Commentary: ‘Agrihoods’ weave agriculture into residential development

August 18th, 2025

When you think of agriculture, what do you envision? A longtime family farm? A corporate agribusiness? How about a residential community? That last one may not be top of mind for some of you, but “agrihoods” — residential communities built around a working farm — are a growing trend nationally and in South Carolina.

In May, we attended the grand opening of South Carolina’s largest agrihood — Carnes Crossroads. This residential community, designed for about 3,600 homes in Goose Creek, includes a 12-acre working farm managed by a team of three farmers and a barn that houses a farm store for residents.

These amenities serve as gathering spaces where the farm staff educates residents on sustainable growing practices, beginning at an early age with children’s farming clinics. Each family receives ongoing annual farm share, and residents have an opportunity to be a part of the production process from start to finish.

S.C. Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers

Gerrit Albert

To promote wellness and quality of life, the working farm is coupled with modern amenities such as sports courts, a resort-style pool and a wellness center. It’s a great opportunity to bring people together to learn and grow with a sustainable mindset and teach them hands-on how farming works.

This matters as we think about the long-term benefits of supporting local agriculture. Whether it’s a Carnes Crossroads family attending a workshop on growing tomatoes or a Goose Creek community member buying from local vendors at the neighborhood’s monthly farmers market, shining a light on farming lets people see how attainable it is to support South Carolina’s agriculture industry. It can inspire an entire community to think differently about where its food comes from. This is important as we look to support and sustain agriculture for the future.

Agribusiness is the backbone of South Carolina’s economy, supporting more than 250,000 jobs and generating $52 billion in annual economic impact. This revolves around more than 22,600 farms and 4.6 million acres of farmland. But agriculture is often underappreciated, as many people are disconnected from the actual source of their daily food.

The South Carolina Department of Agriculture team has worked to bring people closer to farming, creating educational experiences to ensure our non-farming neighbors know what happens during food production. But we can always do more. Living around a working farm shows people the incredible work and benefit of farmers in our everyday lives.

Across the United States, a number of agrihoods have emerged, but few operate like the Freehold Communities model, incorporating farm share bucks into the homeowners association. Freehold Communities developed its first farm-centric community in 2019 in Florida with more than 5 acres of farmland. Carnes Crossroads is the fourth agrihood for Freehold, with the fifth one recently breaking ground near Jacksonville. More agrihoods are expected to emerge across the country.

Family, food and community — all three are foundational in our daily lives. The growing national trend of weaving agriculture into modern residential developments allows people to unite over what’s possible when they source food locally. And it benefits the health of an entire community through the positive impact on job creation, local food supply and infrastructure development.

As South Carolina grows, it is imperative to think about ways we can continue to encourage people to invest in our agricultural landscape for a more sustainable future. Agrihoods are showing us that sometimes, all it takes is one seed to be planted in your mind today to create lasting support for agriculture and a healthier, more sustainable tomorrow.

Hugh E. Weathers is the S.C. commissioner of agriculture. Gerrit Albert is regional president of Freehold Capital Management.