Welcome to the Agrihood

Book excerpt: There is something in this book for everyone-new homebuyers, city-dwellers, and retirees. You can have the farm-to-table lifestyle anywhere. Award-winning author Anna DeSimone answers all of your questions about all the ways you can have fresh, organically grown food. Live in an agrihood; a healthy-living community centered around a working farm. Builders across America are saying goodbye to golf courses and building agrihoods, where residents walk to the farm store, pet the animals, and wave hello to the farm workers. The many amenities of agrihood communities are highlighted, such as community centers, boating, swimming, fitness centers, walking and biking trails. The newest trend in multifamily housing in urban areas now include rooftop farms and gathering spaces where tenants dine on food from the farm-or grow their own produce in the community garden. Grow your own organic food on your porch, balcony, or in your backyard with helpful tips, planting guides, and many valuable resources about sustainable, chemical-free, and environmentally-friendly growing methods. This book teaches the basics of organic certification, food safety, how far food travels, and how buying locally sourced food can lower your carbon footprint. Innovations such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and how to grow microgreens may inspire you to start planting indoors. Shop for food from "the farmer you know." You'll learn all about on-farm markets, food hubs, and community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, where you can subscribe to a season-long share of the harvest. Welcome to the Agrihood includes a national directory that lists more than 2,200 resources where you can shop for organically grown food. Book jacket.