
Federation at ARA has two dimensions: how many Sanctuaries you connect, and how much coordination tooling you get on top. The Hamlet tier gives you one federation link with the basics. Ecosystem is what you graduate to when you need a real network.
For two neighbouring Sanctuaries that want to share.
What the connection actually gets you:
For land trusts and regional networks of 3 to 10 Sanctuaries.
Plus network coordination tools:
Rule of thumb: Hamlet is "my neighbour and I share tools." Ecosystem is "I'm running a network and need the coordinator's dashboard."
hubEcosystem only — not available on Hamlet
Sign a "Reciprocity Pact" between nodes. If a member logs 4 hours at Highland Farm, those credits appear in their wallet when they visit Lowland Commons. Think WWOOFing 2.0: a fluid, trusted labor exchange network.
Sanctuary A starts a "Winter Rice Order." Connected sanctuaries pledge quantities. Aggregate demand brings the wholesale price down, and the savings usually cover the software subscription by themselves.
If "500lbs Tomatoes" is marked Urgent in one node, push notifications go out to connected admins instantly. Stop food from rotting by widening the distribution circle.
Available for Redemption at:
Federation Proposals work on Hamlet too (one connection). Dispute Escalation is Ecosystem only — it requires a Hub role that Hamlet doesn't have.
"Should the network buy a shared tractor?" A proposal created in the Hub appears in the Council of all Node sanctuaries. Local groups debate, and Delegates cast the final vote.
When a local conflict gets stuck, use the "Escalate to Elders" toggle. This invites specific Hub admins to view and mediate, bringing neutral wisdom to heated situations.
Proposed by Hub • Affects 4 Sanctuaries
hubEcosystem only — not available on Hamlet
Perfect for Land Trusts. Update the "Legal Code of Conduct" or "Emergency Protocols" in the Hub, and it instantly syncs to every sub-community's library.
"Our solar inverter broke." Search "Electrician" and find Dave at the neighboring sanctuary. Cross-pollinate expertise across the entire network.
A dashboard for Hub Admins. See the "Vitality" of all nodes side-by-side. Identify struggling communities early (e.g. "Sanctuary B hasn't logged tasks in 3 weeks") and offer support.
Ecosystem includes 10 federation connections. Beyond that, add extra Sanctuaries at €25/Sanctuary/month. No new tier to sign up for; your existing subscription just grows. If you're running a regional network of 25+ Sanctuaries (some large land trusts do), email hello@ara.earth and we'll work out a volume rate that makes sense for both sides.
For Community Land Trusts, coalitions of farms, and spiritual networks. ARA Ecosystem gives you the tools to coordinate without controlling.