Agency Details:

Gaia Center is a new nonprofit environmental education organization being created just outside Colfax, IA. Our goals are to demonstrate and educate about permaculture, organic food production, natural building, conservation, and a cooperative and sustainable lifestyle.

Description:
Located on 80 acres of beautiful rolling hills just 20 minutes east of Des Moines, Iowa, Gaia Center is a unique organization focusing on the sustainable balance of the needs of people and the planet. With 65 acres in woods and 15 acres in hay fields the land is a gorgeous haven for nature to abound. With 2 natural streams and bountiful wildlife we have much beauty to steward and thriving ecosystems to protect. There are many goals for Gaia Center one of which is to become a fully functioning permaculture demonstration farm. We intend to demonstrate agro-forestry, managed intensive grazing, humane animal husbandry, and other organic food production methods. We will also build using alternative natural building methods that are energy efficient and focus on the use of renewable materials. We intend to build workshop and visitor facilities so that we may offer classes on renewable energy techniques, conservation, natural building, and a cooperative and sustainable lifestyle. We believe part of that is fostering a sense of community in an increasingly isolated world. We envision a day where we can offer classes on subjects ranging from animal caretaking to meditation to value added agriculture products. We will create a holistically healthy environment for people and the planet to live in balance.

History:
Gaia Center received our federal non-profit status in 2004. We were originally located in Wisconsin. When the opportunity for land became available in Iowa, we moved and registered as a non-profit here. We began construction of the administration building June of 2007 and have done all the work, except for the roof, as a community.

Contact people:

Tizzy Hyatt, Program Coordinator, (email) Jonathan Overlin, Executive Director, (email)

Address:

12297 N. 4th Ave. West Colfax, IA 50054 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.gaiacenter.org

Directions:

From I-80 eastbound take the Colfax exit 155 and turn left. (I-80 west bound turn right at the top of the exit ramp.) Take a pit stop at the BP gas station/McDonald's as there is no bathroom facility at the. . . (more)

Last updated on September 29, 2009