MEMBERSHIP TERMINOLOGY
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GUEST- Personal guest of someone residing on the Farm. (They are not here to visit the Farm community) Pays nothing to The Foundation for up to two (2) weeks, then pays the visitor fee/bed tax of $2.00/day.
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HOUSE SITTER - Someone who acts as a house sitter and will be staying for a definite amount of time decided between the house owner and sitter. House sitters who are solely in the community to temporarily care take someone’s home will be waived from having to pay a bed tax. The house sitter should have a Farm contact (resident full or permanent member) arranged by the house owner. The house sitter will sign a "Hold Harmless" agreement. The house owner should submit a formal request to the Membership Committee on the house sitter's behalf, and let the committee know who their contact person is.
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VISITOR - Someone who is here to visit the Farm community for less than 30 days; needs to be connected with the Welcome Center. They can rent lodging and will pay the visitor fee/bed tax of$2.00/day.
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INTERN - Someone staying in the community under written agreement with a non-profit or business entity. (Generally 4-6 weeks) Sponsoring entity is responsible for the $2.00/day payable to The Foundation.
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EXTENDED VISITOR - Someone who is here to visit the Farm community for more than 30 days, needs to be connected with the Welcome Center and needs to have a sponsor.* They may be asked to pay more than the visitor fee/bed tax. They can rent lodging and should meet with the Membership Committee at their next available opening.
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RESIDENT - Someone who has submitted and application and has been approved by the Membership Committee to live in the community, needs to have a sponsor*, and pays full dues (age appropriate) as rent to the Foundation. They may rent a house on the Farm.
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PROVISIONAL MEMBER - Someone who has applied to and been approved by the Membership Committee for provisional membership in The Foundation. May build or purchase a home on the Farm. Pay full dues (age appropriate) as rent to The Foundation. Provisional members must wait one (1) year - six (6) months for approved returning members before they can be voted on for full membership in The Foundation. They may not vote unless authorized by the Membership Committee.
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NON-RESIDENT PROVISIONAL MEMBER - Cannot vote; may maintain a house site or house here by paying one dues/rent per month per site or house; anyone who is not in residence for greater that two (2) years is required to meet with the Membership Committee before resettling again on the Farm - unless they have made other arrangements with the Membership Committee.
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FULL MEMBER - Someone who has been approved (thru a vote of the members) for full membership in The Foundation. They are responsible for payment of the $3,000.00 per adult Membership fee, may leave and maintain a dwelling on the Farm, pays full dues (age appropriate) to The Foundation, and may vote in Foundation elections (subject to The Foundation by-laws regarding voter eligibility).
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NON-RESIDENT FULL MEMBER - Cannot vote; may maintain a house site or house here by paying one dues per month per site or house; anyone who is not in residence for greater than two years is required to meet with the Membership Committee before resettling again on the Farm - unless they have made other arrangements with the Membership Committee. The definition of a Non-Resident Full Member is someone who resides on the Farm for less than nine (9) months per year, unless they have made other arrangements with the Membership Committee.
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PERMANENT MEMBER - A full member of The Foundation who has paid the Membership Fee of $3000.00 and has been a full member in the community for a minimum of five (5) years. May leave the Farm and return at any time without re-applying for membership.
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NON-RESIDENT PERMANENT MEMBER - Cannot vote; may maintain a house site or house here by paying one dues per month per site or house; they may return at any time.
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♦SPONSOR DEFINITION -A full or permanent member in good standing, who resides in the community. The sponsor serves as interface with the Membership Committee and insures that the visitor/application process is understood and followed. Sponsors and sponsoring entities (for interns) are responsible for the collection of visitor fees/bed tax payable to The Foundation.
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Sponsors are not responsible if the person they are sponsoring fails to pay their dues to The Foundation.
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A sponsor is required until you are approved as a full member.
THE MEMBERSHIP PROCESS
STEP ONE: Request more information on living on The Farm by e-mailing joiningthefarmcommunity@gmail.com for a "Living In Community Information Packet". Once you have more information, the next step to joining the community is to come and visit us. You've done your research, you think you are interested in joining The Farm, and we would like you to come and get to know us. Once the Corona-virus outbreak has relaxed and we have opened the Gates again to visitors, come and visit us and see what we're all about.
STEP TWO: Once you've scheduled a visit and think this might be a good fit, let us know you are interested in living here, and tell us more about yourself. Below is an Introduction Questionnaire. There are no right or wrong answers, we just want to know more about you and why you are interested in being a part of our community. The Membership Committee will review your Questionnaire and may share your response with the Sponsorship Team and Housing Committee, and community members with available housing.
STEP THREE: Once you've visited the community, and you have completed the questionnaire, you will need to find housing and a sponsor. This can be difficult, as there are limited sponsors and housing available on The Farm. The first year of living in the Community, you will need to rent a private home to reside in. You will also need to have a sponsor who is a Full Member in good standing, that agrees to be your guide to the community. If you need help finding housing or a sponsor, please click the link below.
STEP FOUR: Once housing becomes available, the Housing Committee to connect you with the person who is interested in renting to you, and at this point, you will need to contact the Membership Committee and request an application for Residency. The application fee is $100 and is non-refundable. This does not guarantee that your application will be excepted, or that a rent agreement has been established. There are a limited amount of spots available and not everyone is able to integrate successfully or find housing that is a good fit. Click the link below to contact the Membership Committee and let them know you have found housing and a sponsor on The Farm, and are ready for a residency application.
STEP FIVE: Once you've found housing and a sponsor, and you are in the process of moving in, please click the link below for a list of resources for navigating the community.
STEP SIX: Get involved in the community. Below is a link that has information on the various organizations, activities and events happening on The Farm.
STEP SEVEN: The process of applying for Residency can be quite long and arduous, but if you hang it there and are voted in, you get to join this wonderful community and make it your home. Once you have completed one year of Residency (or if you are returning to The Farm and have lived here previously), you can apply for Provisional Membership. If you are approved for Provisional Membership, you are able to choose a home-site to build on, with approval of the Land Use Committee and the The Farm Community. To apply for Provisional Membership, please click the link below. The application fee for Provisional Membership is $50 and is non-refundable.
STEP EIGHT: After a year of Residency, and a year of Provisional Membership, you can apply to run for Full Membership. As a Full Member, you have a voice in the community and are able to vote on important decisions, such as voting in government officials, and voting on petitions in the community. The Full Membership fee is $3000 and a requires a quorum of 2/3 of the population of the voting members to vote in favor of you becoming a Full Member. To contact the membership committee and let them know you are ready to run for Full Membership, click the link below.
STEP NINE: Once you are a Full Member, you can run for office to be a part of The Farm government. To apply for a position on The Board of Directors, The Membership Committee, Land Use Committee, or The Board of Trustees, please click the link below. We also have other committees you can request to be a part of that do not require a vote by the community to join, such as the Housing Committee, the Finance Committee, and various secretary positions.
STEP TEN: After one year as a Full Member, you can Sponsor new people who are interested in joining our community. Being a sponsor requires a lot of knowledge about the community and how it operates, so the community hosts annual Q and A's for individuals wanting more training as Sponsors or Sponsees. For more information or to join the Sponsorship Team, please click the link below.