ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Farmland in St. Johns County is on track to be turned into what’s being called an “Agrihood” community. The developer aims to build over 3,000 homes with an operating farm for homeowners to grow produce.
Driving on County Roads 214 and 208 in St. Johns County, Action News Jax met a lot of farmers who have been fighting against an Agrihood community being built on a nearby farmland.
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“But we lived here for generations. It’s not helping us at all,” local Christopher Joyner said.
Joyner is talking about a Boston-based developer, Freehold Communities, which is on schedule to turn a 2,673-acre farmland into an Agrihood community. That’s what it’s called when you combine agriculture and homes in one community.
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“Agrihood is not just a barn and a farm in the middle of the community, it’s a lifestyle,” Freehold Communities Executive Vice Present of Operations Andy Smith said.
Smith said the plan is to build 3,332 residential units and 250,000 square feet of retail and commercial space. It’s all being built between County Roads 208 and 214.
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He said plans include a fully operational farm for residents to grow fresh produce.
Trained professionals will operate and manage the farm. Residents can also volunteer to work there.
They will receive a distribution of what the farm produces.
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“It’s a lifestyle, it is an amenity for the residents, and it also teaches residents about suitable living,” Smith said.
Joyner worries this project will push existing farmers out.
“It is benefiting them instead of benefiting the people who have been living here for generations,” Joyner said.
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Another neighbor said he’s conflicted. “Everyone should learn how to grow and be self-sufficient in farming, but we don’t need new houses,” local Don Knettle said. Smith said every resident within this multimillion-dollar project will be part of the Agrihood, and a small portion of their monthly community fees will go to funding the overall operations. The project is set to begin construction in 2026.
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