Agriculturally Augmented Business Enterprises (AABE)
Everything is better on a farm. In this day and age when anything and everything (consumer goods) can be shipped overnight with a mouse click, there are still a few things that are better in person. The Agriburbia FarmKit™ is the new platform for truly hyper-local commercial activities in your new or existing community. Some of our first AABE examples are below.
FarmKit TM
The FarmKit™ by Agriburbia is pre-designed, modular, high performance, net zero or regenerative turnkey solution for a growing population of both aspiring and existing agriculturalists/producers. It is a combination of required, specific elements and uses in one beautiful and functional building. It includes two components required for agricultural success.
- Residential Uses – human habitat, living space
- Commercial Uses – agricultural field technologies, processing technologies, operational technologies, local market integration tools
Agriburbia’s proprietary and modular design package combines in a single building a number of vital on-farm elements. The FarmKit™ fulfills a wide array of programs in order to streamline the process of running a small farm business, especially one that involves value-added processing. In doing so, the FarmKit™ helps to facilitate the establishment of resilient local economies and cultural hubs.
- Greenhouse space for seedling and off-season production
- Processing space
- Commercial-grade kitchen
- Event space
- Living quarters for owners or employees
- Central control center for all on-site irrigation and production technologies
The “NEW” Commercial Use:
The FarmKit™ is also a valuable real-estate development tool. It can act as a powerful tool in attracting an increasingly large wave of food and culture-conscious homebuyers, businesses, and institutions to any given development project. In an atmosphere of shifting lifestyle tastes (primarily toward smaller living quarters and a connection to place), it provides both living and working space and can be customized to the needs of any given owner upon construction. In the context of a newly constructed or previously established residential setting, the FarmKit™ has the ability to create value for the entire community by establishing a local food source and various local economic development opportunities… Agriculturally Augmented Business Enterprises (AABE).
Wellness Center:
Human Wellness
takes various forms and is achieved by various means. Wellness today is
generally characterized by a focus on a balanced lifestyle; community,
exercise, and healthy foods often take center stage. A regionally-focused
Wellness Center may cater to the specific needs of it’s community. Local
herb-walks, medicinal food workshops, community events, and a variety of
physical and mental therapy services may be offered. The agricultural
augmentation of a traditional Wellness Center can simultaneously provide
visitors with a community connection, a strong sense of place, and knowledge of
and immersion into foods that can lead to a balanced life.
Farm-Based Daycare:
Childcare, in one form or another, has been a part of daily life for humans and other species for millennia. While childcare was once the responsibility of family members, elders, or other close community members, we find that childcare today is often hosted by professionally staffed indoor daycare centers. These sorts of environments often expose children disproportionately to each other, and limit exposure to the world outside. With the increased amount of time children are spending with childcare services comes a demand for alternatives to limited indoor programs; alternatives that expose children to more than just their peers. Agricultural augmentation of contemporary childcare will provide multiple benefits to children, families and communities alike. An active and stimulating agricultural environment will help to teach children about the foods they consume and the fibers they wear, all while helping them to form a sense of place in the world.
Natural Dental Care:
Dental care has
been practiced throughout the world for over 10,000 years. In the United States
today, dental care looks very different than it has for most of recorded
history. Most dental procedures are performed in uninviting medical office
environments, employing substances known to be toxic to the human body
(tricoslan, sodium lauryl sulfate, and fluoride to name a few). Consumer
markets are increasingly defined by demand for local products and supply chain
transparency. Meeting this growing demand will require the integration of new
models for contemporary dentistry. Agricultural augmentation of contemporary
dental practice will provide multiple benefits to practitioners and communities
alike. A comfortable and stimulating agricultural environment will aid in
attracting maintaining a client base. On-site cultivation of various crops
(spearmint, stevia, etc.) will enable the on-site production of natural
toothpastes and mouthwashes free from toxic chemicals.
Chiropractic Services:
Many health professionals spend nearly all of their time
addressing a single health issue – inflammation. Many believe that a reduction
in inflammation is essential to allowing the body to heal and resume normal
function. An integrated approach to identifying, assessing and reducing
inflammation is becoming more common. The field of chiropractic services offers
treatment to a variety of inflammation-induced conditions: migraines, low back
pain, and various joint conditions, among other things. As such, many
chiropractors have taken steps to identify the root cause of inflammation in
the bodies of their visitors. The agricultural augmentation of a traditional
Chiropractic office can bring a more wholistic approach to the treatment of a
variety of conditions. By integrating dietary and nutritional education,
alongside physical body adjustments, the root cause of many conditions can be
effectively addressed.
Occupational Therapy Center:
While various
forms of physical, mental and emotional therapy have been practiced for
thousands of years, Occupational Therapy as a formalized field is relatively
new. Today, it is used primarily to mitigate the dependency experienced by
those with a variety of physical, mental and emotional conditions. Some
individuals leverage Occupational Therapy to assist in injury or surgery
recovery while others use it to develop hard and soft social skills that
improve career opportunities and foster independence. The intersection of
Occupational Therapy and agricultural processes of all sorts is clear. The
physically, mentally, and emotionally engaging characteristics of a small
agricultural operation can foster meaningful improvements in the lives of many
via: job coaching, stress and PTSD relief, farm-based physical therapy, skill
development (agricultural production, livestock management, value-add
production methods, etc.)
Yoga Studio:
Yoga has quickly
become a go-to activity in the United States for both exercise and relaxation.
It offers individuals the chance to step away from their busy lives and take
time for introspection while strengthening muscles and joints and increasing
flexibility. Agricultural augmentation of a traditional yoga studio offers the
unique opportunity to build on the nourishment provided by a yoga practice.
Foods grown on site might be offered in an attached cafe. Herbs grown on site
might be used to create calming tinctures or post-class beverages. Agricultural
augmentation also presents the opportunity to develop additional classes and
educational sessions based in the relationship between food, body and mind.
Mercantile:
The term
“Mercantile” traditionally refers to a small to medium-sized general store.
This type of store, along with the strong community fabric it creates, has all
but disappeared in the United States. It has been replaced by large shopping
centers most often stocked with highly processed and packaged products,
unhealthy both for the individual and for the environment. Consumer markets
show increasing demand for transparency and connection from wholesalers and
retailers of all types. Most evident within this shift is the demand for access
to locally produced, and curated goods with little to no packaging and markup;
from bulk dried and cured foods to natural cleaning products to hardware. The
introduction of an agriculturally augmented Mercantile has the capacity to
improve any community. While increasing access to local goods for consumers,
the Mercantile can also act as a catalyst, providing a market outlet for
various craft industries.
Craft Brewery / Winery:
Fermentation has long been a tool leveraged by humans. Initially, fermentation was used to create stable, spoil-resistant foods and beverages. Perhaps the most prevalent fermentation techniques used today are employed to create alcohol. Since the late 1970’s the rising star of the alcoholic beverage industry has been the Craft Brewery. Craft breweries, brewpubs, and similar establishments have proven to be effective business models for the independent small business owner. They are well-suited to generate multiple revenue streams: event hosting, educational programming, wholesale and resale, and more. Agricultural augmentation of a traditional craft brewery has the capacity to push revenue generation even further. An on-site hopyard or flavoring farm (berries, herbs, etc.) can significantly increase market access and mitigate the risks associated with small-business operations.
