About Us

The 93 acres of Living Tree carry stories that stretch back generations. This land at the confluence of Dowsville Brook and the Mad River was part of N'dakinna—the homeland of the Abenaki people, who have lived, hunted, fished, farmed, and practiced maple sugaring in the place we now call Vermont from time beyond memory.

From 1951 to 2015, the Goodyear family tended this property, raising dairy cattle and four children in the farmhouse that still stands adjacent to Living Tree land. Their daughters have shared memories of sitting on the rock behind where our Shema sculpture now stands, watching their parents work in the hayfields where our farm flourishes today. Local stories tell of the field once being called "the Ball Diamond"—a baseball field that brought the community together for games and celebration.

For more than 35 years, Tim Crowley has been tapping the maple trees on the hillside, first with Mr. Goodyear’s permission and continuing his sugar-making tradition with us today. This continuity connects us to the land's productive legacy and the sweetness it offers each spring.

The seed for Living Tree Alliance was planted when founders Sephirah and Craig Oshkello met in 1997 and began dreaming of a farm-based Jewish intentional community. After 13 years of learning and preparation with a community in New Hampshire, they gathered interested people and together developed a vision of a land-based educational farming nonprofit and cohousing village.

They formalized the vision—a mission-driven organization centered on living in connection with a piece of land, gathered a network of advisers, and began building relationships with other families and individuals who shared their dream. The land search began in 2013, and in summer 2015, they closed on the Living Tree parcel, which had only a sugar house and no clear access to the fields below.

Sephirah, now LTA executive director, and Craig moved here in November 2016. Melanie Grubman, LTA program director, and her family soon followed, as did Glenn and Andrea Soberman. Since then, two more families have joined and built homes, and the Common House was built to hold community events and host guests.

From the beginning, the community cultivated both land and culture. Using draft horses to plow the fields, they planted berries and vegetables while welcoming interns to support and learn from their work. Educational programming started immediately, with field trips for local students. The beloved tradition of Sukkot on the Farm began in 2014 in Monkton, Vermont, and found its permanent home here in Moretown in 2017.

Today, this land's rich mosaic of soil types and microclimates supports diverse flora and fauna. Seven acres of river bottom fields spread across the confluence of the waterways, while a six-acre upper field sits adjacent to our cohousing village on the sunny, south-facing knoll. This land continues to be a place where community gathers, learning flourishes, and the seasons are celebrated.