Quaker Intentional Village — Canaan
Homes to Rent or Build, Rooms to Rent
Yearning to live in a close-knit community?
Seeking a more spiritually focused life?
Dreaming of living more simply and sustainably?
Come visit!
Rent a room [RENTED]
As of September 1, 2024, we expect to have one room in our Community Farmhouse available for rent. Beautiful timber-framed building, shared large kitchen, laundry, and living/dining spaces. The bedroom for rent shares a bathroom and hallway with another room. Both are attached to a shared and common sitting space (pictured). Includes utilities and requires community engagement as well as farmhouse responsibilities.
Preference will be given to those interested in exploring intentional community and a rental agreement of 6-12 months.
Rent a house [RENTED]
As of September 1, 2024, we expect to have a house available for rent. 1250 sq ft. / 3 bedrooms / 1.5 baths / kitchen / living room / dining room / office space; $1,900/month plus utilities (firewood, propane, electric, internet). Renting will give a new family and QIVC the opportunity to live together and discern if associate, and possibly later full, membership is the right thing for all involved.
Preference will be given to young families interested in exploring QIVC.
Build your own house
QIVC has one building site available for new or existing members. The building lot is set back from the road on a gentle south-facing slope near a large garden, and an easily accessible ravine with a wooded stream.
For inquiries about buying, building, or renting at the Quaker Intentional Village — Canaan, please email info@qivc.org.
Who we are
We are currently a community of about 10 households living close to the land on 135 acres of mixed woodland and pasture. We range in age from toddler to 90's, with more than 15 adults, a number of young adults, and an abundant handful of children. (More about us)
Where we are
We are on land in the gorgeous Hudson Valley and Capital Region of upstate New York, and in the foothills of the Berkshires. East Chatham is in Columbia County and by car is 35 minutes from Albany, 2.5 hours from NYC/Boston, and 10 minutes from our local Quaker Meeting in Old Chatham as well as the Powell House Conference Center of New York Yearly Meeting (NYYM).
How we live
We are thriving in a range of green homes such as strawbale, slip and chip timberframe, stickbuilt, passive solar; many of us built our own. Many of us grow food on our land organically, raise chickens, and produce piles of pesto. We also support several local farms through CSA shares (that's Community Supported Agriculture).
We use Quaker processes in our self-government, including a form of consensus that seeks a spiritually led way forward, individual and corporate discernment, and the clearness process. We value equality, diversity of experience and viewpoints, and deep listening. We come together around our five guiding intentions.
Our Five Intentions
We believe conscious culture creation in community can be a means to advance our intentions:
1. To live in worship, increasing our mindfulness, spiritual focus, and God-centeredness by intertwining our daily lives with others who share these intentions
2. To create a village setting that values and engages participation by people of all ages, expands our experience of family, and supports our expression in the world.
3. To create wealth that embodies integrity and Truth by carefully examining our engagement in the current economic order and stepping away from its destructive elements
4. To live in unity & harmony with the earth by considering the near and far environmental impact of our actions while striving for thrivability
5. To include a good measure of joy, fun, creativity, and service in our lives
We believe that our community's success in achieving these five intentions will be aided by membership diverse in race, age, ethnicity, gender, sexual preference, and economic situations, and therefore it is our aim to gather a community whose members are diverse in these ways as well as others.
