Agrihood

What is an Agrihood?

An agrihood is a blend of the words “agriculture” and “neighbourhood.” The concept is that there is a micro-farm or large garden in the centre of a neighbourhood that gives people access to local food, community engagement, and shared resources. There are several different options for agrihoods, from community garden style (that allow individuals/families to plant their own plots), to collective style (that are planted as a community). Some are privately funded, others are publicly funded. Some agrihoods give all of the food to a food bank, others sell the food at a lower cost to the neighbourhood. The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative is one of the largest and most developed agrihoods in North America. Ours will have its own vibe.

Our plans for the Rooted Agrihood

The Rooted Agrihood will focus on people working with the land in our local neighbourhood to develop a several acre sustainable agrihood to ethically produce organic, sustainable produce and share the food with the community. At Kortright Church, we currently have a food security garden that represents approximately ⅓ of an acre of fenced space. The produce from there will continue to go straight to the Dovercliffe Foodbank and other food security agencies. The agrihood will expand from the current garden, include the raised bed children’s garden and the micro-food forest plot on the East side of the greenhouse. We will be adding hundreds of fruit and nut trees that will be interplanted with other native and beneficial edible plants (both perennial and annual) from rhubarb and serviceberries to zucchini and tomatoes. The Rooted Agrihood will unfold over the next five years, adding additional plants each year, using permaculture and miyawaki forest techniques to integrate plants into the landscape in ways that are beneficial for the land and productive for fruiting. We will add additional aspects each year, which will include a sensory garden space, fruit and nut trees, berry plants, an eco-educational space for camps and classes, a prayer space, and more.

Rooted Agrihood’s Ethos

The Rooted Agrihood will differ from many community gardens and agrihoods in its ethos. One of the goals will be to increase overall food security in the neighbourhood and beyond. Unlike initiatives which decrease food insecurity (which is also absolutely necessary), the Agrihood will seek to increase food security, meaning that everyone benefits from it. You do not need to qualify to eat from the garden. In this way, we seek an edenic approach to food sharing.

The motto “take what you’ll eat, give what you can” will rule the agrihood. In this way, the food can be used on-site for some of the programming, by a kid grabbing an apple on the way home from school, for community meals, to share with volunteers who work in the garden, to gift neighbours, and the remainder will be given to the food bank. You do not need to be a “member” to eat from the Agrihood, you simply need to like food. This helps to de-stigmatize free food, and offers an open-handed approach to our neighbours and community. The “give what you can” is not monetary, rather, suggests involvement in the garden—weeding, pruning, donating leaves in the Fall, etc. Check out our “Get Involved” page for some ideas. In this way, the land on which Kortright sits will help with the mission of Kortright Presbyterian Church of “becoming trusted neighbours” in the local community, inviting people onto the property and sharing with open hands.

The Agrihood initiative will seek to be sustainable and Earth-conscious, focused on growing food with the Earth, rather than taking food from the Earth. The more research that goes into sustainable farming, the more experts are recognizing the truth in ancient principles—land should have a Sabbath, the most productive long-term growth strategy is to harvest some (but not all) of plants,[1] and the most resilient farms and gardens are the ones which have the greatest biodiversity. Intermixing plant and animal species naturally and organically wards off pests, and companion planting species invigorates both the fruit and the soil. The garden will be self-sustaining in that we will harvest seeds from the crops each year. We will also offer seed-sharing to the community for planting their own gardens. Additionally, drawing on permaculture principles will allow for much less water usage. All of these methods for caring for a very particular place demonstrate a love of God and a love of others—people and planet. The agrihood will be a place for local neighbours to connect, serve, eat good food, share meals, and witness the love of Jesus.

[1] Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass