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Walker Creek, a 20-acre rural community near Mount Vernon, was established in 1979 to practice and promote organic farming, food self-reliance, energy efficiency, and non-polluting technologies. The stated purposes of Walker Creek include “assisting the growth of a new culture and society which incorporates the principles of human cooperation, personal growth, ecological awareness and the preservation of the natural beauty of this earth...”

Walker Creek Community retains about half of its 20 acres in woodland and protects a salmon-spawning creek. The rest of the land includes private gardens and homes, and communal roads, trails, lawns, orchards and play equipment. Each home contains an independent family, extended family, or individual. The adult population, usually about 10 people, meets monthly to share a meal and reach consensus on issues facing the community. At this time, there is no room for new members, but we are in the process of converting a barn into a community center/guest house.

To read about Walker Creek's most recent development in the alternative energy world, check out the December 2013 issue of Communities Magazine, "Going For the Grid: A Community Ditches Energy Independence to Get Greener"