Building the Agrihood: Recent Episodes
Jennifer Ross
I’m Jennifer Ross and I invite you to join me on my journey on how I’m building a walkable community of like minded families seeking a sustainable, farm to table, lifestyle centered around a working farm.
I’m sharing my story, and guest interviews as I develop this residential neighborhood that creates that rare sense of belonging. Living life among neighbors who you call friends and friends you call family. Where our kids spend more of their free time outside in nature, than they do inside on iPads.
While others are isolating and distancing, we believe that a good life is a shared life, and that’s why we are Building the Agrihood.
Can you build a thriving village with an 11 acre organic farm and homes ranging in size from 1.200 square feet to 5,600 square feet, and have teachers, firefighters, pilots and business owners all happily living on the same street? Yes. And this 20 year old agrihood is living proof.
My guest is William Johnston, the CEO of Agritopia's development company; Johnston and Co. William is a 3rd generation steward for Agritopia's 160 acres. Purchased in 1960 by William's grandparents, the land was farmed as a monocrop for 30 years. Agritopia was born when his father and uncles decided to preserve the farm and create a community that honors the farming heritage and is a unique place for multi-generational living and everything else that makes this village special.
Agritopia is a master planned community that has everything from an assisted living facility, to a pre-k-8 private Christian school, over 450 single family homes, and an 11.3 acre certified organic farm. The commercial side of it is nearing completion and in the end, they'll have close to 100k square feet of retail space and restaurants and 320 multifamily apartment units!
"Preserving urban agriculture makes life better, ...more and more we see the value... This is the way to develop in the future that can really impact people's lives positively.”
Don't miss this podcast! It's the one to listen to if you are thinking about devleoping an agrihood or even planning to move to one.
Find more episodes and information here:
https://buildingtheagrihood.com/
Agrihoods need land, and a lot of it! Finding the right piece has been a 6 month or more journey. In this episode I am sharing the updates regarding acquring acreage and some of the ups and downs that go along with it.
Have I made an official offer? Do I have a contract? Listen in and find out!
https://buildingtheagrihood.com/
What's is like living in an "award winning biophilic community that connects people to nature and each other," and boasts a 25-acre organic garden? You'll find out in this episode! My guest is an almost 10-year resident of the well-known Serenbe agrihood. He shares his first-hand knowledge and experience and gives everyone looking or considering moving to an agri-community a lot to think about, and some great suggestions too!
Building the Agrihood - Home
7,000 miles + 11 months = 21 agrihood visits across the US for my guest Brett Coleman along his wife, Lena and their young son. But why?
Don't miss this podcast to hear about how agrihoods are more community focused compared to typical neighborhoods. Why they are so popular and so sought after. And for someone who's visited so many, I ask, how do they compare to one another? What are the drawbacks and what is Brett's advice to anyone looking at moving into an agricultural community?
For more information on agrihoods, visit us at https://buildingtheagrhiood.com
Visit my guest, Brett Coleman at: https://agrihoodliving.com
A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. While I'm past the first step stage in building the agrihood, there are still quite a few miles to go! On a recent episode I talked about a developer I'd met through a mutual friend at a REIA one night. In this podcast I share with you the update, the conversations that have happened since that first night and how it's okay that things like this don't get built over-night.
In August 2021 I drove my 5 youngest children down to Chattahoochee Hills, GA to visit Serenbe. This is easily one of the largest and most established agrihoods in the country. Did I love it and make plans to model this agrihood? Or are there things I'd change for our own ag-community? I share it all in this episode.
Either way, we enjoyed that Sunday afternoon just walking and driving around Serenbe, recapping not only what I liked, but what I plan to do a little differently in the agrihood we build.
http://buildingtheagrihood.com
The idea of building an agrihood can be intimidating. There are offers to be made on properties and with that comes rejections. In this episode, I'm sharing more of my story with you and sharing about what's happened in the last 6 months on this journey. Listen in to hear who I met the day before recording this and how this introduction is changing my course some.
Today I'm interviewing Brett and Lena Coleman. They traveled 7,000 miles and visited 21 agricultural neighborhoods in less than a year! We're talking about what an agrihood is, why they are quickly becoming so popular and sought after (most have waiting lists), abd who they're for. (Spoiler: They aren't just for millenials!) We talk about which agrihood is their favorite and with so much focus on community, we discuss if an agricultural neighborhood is a commune. And because they've toured so many and have spoken with so many of the developers, I also ask the Coleman's what the drawbacks are. There is a wealth of information here for anyone wanting to learn more about agri-community living.
In the most basic terms, agrihoods are residential neighborhoods that incorporate agriculture in some way, whether that's with garden plots, farm stands, or an entire working farm. But more than that, agrihoods foster community and connectedness. Listen in today as I answer the question; what is an agrihood?
Welcome to season one, episode one! I'm your host, Jennifer Ross, and on today's show I'm excited to share with you my story on why I want to develop an agrihood. You'll hear why I believe the idea of mixing suburb life with country life is not only achievable, but fully worth pursuing, and you'll hear why I'm taking on such a monumental task of building a small village! If you've ever had any interest in ditching the city life for life on a small farm (without all the work of a farm!), don't miss your chance to peek in on my journey.