting services,
Offer
  • Communities with Openings
11 months ago

Oak Park Commons Cohousing – Plan to Move in Fall 2025

Illinois’ first cohousing community fosters intergenerational connection, diversity, and inclusiveness. We welcome all those who share our vision of creating a sustainable residential community in a vibrant urban suburb. Oak Park Commons Cohousing seeks new members. Join the dozen households that have already helped plan and design a five story, 24-unit building near the commercial heart of Oak Park, Illinois. The building includes a mix of one, two, and three, bedroom ADA accessible units. A package friendly first floor mailroom adjoins the lobby, elevator, and parking entrances. Noise mitigation and energy efficient air conditioning assure year-round comfort. The Carpenter & Madison streets corner location includes within a pedestrian friendly half mile radius: a middle school, bus stop, grocery co-op, drug store, bank, CTA train station, Unity Temple, Rush Hospital, Fox Park, Mills Park, and many restaurants. Madison has traffic calming and bike lanes. The Village commercial center, barely a mile away offers the Lake Theatre Cinema, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Formula Fitness Center, Public Library, Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, and specialty retail and service shops. Oak Park includes excellent K-12 schools. Lincoln public elementary school offers an optional Spanish bilingual program, Gwendolyn Brooks middle school’s wonderful performing arts opportunities and OPRF high school’s great college and career prep. Eight two and three bedroom units are still available for purchase starting at $406,640. Buyers pay a five percent earnest fee when signing a purchase agreement that goes toward down payment at closing. Units available for occupancy starting the last week of October 2025. Visit our website and talk with some of our members to learn more about who we are and how we envision building our community together. Website: https://oakparkcommons.com/ Contacts: Charles Hoch 708-721-8817; Sus
Offer

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Communities

A residential project: people live here as their primary home.

Organizations

An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).

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