farm coop & Agrihood

It’s time for us to seek alternatives and thrive communally.  

No more rugged individualism. The time is now for rugged collectivism.

If you love food and farming, and land access is escaping you, please read about our farm cooperative project. 

Regenerative Farming. Regenerative Community.

Our vision for the members of this cooperative is simple: to grow and thrive while feeding ourselves, and our Adirondack and Champlain Valley communities.

The ideal members would be people who care about food sovereignty, that want to farm organically, produce good food with integrity and bring their unique skills together in a collaborative format, with individual home ownership in an eco-village setting, with full participation in the decision-making process and future of the collective.  

Our farm is 80 acres (45 pasture, 35 woods) of southerly facing land with 1000′ of frontage on the Boquet River. It is on the ancestral land of the Mohawk nation. 

The farm land, barn and commercial kitchen would be shared in common with an area of plots that are leased long-term to the cooperative members for owner-built housing together in the hope that we all lend a hand in helping each other.

Our farm has come a long way since we arrived here 10 years ago, but has yet to reach its full potential. 

We know the region’s appetite is full of untapped opportunities for farmers to explore especially in regards to value-added foods.

Finding niches and filling the gaps in our value-added food system is what we’ve already built a loyal following from and we feel that there is still plenty of room to grow in this area for more family farmers. 

Furthermore, experiences from the pandemic and a climate out of balance shows us that local food is not just a seasonal trend but a year-round necessity for  resilient and healthy communities. 

This is a way onto the land that is about stewardship of a farm and home ownership where members work together to nurture, grow, bake, cook, can, bottle, butcher, ferment, etc… amazing food for themselves and the numerous families of Essex County and beyond.  

Regenerative Land Stewardship

Shared land. Shared Access. Shared opportunities.

There are many benefits to forming a farm cooperative with several examples outlined in the “Cooperative Farming” PDF.

In regards to housing shortages and farm land access, Essex County and the surrounding Adirondack regions are expected to see these factors increase over the next decade unless new ideas are implemented.

As a small farm that wants to play a role in addressing these challenges, we’re looking to partner with folks that:
– wish to live and grow in an agrihood community
– want to farm organically and produce good food
– desire to be gainfully employed by feeding Essex County and beyond

I know the real pain of wanting to farm and not having land to access. Our two year plus search was excruciatingly tough with many lows and false starts.

It wasn’t until we met with an owner we found on Craigslist who was willing to help us gain access in an affordable and equitable way that we were saved.

Even though the place was in super rough shape and needed everything, we didn’t care. It was a farm in need of love. One we could begin to sculpt and nurture our dreams on.

This kindness and helping hand is what I want to pay forward to the next generation of farm stewards.  

As a first generation Puerto Rican farmer myself, I know first hand that the fight and the struggle is real. I also know that the opportunities and rewards in opening hearts and minds are possible. Whatever I can do to bring diverse cultures to an area that sorely needs fresh perspectives is crucial to the well being of the community. 

So if you or someone you may know is interested in going down this road further, as a prospective member of a farm cooperative, please register your interest here to learn more about this intentional community farming opportunity. 

This agrihood, while somewhat unique, is a growing model as there are other farms, co-housing, and intentional communities operating and working together on a framework of interdependence. 

I believe this farm can facilitate the conditions necessary for a small village full of dedicated neighbors to craft a good life here. 

“La dulce vida cultiva de la sal de la Tierra.”
“The sweet life grows from the salt of the Earth.” 

If this is something you’d be interested in digging into with us, please let us know.

Thanks!

Dan & Kimmy Rivera

Learn more about joining our tiny agrihood:

Please submit your interest below and I will send over a complete detailed overview of the project: