Aprovecho’s mission is “Living, Learning, Organizing, and Educating to Inspire a Sustainable Culture.” Thirty years after its founding, the center serves as an inspiration for the hundreds of students, visitors, and volunteers that make use of its facilities. Aprovecho offers many different opportunities for engagement, from the yearly publication of its “New from Aprovecho” newsletter, to monthly open house tours, weekend workshops, overnight trips for youth, and residential programs in Permaculture and Natural Building.
The campus itself is a dynamic and beautiful place filled with examples of practical applications of sustainable living techniques. The sustainable forestry program provides 90% of the wood in our buildings, and provides wood for heat and cooking uses while maintaining a healthy and diverse standing forest. The gardens and orchards provide much of the fresh food eaten by the residents and program participants. The buildings themselves provide examples of natural and energy-efficient building techniques, including passive solar design, alternative insulation and finishing materials like strawbale, light straw clay, and earthen plasters, living roofs, and much more, The campus also features several water-harvesting features, including ponds, swales, and a 10,000 gallon ferrocement rainwater tank. Aprovecho is also pioneering a successful temperate climate aquaponics system, which currently produces tilapia and a diversity of edible fruits and vegetables year-round.
Aprovecho is also a residential community, with permanent on-site residents and seasonal staff positions. Many people in the Cottage Grove community have settled in the area after coming to Aprovecho, weaving together with the thriving rural small town atmosphere that Cottage Grove offers. The organization plays an integral role with the surrounding Cottage Grove and South Willamette Valley community as well, and has relationships with local elementary and high schools, the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Lane Community College, Cottage Grove Habitat for Humanity, the Oddfellows, Cottage Grove Garden Club, Sustainable Cottage Grove, Branch Road Farms, Hummingbird Wholesale, Territorial Seeds, and many more.
Please feel free to attend one of our tours, workshops, or longer courses to learn more about our offerings. We hope you leave inspired to continue the development of a sustainable culture.Please feel free to attend one of our tours, workshops, or longer courses to learn more about our offerings. We hope you leave inspired to continue the development of a sustainable culture.
Permaculture, Ecological Farming and Gardening, Natural Building, Sustainable Livelihood, and Community Learning.
You are interested in learning about sustainable land and building practices, receiving consultations, work-trading or touring our property, attending or teaching during our weekend workshop series.