Acorn is a farm-based, anarchist, egalitarian, intentional community located in rural Louisa County, Virginia, United States. It is a member of the Federation of Egalitarian Communities. Acorn was started in 1993 as a spin-off community of the older, larger Twin Oaks Community. In the early 1990s, the Twin Oaks population swelled to capacity, with many more people who still wished to join. The rapid increase of people put pressure on the community, eventually encouraging the founding of Acorn by Twin Oaks members on a 75-acre farm 7 miles away from Twin Oaks Community Group meetings are held weekly and decisions are reached through consensus. Members share a strong sense of environmental awareness, therefore they strive to live lightly on the land. Although structured in areas such as membership, policies are kept to a minimum; it is preferred that calm anarchy prevail. Of the policies that are in place, the culture encourages personal responsibility rather than supervision. The community takes on issues on a case-by-case basis, keeping in mind that needs are varied amongst individuals. The population and stability of Acorn have fluctuated significantly in its relatively short history. The Financial crisis and interpersonal conflict have brought the community close to an end on a number of occasions. Having survived these difficult times, Acorn is now thriving (2013) as it enjoys full membership of 30 members (currently its self-imposed maximum number) as well as the presence and participation of provisional members, interns and guests. There is also a waiting list of people who have been approved for membership and are waiting for space to become available. Acorn supports itself through its non-GMO heirloom seed business, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. The income from this business is held in common and used to support Acorn's members, as well as a number of other activities (such as maintenance of a fund to support the formation of other cooperative egalitarian communities). In this vein, Acorn purchased a nearby property in 2013, in order to form and support the growth of a new community, which is named Sapling. All members enjoy full medical, dental, and optical care, as well as a monthly stipend. Acorn has a highly flexible self-directed labor system in keeping with its philosophy of non-hierarchy and personal independence coupled with personal responsibility. The work of the seed business is done by a dynamic and flexible collection of members and guests who attend to