Ensuring Generative Success

To ensure the success of Kanata Karonhià:ke (Sky World Village) and honor Dee Dee's vision, a strategic and phased approach rooted in community, sustainability, and innovation guides its development. Our project nurtures an inclusive and thriving intergenerational community by prioritizing strong governance, strategic partnerships, and clear metrics for success. Diverse revenue streams—ranging from workshops, memberships, and value-added products to eco-tourism, event hosting, and CSA models—ensure financial sustainability while reinforcing the cooperative’s mission. Phased development focuses on high-impact projects like the community space, creating farmland access for BIPOC, and agroforestry initiatives, creating early momentum to attract additional funding and engagement. With regenerative design principles and collaborative efforts at its core, the Village will grow into a model for sustainable living, food sovereignty, and land stewardship, serving as a beacon of resilience and solidarity for generations to come.

Generative Approaches

  1. Comprehensive Feasibility Study:
    We have conducted a detailed assessment of the land, including soil health, water availability, infrastructure needs, legal models, and community demographics, which has informed our approach, including realistic timelines, budgets, and resource allocation.

  2. Strong Governance Model:
    We are considering several governance models such as a cooperative governance framework for decision-making, a community land trust to hold the land, and are exploring alternative liberatory models such as the Sovereign Ecosystem Trust. This ensures representation from key community members, including elders, youth, and other stakeholders such as the Mohawk and Seneca nation, and even the land, waters, and non-human beings themselves.

  3. Strategic Partnerships:
    Community is nothing without partners. We aim to strengthen existing partnerships (e.g., with Providence Farm Collective, Native American Community Services) and explore collaborations with local universities (University at Buffalo Indigenous Studies Program,) environmental organizations (Northeastern Agroforestry Alliance, Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust, WNY Land Conservancy), and the arts communities of East Aurora and Buffalo, to synergize our collective impact.

  4. Phased Development:
    We have prioritized projects based on feasibility, resource availability, and community needs. Completing high-impact, visible projects early (e.g., the cob oven and community space) can build momentum and attract additional funding.

  5. Clear Metrics for Success:
    We are collaborating to define key performance indicators (KPIs) for each project zone (e.g., number of community events, amount of food produced/distributed, homes constructed) and aim to regularly evaluate progress and adjust as needed.

 

Ensuring a Sustainable Economy

While we acknowledge that our anti-capitalist values conflict with a for-profit model, we equally recognize that a project of this size and scope needs a strong revenue stream in today’s environment. We are considering reciprocity actions and redistribution of wealth as a foundational principle while building sustainable community wealth.

Community Space:

  • Workshops and Events:
    We plan to offer natural building, pottery, and traditional craft workshops to the public, charging fees on a sliding scale to ensure accessibility.

  • Residencies, Fellowships, and Retreats:
    We plan to host writers’ residencies, environmental writing and artists fellowships, and ecospiritual retreats.

  • Membership Programs:
    Introducing tiered memberships for access to the maker space, tool library, and Liberation Library.

  • Retail Sales:
    Expanding the mercantile and café to include locally produced crafts, foods, and medicinal products from farmers leasing land, the Haudenosaunee Food Sovereignty Farm, and Sky World Apothecary Farm highlights hyperlocal value-added products. Partnering with local artisans and other farmers to sell their goods on consignment engages the surrounding community.

  • Event Hosting:
    We plan to market the renovated barn and gardens as venues for weddings, retreats, and conferences.

Haudenosaunee Food Sovereignty Farm:

  • Value-Added Products:
    Create and sell products like cornmeal, traditional tobacco pouches, and preserved foods.

  • CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) Model:
    Offer subscriptions for seasonal produce and processed goods to a broader audience beyond the NACS members.

Leased Farmland:

  • Co-Op Branding:
    We’re considering developing a brand identity for produce grown on the land to increase demand and generate premium prices for cooperative products.

Agroforestry Project:

  • Eco-Tourism and Education:
    We will host guided tours and workshops on agroforestry, medicinal plants, and invasive species management.

  • Product Sales:
    We plan to sell medicinal herbs, native plants, and seeds grown in the edible forest.

The Village:

  • Short-Term Rentals:
    We plan to dedicate a portion of seasonal housing to eco-tourism and educational retreats.

  • Off-Grid Energy Credits:
    We plan to explore partnerships with local utilities or energy cooperatives to sell excess solar, wind, or geothermal energy generated by the Village.

Skill-Building Programs:

  • Offer training in sustainable building techniques, regenerative agriculture, and cooperative governance for external participants may defray the costs of building and creative revenue to sustain the Village as it evolves.