Imagine waking up to the sound of birds rather than traffic. Picture fresh produce just steps from your front porch, walking trails winding through gardens and orchards, and a neighborhood built around a shared love for nature, sustainability, and community.
Welcome to the world of agrihoods—a modern movement that blends residential living with agriculture, offering a fresh and fulfilling alternative to traditional neighborhood design.
As more people seek meaningful connections to their food, their neighbors, and the land itself, agrihoods are gaining popularity across the United States. In this post, we’ll break down what an agrihood is, how it works, why people are drawn to this lifestyle, and what the future looks like for this growing trend.
What Exactly is an Agrihood?
The term agrihood is short for agricultural neighborhood. At its core, an agrihood is a planned residential community centered around a working farm or large-scale garden. Instead of featuring golf courses or shopping centers as the main amenity, these communities are designed around local food production, nature, and sustainability.
Agrihoods can range in size from a few dozen homes to hundreds. They may include townhomes, single-family homes, and even small apartment clusters—all carefully integrated into a landscape that supports agriculture. Some agrihoods are built around organic farms, while others may focus on community gardens, orchards, vineyards, or even livestock.
Key Features of an Agrihood
While each agrihood has its own unique design and culture, most share several common elements:
1. A Central Working Farm
This is the heart of the agrihood. It could be a vegetable farm, fruit orchard, or even a mixed-use farm with chickens, bees, or goats. The farm is typically operated by professional farmers who are either hired by the community or lease the land.
2. Fresh Food for Residents
Residents often have access to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, where they can subscribe to weekly or seasonal deliveries of fresh produce straight from their neighborhood farm. Many agrihoods also host on-site farmers markets.
3. Outdoor and Educational Amenities
Agrihoods usually feature:
- Walking and biking trails
- Greenhouses and garden beds
- Community barns or event spaces
- Educational programming for kids and adults about farming, sustainability, and healthy living
4. Shared Community Ethos
These communities often attract like-minded residents who care about sustainability, clean eating, land conservation, and forming strong connections with their neighbors.
Why Agrihoods Are So Appealing
Healthier Lifestyles
With fresh, organic produce steps from home and plenty of access to outdoor space, agrihood residents tend to adopt more active, health-conscious lifestyles.
Sustainable Living
Agrihoods often use eco-friendly building practices, renewable energy sources, and conservation-focused land use plans. They promote local food systems, reducing the need for long-haul transportation and cutting down carbon emissions.
Education & Engagement
Living in an agrihood offers a chance to reconnect with the land. Many communities offer workshops on gardening, cooking, composting, and sustainability practices. For kids, it can be an unforgettable way to grow up close to nature and understand where food comes from.
Stronger Community Ties
With regular farm events, harvest dinners, and community gatherings, agrihoods naturally foster deeper social connections than typical suburban neighborhoods. Shared values create a strong foundation for friendship and collaboration.
Who is an Agrihood For?
Agrihoods appeal to a wide variety of people:
- Young families who want healthy lifestyles for their kids
- Retirees looking to stay active and engaged in nature
- Remote workers seeking space, peace, and purpose
- Eco-conscious buyers who prioritize sustainability
- Developers or investors who want to create lifestyle-driven communities with lasting value
You don’t need to be a farmer to live in an agrihood. Most are designed for people who want the benefits of a farm lifestyle without the full-time labor. Residents can get involved as much or as little as they want.
Where Are Agrihoods Being Developed?
While many agrihoods are located in rural or suburban areas, this trend is also expanding to peri-urban developments—communities on the outskirts of growing cities.
A few well-known agrihoods in the U.S. include:
- Serenbe (Georgia): A nationally recognized agrihood outside Atlanta with 1,200 acres of preserved forest and farmland, featuring homes, restaurants, and wellness retreats.
- Prairie Crossing (Illinois): One of the first agrihoods in the country, blending Midwestern farmland with sustainable community design.
- Armistead (Tennessee): Situated on 200 acres in Franklin, Tennessee, Armistead is an innovative agri-hood that blends agrarian traditions with modern living.
In the Southeast, the concept is especially promising due to abundant rural land, favorable climates for year-round growing, and a cultural connection to farming and food.
Final Thoughts
Agrihoods are more than a trend—they represent a shift in how people think about living. They answer the call for healthier lifestyles, closer ties to community, and more intentional relationships with the land.
Whether you’re a buyer looking for your dream lifestyle property or a developer considering ways to add lasting value to rural land, agrihoods are worth exploring.
Keep coming back to the John Hardin Land and Lifestyle blog, in partnership with Southeastern Land Group, for fresh weekly posts on land, lifestyle, and real estate insights.
