Agritopia: Urban farming by design
What does a farmer do when developers look at the land and see mini-malls, tract houses - and dollar signs? Joe Johnston, a farmer in Gilbert, Arizona, decided to keep his 160 acres (thank you very much) and create his own community, one where he wanted to continue living and working. Thus begat Agritopia.
After careful planning with a hand-selected design team, 90% of his land was converted to streets, parks, a school, a church and commercial areas. The original 450 classic and cottage-style houses were modeled after homes built in the Phoenix area in the 1930s and 40s, and kept true to the architectural details of that era.
His family’s ranch house became a restaurant, Joe’s Farm Grill, which serves fresh food mostly produced on the farm. Now people living in the area, which is just southeast of Phoenix, enjoy a pedestrian (and dog!) friendly community with a 15-acre “urban farm” as its core, a coffee shop/bakery, and a relaxed, open way of life that is fast disappearing in rural America.
While we often feature forward-thinkers here at Pop!Tech, it’s also nice to find folks who’ve taken a clear-eyed look at the past, chosen its best elements, and used them to forge a more sustainable, humanistic future.
Comments
Jeannine Aug 21, 2008 at 11:28 am
What a great idea! Exactly where is this place? Are there more pictures somewhere? How long has it been there? I would like lots more information.
Michelle Riggen-Ransom Aug 21, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Hi Jeannine,
Thanks for the comment. I first read about Agritopia in an issue of Cottage Living (link here. They also have a website, agritopia.com, where you can see blueprints of the houses, community newsletters, etc.
As for the location, it’s in Gilbert, Arizona, which is just southeast of Phoenix.
Jay Thompson Sep 29, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Agritopia is a very unique community. I have a lot of pictures here. I live in Gilbert (where Agritopia) and am a real estate agent. The community surprises a lot of folks that are looking for homes. Including many that have lived here for years. It’s a hidden nugget.
And Joe’s Farm Grill is fabulous!
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