Dancing Rabbit

• Ecological sustainability is the primary focus of our long-term vision and our daily lives. Residents agree
to follow ecological covenants and sustainability guidelines.
• We build our homes using alternative techniques such as straw bale and cob, powering them with
renewable energy from the Sun and wind.
• Vehicles at DR are owned cooperatively and powered by electricity and biodiesel. Overall, we eat an ever-
increasing amount of local, organic, and in-season foods including many home-grown vegetables.
• Constructing buildings while continuing to plan and develop community structure. There is an ever-
increasing emphasis on internal economy, which includes bartering and an internal currency.
• Eventually, we see 500 to 1,000 people living in our village, with businesses and homes surrounding the
town center.
• Our village is composed of individuals, families, and an income-sharing community. We look forward to
having other sub-communities join us and we encourage the development of co-housing and cooperatives.
To allow for economic diversity and simple living, we keep lease rates and membership dues low and
there is no buy-in fee.
Location & History
• The year: 1993.
• The place: Synergy, a student co-op at Stanford University in California.
• The people: three students, inspired by books such as How to Grow More Vegetables and Earthships.
• In August 1996 six from the original group, with all their possessions in tow, left California in search of a new
home. After an adventure-filled month of travel and exploration, they settled in Northeast Missouri, to be near
Sandhill Farm.
• Eventually they found a double-wide trailer to rent and 280 acres of land with a few farm buildings to buy. A
non-profit land trust was quickly set up, and money was borrowed from members, family, and friends to purchase
the land for $190,000 (slightly above market rates at the time).
• On October 1, 1997 the papers were signed and Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage at long last had land!
• By 2004 DR was up to 20 members and had moved into a new Common House on the land, finally getting out
of the rented double-wide trailer across the road. By 2007, the 10th anniversary of the land purchase, DR had
40 members and there were 16 new buildings on the land; today those numbers just keep on growing
.

Six Ecological Covenants

• Dancing Rabbit members will not use personal motorized vehicles, or store them on Dancing Rabbit
property.
• At Dancing Rabbit, fossil fuels will not be applied to the following uses: powering vehicles, space-heating
and -cooling, refrigeration, and heating domestic water.
• All gardening, landscaping, horticulture, silviculture and agriculture conducted on Dancing Rabbit property
must conform to the standards as set by OCIA for organic procedures and processing. In addition, no
petrochemical biocides may be used or stored on DR property for household or other purposes.
• All electricity produced at Dancing Rabbit shall be from sustainable sources. Any electricity imported from
off-site shall be balanced by Dancing Rabbit exporting enough on site, sustainably generated electricity,
to offset the imported electricity.
• Lumber used for construction at Dancing Rabbit shall be either reused/reclaimed, locally harvested, or
certified as sustainably harvested.
• Waste disposal systems at Dancing Rabbit shall reclaim organic and recyclable materials.
Financial Support
• Like in any other small town, individuals are responsible for meeting their financial needs themselves, and do so
in a variety of ways. Many people piece together a number of different kinds of work, rather than having one
traditional full-time “job.”
• telecommuting, internet-based jobs, or over-the-phone work.
• starting a small businesses, for example the Milkweed Mercantile and Ecovillage Education US, both of which also
employ other villagers, and the Grocery Store bulk food ordering service
• “commuting” on Amtrak, spending part of the time working away from home as consultants or teachers
• midwifery, natural building, organic inspections, substitute teaching, massage therapy, chiropractic, surveying,
nursing, cheesemaking, yogurt making, teaching, tutoring, baking, market gardening, and childcare
• doing work that is creditable toward the fees of living here, like mulching common paths and chopping firewood
for the Common House
• Some Rabbits also have income from disability, retirement, trust funds, or savings from before they moved to DR
that they use to support themselves
 Carbon Footprint
• Scientists say that the US needs to reach a per capita carbon footprint of 9 metric tons of CO2 equivalent
(mtCO2eq) per year by 2030, and a further reduction to 4 mtCO2eq per year by 2050; yet Americans are
currently consuming an untenable 20 metric tons of CO2eq per year.
• Some wonder if it is even possible to reach that goal. At Dancing Rabbit, we are trying to prove that it can be
done, by reaching those 2030 goals now and continuing to push towards those 2050 goals every year.
• You can slice and dice it a bunch of different ways, but looking at it from the personal point of view it comes
down to a few big areas: local transport, travel, home energy use (electricity and gas), food, and goods and
services. These add up to most of your footprint, with some amount coming from your share of government and
other sources.
Carbon Footprint
Thankyou
Neha Sisodia
313115251023