A 1,300-acre lot in suburban Houston will soon offer much more than new homes for residents of a Fort Bend County master-planned community. Harvest Green, the Houston area’s first “agri-hood," will offer homeowners a healthy, farm-centric lifestyle in this community-supported agriculture (CSA) development. 

Families will have access to fresh produce by joining an on-site farm and co-op, and each lot comes with the option for a personal, “ready-to-grow” backyard vegetable garden. Communal gardens will be open for residents to pick berries, herbs, and produce. The community also features an event barn, which will host chef-instructed culinary classes and farm-to-table dinners. 

Harvest Green will focus on highlighting natural features of the land, so nearly half of the community will remain undeveloped—the lot will include 230 acres of lakes and waterways, 280 acres of greenbelts and open space, and 50 acres of parkland. The development is built around Oyster Creek, which builders will enhance with landscaping and pathways. 

"We will be creating a sustainable natural environment in Harvest Green that will offer an abundance of features that families desire,” says Doug Goff, chief operating officer of Houston-based developer Johnson Development Corp.

Daron Joffe, a CSA consultant to Johnson Development, says communities such as Harvest Green not only help keep American farming alive, but also bring communities together. “Beyond the health benefits of fresh, organic food, the farm becomes the social heartbeat of a community,” he says.

Up to 2,000 homes total are planned for Harvest Green, and sales will begin this summer. Model homes are slated to open in the fall. Johnson Development has not yet released information about home pricing or layout styles. 

In June, 11 new home builders announced they would add new homes to the community: D.R. Horton, Darling Homes, David Weekley Homes, Highland Homes, Lennar, MHI Homes, Meritage Homes, Newmark Homes, Perry Homes, Trendmaker Homes, and Westin Homes

“The response from our home builder partners has been phenomenal,” notes Shay Shafie, general manager of Harvest Green. “Each jumped at the opportunity to be a part of this one-of-a-kind experience.”