What are “agrihoods?” I assumed, of course, that they involved agriculture and a neighborhood, but I didn’t know how the two concepts intersected. And because I consider myself a perennial learner, I wanted to delve deeper about this growing community trend. For guidance, I asked Matthew Geldin, farming director at Farmscape, California’s largest edible urban garden design firm, to explain the ins and outs of an agrihood and walk us through a thriving example: Sendero Farm in South Orange County, California. Please join us.
Photography courtesy of Farmscape.
Sendero Farm, sitting on half an acre and nestled between homes and a multi-use trail and regional bikeway, is a living example of a true farm-to-table experience in which local residents work, learn, and share in the neighborhood farm. The motivation behind the farm was to turn an undeveloped parcel of the neighborhood into a productive farm that could also function as an event space for the residents—all while meeting the ecological protection requirements of the nearby San Juan River. Farmscape, a company that creates food-focused California gardens, was brought in to develop and implement the plan for this new farm, including extensive soil building, planting plans, production techniques, farm maintenance, and programming development—essentially every element that goes into creating an agrihood.
“Agrihoods are agricultural neighborhoods…that don’t just have a farm nearby, but have agriculture integrated into the experience and landscape of the community. Farms and orchards are considered essential neighborhood amenities at least as much, if not more so than, a pool, tennis court, clubhouse, etc.,” explains Matthew. “The beautiful thing about a community farm is that it synthesizes all of the lifestyle benefits of these other amenities like physical fitness, community gathering, and relationship building while also providing a connection to nature and hyper-local food.” Not to mention, agrihoods can increase home values, as they are a huge draw for residents to move into community. “We hear all the time that residents chose to move into some of the neighborhoods we work in specifically because of the farms there,” Matthew says.
How is an agrihood different from a community garden, though? Matthew helped me peel back this onion of a question. “A traditional community garden has plots that individuals or families can rent. These work great in some communities, but all too often in these spaces we see a few meticulously tended gardens with many weed-filled plots and a mix of everything else in between. These gardens usually rely on the dedication of a single person or a few folks to organize and maintain the project and when they inevitably leave, there can be a leadership vacuum that negatively affects the project. And often with those ‘in between’ folks, there is typically a really good intention behind their participation, but a lack of gardening knowledge or a change in schedule or a family vacation can very quickly cross a threshold where the garden can feel like more of a burden than a joy to maintain.”
A managed amenity, on the other hand, is a place where residents farm side by side with professional farmers and they can participate as much or as little as they want. “We have scheduled shifts, so gardening goes from an individual activity where you might cross paths with a neighbor, to a neighborhood activity that becomes a meaningful platform for shared and authentic connections,” says Matthew. “Folks who have a lot of experience can share their knowledge with someone who might be new to gardening. Everyone is going to have a positive gardening experience whether they have bright green thumbs or think everything they touch wilts and dies.”
As one would expect from a Farmscape project, Sendero Farm uses all organic pest control, compost, and fertilizer products, and practices. “We’re constantly experimenting, but honestly the most effective practices are time-honed and almost boring because of how much they get talked about—things like amending native soil with compost; top dressing with fine mulches; using slow-release organic fertilizers like a blended all-purpose mix or single ingredients like neem seed meal; using row covers and mesh to protect crops from critters and sun scorch; planting the right crops in the right season…these things all make a big difference in the health and productivity of the farm,” he shares. One of Matthew’s favorite tools to use is the tilther—a mini-tiller that turns only the top couple inches of soil and creates a soft seeding and planting bed without breaking up all the soil structure below. “It’s a really ingenious tool that’s powered by a standard power drill.”
Sendero Farm provides farming opportunities to more than 60 households each month and offers U-picks, seasonal plant and produce sales, and special events; it even donates a portion of the food to a community food pantry.
See also:
- Fresh Food on Far Rockaway: The Case for Urban Farms in Food Deserts
- Required Reading: ‘The Food Forward Garden’; A Manual on How to Have Your Beautiful Yard—And Eat It Too
- ‘Garden Wonderland’: Leslie Bennett’s New Book Shares the Secrets to Designing a Magical Garden
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