Anatomy of an Agrihood: 5 Popular Features (INFOGRAPHIC)
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Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash
Living a sustainable life is becoming a priority for many, and new mixed development communities called agrihoods are making this dream easier to achieve. Today, 28 U.S. states are home to more than 200 of these unique communities that prioritize farm-to-table living, communal experiences, and time spent outdoors.
An agrihood is a community built around a working farm – but moving to one doesn’t suddenly make you a farmer. In fact, mostly all of the agrihoods in the U.S. leave the farming to the professionals, but unique learning opportunities are often offered onsite. For example, families can learn how to clean a hen house or weed the fields.
Agrihoods can help revitalize local farms that are struggling. Crops can be sold to residents in addition to farmers markets and other nearby vendors such as restaurants and grocers. In addition, onsite kitchens let farmers lead cooking workshops and demonstrations, and some agrihoods even have restaurants where chefs prepare the farm ingredients for residents to enjoy.
These are some benefits of living in an agrihood:
Farm-fresh ingredients
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Tracing ingredients to the source has never been easier for most residents of an agrihood. You can buy and eat the crops that grow in your planned community, all while supporting a local farm.
The desire to eat local and fresh is universal: 73% of Americans consider access to fresh, healthy foods a top priority when looking to buy a home.
Residents also get VIP access to the farm through onsite workshops and events. For parents looking to teach their children about cultivating their own food, an agrihood is the perfect setting.
Communal experiences
Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash
Agrihoods feature shared amenities so homeowners can create meaningful experiences with neighbors. You can learn how to cook ingredients grown on the farm alongside friends and family at cooking workshops, or spend a sunny Saturday afternoon exploring the trails built into the development.
Other amenities also encourage communal living, such as pavilions, grilling areas, local shops and more. The agrihood Olivette in Asheville, North Caroline is even building a school onsite!
Eco-friendly housing
Another aspect of agrihoods is green housing. Since most of these communities are new builds striving for sustainability, they are outfitted with new energy efficient solutions. Many residential housing in agrihoods is LEED certified and has Energy Star ratings. In addition, onsite solar farms are popular agrihood features!
In addition to the many environmental benefits of green housing, this will also save you money on utilities each month.
Green spaces
Photo by Haseeb Jamil on Unsplash
Enjoying the fresh air and beauty of our natural world is what farming is all about. Many agrihoods take this commitment to the outdoors a step further by outfitting communities with walking trails, parks and more.
This helps encourage residents to live an active lifestyle and unplug from technology. Some agrihoods even have water and lake access.
Interested in learning more about agrihoods? Check out this visual from The Zebra below!
