Who we are

At its core, Ancient Roots Cooperative is asking a simple question: what if the way we build today could bring us back together instead of pulling us apart?

We are creating a three-body interconnected system (“entities”) based in Schenectady, NY. These entities include the creation of a land trust, a worker-owned cooperative, and a living laboratory. Together, these entities work together as one to address the things wearing our communities down: economic instability, land being extracted and exploited, and the exhaustion that comes from organizing without support. Our focus is on off-grid, sustainable, and genuinely affordable pathways to owning a home.

We do this through a Matriarchal, Indigenous, and Spiritual solarpunk lens. That means we treat land as a relative rather than a resource. It means the people who live somewhere should be the ones deciding what gets built there. And it means every choice we make is weighed against what it leaves for those coming seven generations from now.

By changing how and what we build, we believe our cities can become living ecosystems that is . What we are building here could work in every city in America, bridging the gaps, and bringing all of us back under a common goal.

Right now we are in Phase 0. We have a solid vision and a real foundation for what we want to become.

Now we need more villagers to make it real.

The following flow chart explains the three interconnected entities that make up A.R.C.:

Our detailed vision - condensed

Build Homes That Last

By creating a Land Trust, we will be able to acquire land and keep it out of speculative hands. Therefore, allowing us to assess each property for the betterment of the community in which it resides in. Once approved for housing, we’d use sustainable materials (rammed earth, cob, hemp-lime, pre-fabricated homes), and off grid systems (water collection, solar power, passive heating and cooling systems, etc.) to construct homes designed to last a lifetime. We want to make them affordable, ecologically sound, and permanently protected.

Every site would include some variation of (dense) food forests, water systems, renewable energy, and ecological restoration. We heal the land while building along side it.

Create Jobs For Locals

By creating a Groundworkers Cooperative, we are acknowledging that all labor types are required to build a home and a community, and therefore need to be working together, not apart. By training local residents as skilled construction workers, ecological stewards, and as technological innovators, we will be able to keep money circulating locally while advocating for a higher quality and equitable work place. Over time, our Groundworkers will become the entity that will shine a light on what is possible when we collaborate wholistically.

Share Knowledge Freely

Everything we learn—building methods, governance tools, training curricula—is documented and released openly. We’re building a blueprint other communities can replicate. More information to come as we build it out!

Build Community Power

Residents make decisions about their neighborhoods. Not advisory boards. Real voting. Real governance. Real say.

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who we collaborate with

Skilled Trades People

We are seeking to engage with professionals who are able and willing to help us train more skilled trades people. If that’s you, reach out to us!

People seeking housing stability or skilled jobs

No prior experience needed. Women, youth, returning citizens, immigrants, refugees, etc.

We intentionally build pathways for people historically excluded from construction and development.

Community organizations, nonprofits, schools

We partner with existing organizations rather than competing with them. If our values align, let’s work together!

Funders, impact investors, philanthropists

We don’t know how much it will take to start this initiative. However, if some of the most popular builds in Schenectady are $300+million, we don’t think it’s unreasonable to strive towards that level of investment. As we develop our tiers of investment, we know for certain we do not want to accept funding that compromises our values or residents’ power. Be on the lookout for future details on how to invest monetarily!

Policy makers and government partners

We need help removing barriers: streamlining permits for natural materials, supporting land transfers, building policy frameworks for community land trusts. If you and/or someone you know would be a good fit to help us navigate this system, we would love to talk with you/them!