Tamarack Land Cooperative brings new faces and ideas to the east end of Cook County

Along the North Road – a gravel thoroughfare on the east end of Cook County that runs between the Arrowhead Trail and the unincorporated community of Hovland – a new enterprise known as the Tamarack Land Cooperative has the attention of local residents and artists across Minnesota.

The 40-acre property along the North Road will be a hub for artists, creators and those interested in experiencing rural life on the east end of Cook County, according to those affiliated with the new land cooperative.

One week after the local planning commission approved the project, the Cook County Board of Commissioners gave the green light for the proposal to move forward under the direction of an interim use permit.

A land cooperative is an arrangement where cooperative members will pay a monthly or annual usage fee to grant them full use of the property while on site. According to the property’s current owner, Paul Stucker, there will be three full time resident members (including Stucker), six members staying 50 or fewer nights per year, and ten members staying 14 or fewer nights per year.

According to the cooperative’s permit application to the county, the land-use model will “provide equitable access to stay and recreate in the area, while also building a community of people with shared values.”

Included in their cooperative model are a variety of uses for the property, including vacation rentals, artist residencies and public events.

WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs spoke with Stucker and another resident who currently lives at the Tamarack Land Cooperative, Margaret Johnson, about the current and future plans for the property. Audio below.

Joe Friedrichs June 21, 2022