That’s right. The hottest trend in housing development is to purposely build homes next to a large farm that benefits the entire neighborhood. Not only do agrihoods provide an even deeper sense of community for those fortunate enough to live in an eco-friendly planned community, but it also brings the farm-to-table movement one step closer to your kitchen counter every night. By placing an emphasis on growing food in the community, agrihoods reduce food waste associated with transportation (not to mention food is fresher and sources are more transparent).
In agrihoods, farms are the amenity that homeowners pay for, not tennis courts, gyms or community pools. That is not to say that carefully planned out agrihoods do not have community clubhouses, scheduled activities or other benefits that homeowners are used to in traditional housing developments. The focus, however, is in coming together as a community over the shared love of food and healthy living.
Do you have to farm in order to live in an agrihood? Absolutely not. Many agrihoods do allow the ability to tend to the land, but usually it’s not required. It is a perfect set up for busy adults who love to garden, but can’t keep a garden thriving on their own because of work demands or frequent travel.
Imagine walking to the farmer’s market and knowing that all of the food was grown just a few blocks away. Or think about getting your community supported agriculture (CSA) share and having had the opportunity to water the tomatoes that your neighbors will be eating for dinner. Consider what it would be like to know the person who is growing your food on a first name basis. Those are the main benefits of living in an agrihood.
Americans are moving to agrihoods in droves, whether it’s parents desiring a more nature-based upbringing for their kids, environmentalists seeking an eco-friendly community or foodies longing to be closer to the land and the harvests that are reaped. The concept that used to be so rare less than 20 years ago is now popping up everywhere across the country.
Source: Agrihood Communities Redefining ‘Homegrown’ Food – Earth911.com
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