About Zephyr
Zephyr Valley Community Cooperative is a rural consensus based community. Fifteen adult members and six kids live here on 500 acres of stunningly beautiful land in the bluff country of southeast Minnesota. The Coop bought the land in 1994. There are eight individual homes, including one under construction; plus a common house, two barns, and several outbuildings. This is a working farm, with 80 acres of agricultural land, currently in hay production, cattle pasture, and prairie seed gathering. Zephyr has two creeks, four ponds, including a lined swimming pond, pastures, goat prairie bluffs, and forest.
Community House Our Community House is the hub for our meetings, potlucks, and social events. |
TrailsZephyr maintains several miles of hiking trails, which our members enjoy year round. |
Swimming PondOur spring-fed swimming pond is a favorite gathering place on hot summer days. |
Values & Lifestyle
Zephyr has no spiritual, or political affiliation. While many of us share similar views about the world we live in, and most of us are individually active in various religious, social, and political groups, the Zephyr Coop as a whole is not active in such groups. Adopting a particular affiliation might lead to a greater sense of community identity, but it would exclude people who are committed to one particular path. We are individuals, leading separate lives. We have more of a sense of community than a subdivision, but less than a tightly-integrated commune. We do not share incomes. We live in separate homes. We do not want urban densities, but we do cluster our homes to promote social interaction to the extent possible, avoiding the visual dominance of ridge-top dwellings, and the isolation of secluded areas. Our community house has a kitchen and laundry facilities, but most of us have these in our houses.
OUR GOAL"The purpose of this Association shall be to purchase and hold land and valuable goods in common for use by its members in accordance with principles of cooperative, organic, sustainable culture and agriculture." |
Membership Pathway
ZVCC welcomes all persons, irrespective of religion, race, age, marital/family status, sexual orientation, physical & mental abilities, political affiliation, or national origin. However it is important to understand that living in a cooperative housing community requires a specific set of qualities and skills.
First StepInterested Party
Anyone interested in entering the Membership Pathway. Do you want to live in a community governed by consensus? Do you want to live in a rural area? Is ZVCC the right consensus-based community for you?
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Second StepAssociate Membership
An individual who has been approved by a full consensus decision by the current membership, and is actively working toward becoming a Full Member by completing the steps outlined on the Membership page. This is a 6 to 18 month process.
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third StepFull Membership
An individual who has completed the steps of being an Associate member, and who has been approved for membership by the Co-op through a full consensus membership process. A full member pays an initial $10,000 investment into the co-op, pays monthly dues, attends meetings, and fully participates in decision making and community life.
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The Zephyr big barn and the Community House.
Friend Of Zephyr
Email us if you wish to be a Friend of Zephyr, and be on our social invite list for potlucks and other events.
You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
© 2021 Zephyr Valley Community Cooperative
