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PORTSIDE CULTURE

MOVING INTO THE AGRIHOOD  
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Kirsten Lie-Nielsen
December 13, 2023
Modern Farmer
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_ Planned, farm-centered neighborhoods are on the rise in the United
States, offering farm-to-table food and a strong community for
residents.The Urban Land Institute considers agrihoods a possible
solution to several issues in the US housing market. _

Chickahominy Falls includes a 10-acre farm and housing for residents
55 and over, Photo courtesy of Chickahominy Falls

 

Outside of Charleston, South Carolina, in the picturesque marshes of
the Kiawah River, sits more than 100 acres of working farmland.
Seasonal crops rotate through expansive pastures, cattle graze the
rich sea grasses and several colonies of bees hurry about their
business. But unlike neighboring farms that focus on production for
faraway markets or keep a single family afloat, the farm at Kiawah
River is supporting 185 families who live in the surrounding homes.

Kiawah River [[link removed]] is an “agrihood”—a
planned community with a working farm at its center. Residents may
work or volunteer at the farm, or they may participate in a residents
CSA program or visit their own farmer’s market. Kiawah River worked
with established farms to begin its agrihood, building a community
around preexisting farmland. Its farm partners include
fourth-generation Freeman Farms and second-generation Rosebank Farms,
along with several others.

Other agrihoods establish farms as central hubs when planning the
community. Chickahominy Falls [[link removed]] is
located outside of Richmond, VA, in what is known as the French hay
district, an area that has traditionally been farmland. The agrihood
there is for residents 55 and over, and 10-acre Woodside Farms
provides a gathering space, volunteer and working opportunities and a
CSA.

Tiny Timbers [[link removed]] is a small
agrihood in St. Croix Falls, WI, a small city on the border near
Minneapolis, MN. Its agrihood model uses tiny homes as the residences,
with 11 families currently sharing the responsibilities of gardening
and caring for the chickens, honey bees and orchards. The community
was started by a husband-and-wife team, inspired by a passion for tiny
homes and good food. They broke ground on their first houses in the
spring of 2023, and they will complete their agrihood with 16 homes.

“Unlike many agrihoods that have a farmer on the edge of the
development, ours is all resident operated,” says Melissa Jones,
founder of Tiny Timbers. “So, they are personally getting their
hands dirty.”

Agrihoods are not a new phenomenon, but their presence has grown in
the United States in recent years. According to a report by the Urban
Land Institute
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in 2018, there were more than 200 agrihoods in 28 states. The concept
may seem similar to a commune, but agrihoods are not based around
shared politics or religion but focus on fresh food and strong
communities. Participation requirements on the farms vary. Many
agrihoods offer volunteer opportunities on the farm for residents, but
they do not require any participation in farming.

The Urban Land Institute considers agrihoods a valuable trend, helping
to solve several issues within the US housing market. With 73 percent
of Americans
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considering access to fresh and healthy food a priority, agrihood
living puts residents in the middle of healthy food production. An
agrihood’s investment in farmland can help save a family farm and
keep more farmland in production. Revenue from the sales of agrihood
properties can directly support farms when an agrihood is established,
and even working farms near agrihoods that are not involved in the
communities can see the value of their farmland rise when an agrihood
is built nearby. Building a community around a farm will also save
farmers shipping costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions as produce
no longer needs to be transported over long distances.

The agrihood model may harken back to communes or even colonial
villages, but if you find yourself wondering “why now?”—the
answer may be as simple as reliable access to great food.

“The people here are so kind and fun,” says Danna Berg, a resident
of Kiawah River who moved to the agrihood from St. Petersburg, FL in
2021. “I had heard of an agrihood before, but I wasn’t really
familiar with the concept. When I stepped foot on the property, I knew
it was for me.”

Berg volunteers in the gardens and on the farm at Kiawah River. Every
resident we spoke to indicated that the fresh produce was a huge part
of the appeal of Kiawah River, from the honey and eggs to the fresh
produce and goat’s milk. 

In some ways, agrihood living is an idealized version of farm life. At
many agrihoods, you won’t have to shovel waste or dig in the dirt if
you don’t want to, but you can still enjoy the benefits of local,
organic produce grown right outside your door. Even when the residents
are involved in the running of the farm, an agrihood can still present
a more appealing option than beginning a farm on your own.

Those interested in growing their own food to any scale need to invest
in farmland, and access to suitable and affordable farmland is the
greatest barrier to young farmers
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getting started. In an agrihood, access to the land is guaranteed and
does not come with the risks of beginning a new family farm.

“A lot of people want to live a healthier lifestyle and be involved
with where their food comes from,” says Jones. “But farming can be
a lonely, overwhelming task. So, having a community where people can
learn from each other, tackle the areas of the agrihood they are
skilled in, it helps everyone have a healthier, more fulfilling
existence—and make friendships along the way.”

“The eggs are simply amazing,” says Lindsay Cobb. She and her
husband Charlie moved to Kiawah River in 2021. When they moved, they
had not heard of an agrihood, but they loved the idea of living near a
farm and being part of the community events that Kiawah River hosts. 

“Access to the fresh vegetables is so unique,” Cobb adds. For
farmers, access to fresh vegetables may be a given. But for many
Americans, the opportunity to enjoy fresh produce is indeed unique.
According to the Urban Land Institute report, 16 percent of Americans
say that fresh food is not available in their communities.

The majority of agrihoods in the US today are marketed towards a more
affluent demographic, with the average home price in an agrihood
around $400,000
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However, the model can be applied to lower-income housing and more
urban developments. Agrihoods opening in Santa Clara, CA
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and Denver, CO [[link removed]] are
committed to offering affordable housing as part of their planned
community. At Tiny Timbers, the tiny house model allows most residents
to own their homes debt free. The farms around which agrihoods center
face the same challenges as any other agricultural establishment. They
can be adversely affected by weather, pests and predators
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impacting their ability to supply the community. Some agrihood farms
choose to focus on vegetable production to avoid the smells and noises
of livestock, which can limit diversity of agrihood-produced goods. 

As they address housing needs in a local area, provide healthy food to
residents and foster a connection between people and food production,
agrihoods seem to offer solutions to numerous challenges. And while a
healthy diet often brings residents to an agrihood, residents say that
community is what makes them love agrihood living.

“The community here is top notch,” explains Barbara Viverito, who
has lived at Kiawah River agrihood since August of 2020. “I have
never seen a group of people so friendly.”

While they come in all shapes and sizes, the future of agrihoods may
be with individuals like Melissa and Shane Jones at Tiny Timbers. Five
years after purchasing a plot of land in 2017, they decided to do
something more than just homestead for themselves.

“We have a tiny cabin that we love,” says Melissa Jones, “and my
husband has a passion for homesteading—so why not combine those
things and create a place where people can live lightly, often debt
free, and have the ability to grow healthy, organic food? They can
live a healthier lifestyle and be around people that have similar
interests.”

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