Finca Sagrada is growing
We are Seeking:
- Three to five new community members/shareholders. The shares come with building rights, community membership and decision-making on this beautiful land, providing opportunities for co-creating our thriving growth.
- A Biodynamic Farm Co-Manager. We are looking for someone who appreciates the idea of community living and shared decision making, who has the experience to develop a biodynamic training center and serve as a teacher/trainer/educator. Being Bilingual (English/Spanish) is especially helpful. See detailed job description below.
- A person to develop and organize our internship program. We have had a very successful volunteer program which we are changing to a paid internship program. Being Bilingual (English/Spanish) is especially helpful.
- Project manager to develop our education and retreat programs and oversee our fundraising campaign.
We envision a small community that has as its main task the stewarding of this sacred site and sharing this with others through the retreat/learning center. Members should be self-motivated and be excited about self-governance, within the community. Ideally the community would follow Rudolf Steiner’s threefold social order. Tasks and roles would not have to be defined exactly as above. We even see the possibility of children and a small school.
History and Description
Finca Sagrada (Sacred Land Farm) is a biodynamic farm community nestled in an isolated sacred valley in the mountains of Southern Ecuador. The property is diversified with approximately twenty acres of irrigated pastures, food forest and gardens, plus an additional eight hundred acres of mountain land, bounded by a river and stream. Walter and Susan Davis Moora moved from the States to Ecuador in 2007 and shortly after bought Finca Sagrada. Walter has been a Biodynamic farmer for fifty two years and Susan has been a leader in the social investment industry, often called the godmother of social investing.
Finca Sagrada has been designated as Sacred Land, considered a portal to higher realms, consecrated by Kogi Mamos (sacred priests), indigenous shaman from South America who have performed sacred rituals and authorized the building of a structure known as the “House of Original Thought,” the presence of which deeply enhances visitors’ connection to the sacred in nature.
As keepers of sacred lands, we are in service to Earth and we are living in reciprocity with her bounty. We are building a community that honors the sacredness of the land and supports the diversity of its members, allowing us to experience and practice a flow of generosity, and to find our true roles as co-creators of life on Earth.
We envision a thriving community that is multicultural, multi-generational and has a variety of socio-economic levels. This would include farmers, healers, teachers, innovators, digital nomads, and retirees who feel drawn to our mission statement and our vision. Housing will include a mix of community and private dwellings.
Our mission statement
Finca Sagrada exemplifies a farm-based, multicultural learning center where people can reconnect to self, community and nature through heartfelt thinking.
New Opportunities
Recently we had the opportunity to buy an additional three and a half hectares (9 acres) of adjacent land and have decided to expand the community. We are looking for members aligned with our mission statement and sharing our vision.
Currently we are three committed couples, including both foreigners and local indigenous families, living on the land.
We are transferring the land from private ownership into an S.A.S. (similar to a LLC in the States) which will be co-owned and managed by its shareholders.
Our Community Operating System
One of our founding members, Susan Davis Moora, has created more than 40 communities or working groups over 50 years using a method she has evolved called KINS, signifying that we are all KIN to each other. KINS groups have successfully taken on challenging initiatives like supporting the social investing industry and catalyzing the solar industry. See https://kinshipearth.org/history
The KINS Operating Principles are the foundation of our community.
- Our strategy is generosity and our intention is wonder.
- A deal is a good deal when it is good for all concerned, especially Earth.
- Everyone does what we love to do and do well…and little else.
- We sit at the table of unknowing and invite the Universe to co-create with us for the highest good for all concerned.
- When we get upset, we go within to ask what within us is asking to be healed, and later we bring the story of that healing back to the group to enrich the field.
- Everyone gets equal time to speak and we return each other’s calls and emails promptly.
- All information is available to all members all the time. We honor and encourage transparency in our communications. Honesty, integrity and respect are of the highest value.
Legal Description
Finca Sagrada has two legal structures to help organize and run the enterprise.
The Finca Sagrada Association
The function of the Association is to further the vision of Finca Sagrada and to implement it.
The Association will manage Finca Sagrada and give guidelines to the farmers and other enterprise leaders. Enterprise leaders will be given freedom to manage their operations (such as the farm) as they deem fit as long as they work within the established guidelines.
Finca Sagrada Retreat Center. SAS.
(SAS. Similar to an LLC in the States)
The ownership of Finca Sagrada is organized as an SAS company, called Finca Sagrada Retreat Center. As of December, 2022, Susan and Walter are the sole shareholders. As people join and buy shares they will receive building and voting rights. There will be a lease contract between the SAS company and the leasee.
Relationship between the SAS and the Association
The Association makes management decisions. If these decisions have financial consequences for the SAS, these decisions will need to be approved by the SAS members. If approved by the SAS members, then the SAS will contract with the Association to fulfill these obligations.
Future Vision for Finca Sagrada
We have been developing a business plan that will make Finca Sagrada more self-reliant. We want to share the beauty and sacredness of this place with others, by creating facilities that can support retreats and workshops. We will create fundraising activities for these projects and have good resources to go to. We will do this in two stages.
Stage one:
We will upgrade our present facilities and build two new cottages. The cottages can be rented out for income and also give us the ability to house, with our other facilities, up to twelve people for retreats and workshops.
Stage two:
We plan to build a retreat center that could accommodate thirty people. This is a more ambitious project and would depend on the approval of the members who will join us and the financial viability of the world economic situation.
To see the business plan please get in touch with Walter at waltermoora@gmail.com
Future governance of Finca Sagrada
We are in the process of creating a DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) for Finca Sagrada. This will allow for tokenization of assets and better governance. We are one of thirteen projects of Regen Civics, part of the SEEDS crypto coin regeneration project. https://explore.joinseeds.earth/regenerative-civics-alliance/regen-project-flow-outline/step-2-coordinate-with-daos-and-dhos/hypha-dho-and-dao
Finca Sagrada has close ties to Kinship Earth
Kinshipearth.org is a not-for-profit based in the United States. Although the two organizations are separate entities, we have a close connection as they are continuing the legacy of Susan Davis Moora. For instance, they are co-sponsoring the Kogi mamos visit to Finca sagrada in June of 2023.
If Interested
If our vision and lifestyle appeal to you we would love to have a conversation on Zoom. We would probably recommend you visit Vilcabamba and our farm (if space is available) for a few months. For some people it is quite a jump to get used to Ecuador and also living rurally. It is important to us that we can build trust and understanding with new partners.
For more Information:
We hope that this article gives an adequate description of what we are creating at Finca Sagrada.
For more information, please contact Walter Moora at waltermoora@gmail.com.
Further links:
- Visuals of Finca Sagrada https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHaIJ1F7i68
- Finca Sagrada: Six minute pitch deck for Regen Civics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niLQgyr_oO8
- Finca Sagrada website: finca-sagrada.com
- Talk by Walter and Susan about Finca Sagrada and their lives: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7onPk_CxTBY
- Heart and soil magazine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57XdCHi5JEw
- Two books written by Walter and Susan
- A Farmers Love by Walter Moora Available on Amazon
- The Trojan horse of Love. By Susan Davis Available for free on Kinshipearth.org
Detailed Job Descriptions :
Farm manager
- Be experienced and knowledgeable in Biodynamic farming.
- Enjoy all aspects of a diversified farm, including milking, vegetables and fruit trees.
- Enjoy small scale. We have no tractor. Apart from a chainsaw and weed Wacker we do everything by hand.
- Enjoy teaching. We have had a thriving volunteer program. We will expand that into an internship program and biodynamic workshops. We also hope to create a retreat/learning center on the land.
- Enjoy community decision making and involvement.
- Be willing to co-manage with our Ecuadorian/indigenous partners.
- Be excited about stewarding a sacred site.
- Bilingual skills or be willing to learn Spanish.
Intern program and workshop director
We are upgrading our facilities and expanding. We are seeking someone who enjoys interacting and directing a small group of interns, usually six or eight. Interns can be of all ages and abilities. This person would arrange meals, accommodations, transport and setting the standards for community living. A love for farm life, community living and both Spanish and English speaking skills are important. This position is flexible as there would be time to garden, pursue hobbies, teach and direct or help with social media.
Project manager
We are seeking a person to manage our education and retreat center and to coordinate our fundraising campaign. We have spent many hours developing our business plan and are ready to embark on our fundraising campaign. This person should have good social media and communication skills. We are one of the Regen Civics projects and have created a DAO for Finca Sagrada. Some knowledge of blockchain technology or a willingness to learn is essential.