Posted in 'Agrihood'

As you look through the pages of this website, you might notice that you’re also looking through a community scrapbook. All the snapshots you see are people, events and moments that really happened in the life of our community.
You might also notice that, beyond the events and amenities, we’ve done things a little differently with the land. In fact, we left half of it alone. Of Willowsford’s 4,000 acres, 2,000 have been set aside for environmental preservation, recreation and agricultural use, managed by The Willowsford Conservancy.
Within those 2,000 acres is an elaborate network of trails through dense woodlands and pastures, a 300-acre working farm, and land designated to remain as open space in perpetuity.
On the other 2,000 acres, homes that were designed exclusively for Willowsford are shaping the character of each intimate neighborhood, while amenities and gathering spaces bring everyone together.
One of the more intangible but nonetheless distinctive characteristics about Willowsford is the true culture it has developed, unique to its own place. That is, in large part, owed to the sustaining influence of Willowsford Farm. There is something significant about knowing the first names of the people who grow your food. Or being able to watch your child’s face light up as he bites a sun-ripened raspberry he picked for himself. Or being able to ask someone just what, exactly, you are supposed to do with kohlrabi.
As part of the 2,000-acre Willowsford Conservancy, Willowsford Farm manages over 300 acres of agricultural land, growing more than 150 varieties of vegetables, herbs, fruit, and flowers, and raising several breeds of livestock.

South Village is much more than a place to live. Each house is attractive, unique and privately owned, yet South Village is also a community with abundant opportunities to cultivate friendships, connect with nature and have fun.

The homes at South Village are clustered together into pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods where people get to know each other. Neighbors wave from their front porch and stop to chat on an evening stroll. Kids meet up to ride their bikes. Friends come together to share a meal, tend a community garden or check on the chickens.

South Village residents also share a unique opportunity to explore the natural world. With 150 acres of common land, forever protected from development, the landscape’s natural beauty is part of daily life, as are hawks, foxes, wildflowers and sunsets. A 4-acre organic farm produces fresh food that travels less than a mile from field to plate. Sharing an appreciation for this open land and working landscape brings the residents of South Village together in new and unexpected ways.

South Village offers a quality of life that’s rarely found in today’s world. Like rural Vermont, it has open land and a working landscape. Like the suburbs, it offers convenience and autonomy. And like a village, it has beautiful homes and friendly neighbors.

We’re simply land people with a dream, and past land owners of thousands of acres.

We have more than 40 years of experience in land development and residential construction in Idaho, Montana, and Washington. We’ve built condominiums in Sun Valley, homes in Spokane and Boise, and developed rural land in all three states.

Always we have sought a better way to preserve the Earth. Skokomish Farms as a sustainable farm is the realization of our dream!

The Work »
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Collectively and individually, we’ve helped farmers, foresters, land owners, and banks solve financial problems.

We’ve started committees to help farmers, development, and government work together. We’ve served on State Committees like the Women’s Commission.

We’ve sponsored Human Rights seminars and helped high school students with financial aid. We’ve chaired a Political Action Committee for the National Association of Home Builders and served on an advisory committee to a Health District

Each of Serenbe’s four hamlets have complementary commercial centers focused on the elements of a well-lived life: arts for inspiration, agriculture for nourishment, health for wellbeing and education for awareness.

Fresh food is another of Serenbe’s natural assets, with a 25-acre organic farm, seasonal Saturday Farmer’s Market, thriving CSA program and edible landscaping, including blueberry bushes along paths and sidewalks.

Year-round cultural events include outdoor theater from Serenbe Playhouse, culinary workshops and festivals, music events, films and lectures, boutique shopping, art galleries, a spa and trail riding, plus a robust Artist in Residence program featuring dinners and talks.

Serenbe is a place you can enjoy for a meal, a weekend or call home for a lifetime.

At Serenbe we value nature, passion, creativity and community. We believe people can live more fully when connected to the wonder of nature.
We value people for who they are, not what they are or what they do.

This is a community where people live, work, learn and play in celebration of life’s beauty. A place where connections between people, nature and the arts are nourished.

Prairie Crossing is a widely acclaimed conservation community in Grayslake, Illinois. The community was designed to combine the preservation of open land, easy commuting by rail, and responsible development practices. It is now considered a national example of how to plan our communities to enhance the environment and support a better way of life.

From the site design to the old fashioned porches, Prairie Crossing in Grayslake, IL, offers natural ways for people to come together. Although several neighborhood amenities are available for residents only, others offer venues for everyone to engage with lifelong learning, enjoyment of local food, and more.

*The Byron Colby Barn offers concerts, lectures, and other events to foster lifelong learning and a sense of community.
*The Prairie Crossing Farm is home to numerous farm businesses who provide fresh organic vegetables, eggs, honey and more to customers throughout the Chicago region.
*The Prairie Crossing Charter School, a public elementary school to which Prairie Crossing homeowners may apply, emphasizes citizenship and learning from experiences of the natural environment.
*Lake Aldo Leopold is exclusively for residents and guests. Residents of all ages swim at the sandy beach, fish, canoe, or sail in summer and ice skate in winter.
*Residents meet to horseback ride, walk, bike or ski the private trails within the community and in the 5,800-acre Liberty Prairie Reserve, which is open to the public.
*Resident horse owners manage the Prairie Crossing Stable and adjoining pastures.
*A fitness center is available for residents, as well as numerous parks that are owned and maintained by the Prairie Crossing Homeowners Association.