A grassroots group is hoping to outbid deep-pocketed developers in a race to turn a 65-acre farm into a beacon of social and environmental justice.
Also racing to submit its bid is an atypical buyer: a grassroots group of citizens who desperately want the land to avoid a cookie-cutter fate. The group, Save the Farm, dreams of transforming the Voit farm into a social and environmental justice hub featuring urban agriculture, nature preserves, and affordable housing. Though it has community support, it also has some serious hurdles: an $11.5 million price tag and competition from deep-pocketed real estate developers.
Similar battles are playing out all across the country. As the cost of farming goes up, aging farmers retire, and suburbs spill into rural areas, developers are gobbling up prime acreage—often forcing agriculture and housing to compete for the same land.
While the architects of some projects, including Madison’s own Troy Gardens, have figured out how to preserve farmland and create housing on a single plot—such “agrihood” models are still few and far between. And the economic value of land, especially in close proximity to urban areas, can make it hard for agriculturally minded groups to compete.
