A new type of neighborhood
comes with its own farm.

Several new housing developments are moving away from the more traditional centerpieces of a community (golf courses, swimming pools, clubhouses, etc.) and making communal vegetable gardens the heart of the neighborhood. These “agrihoods” allow homeowners to buy into the garden in exchange for cheap produce. As climate change continues to drive up food costs, this local growing initiative can help climate-proof your food supply.

Pine Dove Farm in Tallahassee, FL is the newest planned agrihood project to come to the state. This 130-home subdivision encourages homeowners to invest in the community garden program to receive produce. An out-sourced farming team operates the garden, and residents can cut food costs even more by volunteering with the team in exchange for crops.

Community involvement in the local food supply doesn’t have to stop in the suburbs. The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative is proving the concept of agrihoods can work well in urban settings. The project has provided more than 50,000 lbs. of mostly free produce to over 2,000 local households, food pantries, churches, and businesses over the past four growing seasons.

Saving costs on food through agrihoods can pay off as climate change related phenomena – increasing drought, heat, and storms – affect your traditional food supply and security. Agrihoods also have the potential to increase your real estate value, as they have in St. Tammany Parish, LA. Who doesn’t want to live next to a green garden with an abundant food supply? Maybe you can rally neighbors to start an agrihood of your own.