From rooftop gardens to planned community developments, neighborhood farming is having a moment. Agrihoods, or urban farms, have growing appeal, pardon the pun, for foodies who want farm-fresh produce no matter where they live. The beauty of the concept is that it combines the best of urban and rural lifestyles.
The benefits for individuals, communities and city planners are numerous. By coming together, residents of an apartment building, a neighborhood, or a town can grow free or low-cost food in containers, raised backyard beds, or in designated community gardens. Agrihoods promote healthy outdoor activity, improved health and sustainable land use. They help foster new friendships and a stronger sense of community. Community gardens teach both children and adults skills they can use for a lifetime.
While many agrihoods are started by local non-profit organizations and community volunteers, you can organize your own co-op by contacting neighbors, family and friends and choosing the best gardening opportunity for all. Once the food is harvested, it’s easy to split evenly among the participants.
Architects, builders and developers are paying attention to the trend and they report that existing single-family homes in agrihoods have a resale value as much as 28 percent higher than comparable houses in traditional suburban neighborhoods. For many developers, golf courses are expensive to design and maintain while agrihoods can be developed at one fifth of the cost. Some are large enough to employ farm managers who do the actual farming and manage livestock, in case you don’t have a green thumb.
Article Courtesy of Bhhs.com
