June 23rd, 2022
Arden Featured in the Wall Street Journal
Original article by Robyn A. Friedman for The Wall Street Journal >
Developers are responding to demand with ‘naturehoods’ and ‘agrihoods’ that promote outdoor living and sustainability
…Another new-home community emphasizing nature is Arden, a 2,300-home community in Wellington, Fla., that consists of 500 acres of open space, 175 acres of lakes and 20 miles of trails. Marketed as an “agrihood,” Arden’s focal point is a 5-acre farm that produces fruits, vegetables and herbs that are shared among the residents. Homeowners can also volunteer to work at the farm.
Lynn Menard, 45, a former dental hygienist, recently relocated with her husband, John Menard, and their four children, from Toronto, Canada to a 4,400-square-foot home at Arden, for which she paid $1.08 million.
“We really like the outdoors, and I’m into healthy eating and organics,” she said. “When the real-estate agent took us into Arden and showed us the farm, that was a huge feature for us.”
Ms. Menard said she was a member of a community-sponsored farm when she lived in Canada. She’s happy to be able to continue to support local agriculture and to provide educational opportunities for her children on where food comes from and healthy eating. Although the farm-share program won’t start up again until the harvest season in November, she’s looking forward to receiving fresh radishes, squash, cucumbers, okra, broccoli and other vegetables as part of her $279 monthly homeowners-association assessment at Arden.