WHAT IS AN ECOVILLAGE
An eco-village is a deliberately designed community that prioritizes sustainability, harmony with nature, and a strong sense of collaboration and connection among its members. Unlike conventional development which often destroys , eco-villages are built around shared values and a collective vision for living in ways that reduce environmental impact while enhancing quality of life. Through principles like renewable energy use, ecological building techniques, shared resources, and permaculture practices, eco-villages aim to create self-sufficient systems that support both people and the planet.
More than just a physical space, an eco-village fosters a culture of cooperation, where residents work together to cultivate a sense of belonging and purpose. These communities embrace diversity, encourage creativity, and provide a supportive environment for individuals to grow while contributing to the collective well-being. Whether it’s growing food, maintaining shared infrastructure, or creating art, an eco-village is a holistic model for sustainable living and a blueprint for a more connected and intentional way of life.
Happy Castle's Environmental Mission
The Ecovillage
Building a home that is not only passively carbon-neutral, but entirely self-sufficient in the energy, water, and food requirements of its occupants seems a difficult task and it is. The requirements in terms of infrastructure, labor, costs to go “off-grid” in the Socorro high-desert are astounding compared to just buying a house in the suburbs, but technically, even with its enormous upfront impact, going off-grid is the most sustainable way a person can live. We’re taking this concept to the next level by building a 150-person, fully off-grid, self-sufficient, high-desert eco-commune. This will include dozens of personal residences, several communal buildings, and a few manufacturing facilities for the various onsite cooperative-businesses. By designing a community around communal resources, we reduce inefficiency, redundancies, costs and materials. Suddenly, establishing the infrastructure to go off-grid isn’t so out of reach. Maybe for the individual it is, but not for the collective. We’re not only driven by a desire to live sustainably ourselves, but to demonstrate to others the feasibility of establishing a community like ours and its revolutionary implications for a deeply flawed society. Self-sufficiency is a guiding principle in all that we’ll do in establishing and growing the eco-village, but we’re also committed to radically expanding access to this kind of lifestyle. Our current goal is building self-sufficiency for twenty-five initial collaborators, but we hope to quickly expand to sustain over one-hundred full-time residents fully off-grid. This will require massive infrastructure buildout, which will come at a very high-cost, both pricewise and in terms of the environmental impact such a major construction project would carry. In a show of transparency and statement on the environmental toll of civilization, Happy Castle will track and estimate its complete and full carbon impact throughout the course of its evolution. Over the next decade, we’ll strive to not only neutralize and erase our carbon-debt, but also achieve the status of having a genuinely carbon-negative impact on the planet. Happy Castle Art Camp will be a carbon-sink. Through permaculture planning onsite, we intend to slowly regenerate the badly degraded desert-soil by incrementally amending it, planting native-species, and promoting water retention. Eventually, we hope to establish moderate organic farming operations onsite, sustaining a variety of fruit trees, landscaping plants, and beehives onsite. We don’t just want to sever our dependence on an unsustainable and unstable supply chain, but actively participate in the environmental-regeneration of our planet. This brings us to the third-tenet in our ecological mission: growth and political advocacy. We can do our part to help our dying planet, but if we’re going to truly effect the change we want to see, then we need our message to spread. As an organization, Happy Castle is bound by these ecological principles and will always commit a portion of its resources towards the ultimate goal of accelerating a carbon-negative civilization. Many of us have always felt this calling, longing for years to buy our own homestead, live off-grid, build our own home, grow our own food and produce our own power, but for one reason or another we couldn’t make it happen on our own and didn’t have the right people to help us. Happy Castle is collecting the right people and building a community. If this sounds like you, then come join us and be a part of forming the future you want.
LIVE IN BALANCE WITH NATURE
Despite being the most intelligent and capable species on the planet, humankind is also the most destructive. So much in fact, that we risk destroying the very biosphere upon which we all rely. Even the most environmentally conscious among us are dependent on systems and institutions which are a part of the problem. Corporate agriculture, traditional construction, the transportation industry, and more. All of these have been designed to produce commercial products and short-term profit often at the expense of the long-term health of the planet. Even when we reject these structural flaws, we're forced to participate in them. Happy Castle aims to establish a revolutionary alternative lifestyle open to everyone, taking the first step away from an unsustainable past and towards a radically different future.
ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES
1. Happy Castle will attempt to establish itself as a net-negative carbon impact on the planet. Infrastructure onsite should seek to establish permanence, to minimize inefficiencies, irresponsible use of resources and value self-sufficiency in energy, water, and food production. 2. All water consumed onsite should be collected onsite in a sustainable and replenishable way that does not deplete natural sources. Wherever possible, previously collected water should be conserved, reused, and expended only through its most productive uses. 3. All gardening, agriculture, and horticulture, onsite will seek self-sufficiency by designing around permaculture, hydroponic and aquaponic systems that conserve water and maximize yield. 4. Happy Castle will design the landscape, including roads, buildings, plants, and art-installations in ways that seek to minimize negative effects on undeveloped areas and enhance those which are developed. While we accept there will be a human impact on the land in pursuit of our larger vision, we should strive to integrate our activities in ways that complement and enhance the natural landscape and its inhabitants such as rainwater retention to rejuvenate the land, soil regeneration and the planting and nurturing of native species. 5. Happy Castle will strive to minimize waste by choosing high-quality products that are designed for permanence and durability, avoiding those which are not. Similarly, we will seek products which are ethically and sustainably produced. We recognize that some essential products meeting these specifications may be cost-prohibitive or otherwise difficult to acquire within our consumerist-culture and accept that compromises may occasionally be necessary in service of the larger mission. 6. Happy Castle will seek ways to reuse waste products wherever possible, including through composting and repurposing. 7. Happy Castle will promote the use of sustainable building methods by offering courses in sustainable building to the public, contracting out our expertise to regional builders, and engaging politically to advocate for expanded access and education in sustainable building. 8. All electricity consumed onsite should be generated through renewable means, such as solar and wind. We’ll strive to build the totality of our energy production onsite, ensuring independence and self-sufficiency. Additionally, we’ll aim to produce excess energy for exportation offsite. 9. Villagers should strive to promote the ultimate mission of happy Castle in their daily lives, giving genuine contemplation on how to contribute to its success, both economically as well as their role in sustaining a culture of unity, ecological growth, environmental restoration, spiritual well-being, and personal-fulfillment. .
TRACK OUR CARBON IMPACT
our CARBOn-NEGATIVE COMMITMENT
THE MISSION TO OFFSET, ERASE, AND NEGATE OUR CARBON-FOOTPRINT
At Happy Castle Art Camp, our mission to become a carbon-negative community is grounded in a multifaceted approach. While our commitment to renewable energy will allow us to generate excess energy, contributing to a net-negative carbon footprint, our ecological ambitions extend beyond energy production.
We aim to transform our own land into a thriving example of desert permaculture, turning overgrazed and degraded areas into a lush desert oasis. Through holistic water management, soil regeneration, and planting native desert species, we’re dedicated to restoring the landscape in ways that not only sequester carbon, restore ecosystems, and increase biodiversity, but also create a more pleasant venue for our events. This greening initiative will make Happy Castle a model for what’s possible in sustainable land stewardship, proving that even the most arid and damaged environments can flourish.
A key part of this vision is our experimental desert nursery, where we’re working to breed and adapt plant species that are more resilient and water-efficient. These plants will not only support our own onsite transformation, but also be sold to neighboring communities, helping to green the surrounding areas while providing a sustainable income stream for the commune.
In the future, we’re looking forward to incorporating cutting-edge carbon-sequestering concrete in our construction projects, further negating our carbon footprint. Through this combination of excess renewable energy generation, reforestation efforts, permaculture, and innovative building techniques, we’re not just offsetting our carbon impact—we’re actively reversing it. Happy Castle will stand as a beacon for climate restoration, sustainability, and creative ecological design.
DESERT NURSERY
Cultivating Change
At the core of our ecological mission lies the Happy Castle Desert Nursery, a vital project that exemplifies Happy Castle’s commitment to sustainable land stewardship and desert reforestation. This initiative goes far beyond the traditional concept of a nursery; it is a living laboratory where we research, experiment, and cultivate plant species specifically adapted to thrive in the challenging arid environment of the Southwest. By using a permaculture-based approach to design, the nursery aims to regenerate not just the land making up our Art Camp, but also to serve as a model for large-scale desert restoration across the region.
DEVELOPING
DESERT ADAPTED PLANTS
A key objective of the Desert Nursery is the development of resilient, water-efficient plant varieties that can withstand the extreme climate of the desert. While much of our focus will be on native species such as mesquite, desert willow, and ocotillo, we are also pioneering efforts to adapt non-native but drought-tolerant plants to the environment, particularly fruit trees like jujubee, apple, apricot, and fig. The nursery serves as a research and breeding ground, where we carefully select and cultivate plants that have the potential to increase biodiversity, regenerate soil, and store carbon while emphasizing high-desert hardiness. Our goal is to develop species that not only survive but thrive with minimal water input, ultimately creating a more self-sustaining and resilient ecosystem.
GREENING THE DESERT
The nursery will be central to our broader effort to green the Happy Castle Art Camp itself, turning the overgrazed and degraded land into a verdant desert oasis. Plants from the nursery will be integrated into permaculture-based land management systems, which will include food forests, windbreaks, and habitat corridors. These plants will help retain moisture, improve soil, prevent erosion, and promote the natural regeneration of the desert landscape, while providing beauty, shade, and nourishment to both residents and visitors. This transformation will not only make the campground a more appealing destination and venue but also serve as a living, breathing testament to the radical potential for ecological restoration in even the most challenging environments.
GROWING BEYOND
HAPPY CASTLE
Our efforts don’t stop at Happy Castle’s borders. The Desert Nursery is a launchpad for reforestation and greening efforts across the broader Southwest. By sharing our research, selling our desert-adapted plants, and collaborating with local landowners, we hope to play a key role in large-scale restoration efforts throughout the region. The plants grown here will be sold to fund the commune’s operations, while also contributing to the greening of communities and landscapes across the Southwest.
THE NURSERY
AS A COMMUNITY RESOURCE
INNOVATING
FOR THE FUTURE
In addition to cultivating known species, the Desert Nursery will also focus on innovation. We are experimenting with new hybrid species and genetic adaptations that can thrive in even harsher conditions, with less water, and in degraded soils. The idea is to create plant varieties that can not only adapt to climate change but can help reverse its effects through rapid carbon sequestration, soil regeneration, and erosion control. By experimenting with innovative irrigation techniques, such as the use of greywater recycling and aquaponics, we aim to reduce the water demand of our nursery while still producing healthy, resilient plants.
Over time, the Desert Nursery will become a resource for the commune and the wider community, serving as a place for education and collaboration. Visitors to Happy Castle will have the chance to tour the nursery, learn about desert farming and reforestation techniques, and even purchase plants to take home. Workshops and classes will be offered to teach sustainable gardening, water-efficient landscaping, and plant propagation methods, enabling people to apply permaculture principles to their own lives and properties. As Happy Castle grows, the nursery will stand as a symbol of our commitment to ecological restoration, and a powerful testament to the possibilities of sustainable living in the high desert.
BUY A SHIRT, PLANT A TREE
TREE PLANTING PLEDGE
At Happy Castle, our commitment to environmental restoration is woven into every aspect of our community. One of the key ways we invite participation in this mission is through our Tree Planting Tee Collection. For every shirt sold from this special collection, a portion of the proceeds will be used to plant a tree, contributing directly to our large-scale reforestation and desert-greening efforts.
Each tree we plant represents a tangible step toward restoring the natural landscape and fighting climate change. Whether you’re a festival-goer, an eco-conscious activist, or just someone looking to make a difference, your purchase helps fund our mission to plant millions of trees across the Southwest. These trees will not only help sequester carbon but will also revive ecosystems, provide wildlife habitats, and contribute to a greener, healthier planet.
With the Happy Castle Tree Planting Pledge, the clothes you wear can be more than just a fashion statement—it's a promise to the environment. Together, we can make a lasting impact, one tree at a time.
WHAT IS AN PERMACULTURE
Originally coined to combine "permanent" and "agriculture," permaculture is a land design philosophy rooted in working with nature to create sustainable, self-sufficient ecosystems for food, water, and energy. By modeling human systems after natural ones, permaculture focuses on regenerating ecosystems, building soil health, and ensuring long-term balance and abundance. Often described as "ecological design," it promotes self-sustaining agriculture that requires minimal external inputs like water, soil amendments, and chemicals.
Happy Castle's aspirational ten-year vision incorporates permaculture into every aspect of our eco-village. We aim to cultivate large-scale, permanent agriculture onsite, including fruit trees and other crops that can be transformed into income-generating products such as honey, salsas, wine, and mead. Our long-term goal is to serve organically grown produce at an onsite restaurant, sell fresh goods at farmer's markets, and demonstrate a sustainable model of food production. However, our immediate focus in Phase One is to lay the foundation through earthworks, swales, and retention ponds to improve the land’s natural hydrology.
Initially, we will reintroduce native species such as mesquite, cholla, prickly pear, and cottonwood to the degraded desert landscape, nurturing their growth while experimenting with the most resilient and beneficial traits. These efforts will be supported by the Happy Castle Desert Nursery, which will generate additional income for the community while helping us select and propagate plant varieties adapted to the harsh desert conditions.
In a region with less than eight inches of annual rainfall, growing agriculture of any kind presents immense challenges. Growing fruit trees is even more unthinkable. However, by implementing sitewide permaculture practices, we can not only repair ecosystems damaged by over a century of overgrazing but also transform the landscape into a thriving and lush environment that supports both food and financial security for the Village. All of this can be achieved without depleting our already overburdened aquifers.
While food self-sufficiency is a long-term goal, it is not the central focus of Phase One. Food accounts for only 15-20% of an average household’s expenses, so overinvesting in agricultural capabilities at this stage would not be a prudent use of resources. Instead, we are prioritizing infrastructure to encourage hydration and soil regeneration. Earthworks will slow water flow across the landscape, enabling gradual absorption and revitalization of the desert ecosystem.
Permaculture is not just about farming—it’s a holistic approach to living in harmony with the earth. By integrating water conservation, companion planting, and renewable resource use, we are innovating a model that holds promise not just for our desert land but for a planet in urgent need of sustainable solutions. What we pioneer here at Happy Castle will have global implications for a planet facing a significantly hotter, drier future due to climate change.
PERMACULTURE LAND PLAN
Integration of Nature and Society
In terms of priorities, the land will firstly be dedicated to the creation of a vibrant commune, campground, and festival-venue. As such, supporting infrastructure improvements will often take precedence over preserving the undeveloped wilderness. However, Happy Castle has a long-term vision towards the ultimate environmental regeneration of the land which will at first see major upheaval, but will then be majorly enhanced both ecologically and aesthetically. As we construct roads, paths, buildings and art-installations, we’ll also build ecological infrastructure such as swales, gardens, and retention ponds that seamlessly integrate into the wider camp layout. As the land slowly grows more lush and verdant it will not only improve biodiversity, but also the human experience living and camping onsite. Below is our current land-plan, showing major planned camp features overlaid with the layout of our permaculture site-design.
The first part of our permaculture site-plan, observation and design, has already been completed. This plan is likely to evolve as the buildout of the campground continues, but its tentative guidelines have been set. Notable features on the map include the topography of the land which is largely flat, gently sloping only about 100ft from the northwest to the southwest and the large wash carved into its western edge. Both of these features are great permaculture assets which majorly influenced the overall site-design.
Site Observation
Topography and Earthworks
Happy Castle will see major earthworks onsite. Not only will excavation be necessary to grade construction sites and provide soil Earthbag buildings, it will also be used to enhance the artistic nature of the campground including an 8000ft long dry-moat and berm encircling the camp as well as a gigantic pyramid. As far as permaculture specific earthworks, hundreds of swales will be constructed along elevation lines to slow down rainwater runoff, preventing topsoil erosion and allowing the rain to soak more deeply into the landscape. Biomass will slowly be infilled along the backside of these swales to further promote hydration and soil improvement. The natural wash will be fitted with check-dams and artificial offshoots to slow its natural flow and divert floodwaters into various retention ponds across the site.
As soil quality improves, we’ll begin to cultivate native plant-life in greater mass. This will further improve the soil, prepping the land for the introduction of less hardy native species and other beneficial non-native plant species.
Fortifying Native Plants
Jujubee Orchard and Bees: As the land rejuvenates we will begin to establish certain areas as the first Jujubee groves, planting the fruit trees interspersed with existing hardier plants. Although very few fruits grow as well in the desert as the little-known Jujubee, at this stage it will not be able to survive entirely on its own and will require supplemental care from our members. With time we will introduce more fruit-trees of different species, creating a diverse foundation for our onsite beehives.