The hottest new subdivisions have built-in farms

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Can't get much more local than this! A Harvest Public Media story on a new building trend shows developers foregoing golf courses and planning subdivisions around tailor-made Community Shared Agriculture farms.

Correction, "DSA" or development-supported agriculture. Ed McMahon, a fellow with the Urban Land Institute, estimates there are already over 200 developments in the United States that feature agricultural amenities as a selling point.

It's a change from the current tendency to pave over farmland for tract housing. In fact, Harvest reports that some municipalities are being forced to reverse the zoning codes that initially pushed farm animals out of residential areas.

Quint Redmond, owner of urban-farming company Agriburbia, points out the value of a farm where the developer is responsible for the nuts and bolts. "The best possible thing for a farmer is to have the infrastructure ready." Also, there's a ready-made customer base in the surrounding homes.

Moreover, home buyers like it too. Harvest reports that the Bucking Horse subdivision in Fort Collins, Colo., sold its new lots within days of going on the market, even with prices 20 to 25 per cent higher than in nearby neighborhoods. Since the development's farm started construction, values of existing homes went up by 25 per cent.  

However, commenters on the story point out one teensy flaw: the 1,000-home development's farm will only be 3.6 acres. One commenter called it a "zoo" for the exhibition of an endangered species: the modern farmer. The farm-to-home ratio varies for different developments. BF