Farm Colony One
About FarmColony
Farmcolony is a conservation-based community that preserves the legacy of an 18th century landscape while providing a unique opportunity for people to enjoy a peaceful, sustainable country life on a farm.
Tucked into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Farmcolony is a preservation development encompassing 285 acres of cattle pastures, managed forest, expansive viewsheds and home sites that offers an idyllic country life on a working farm that has been operating since the 19th century.
Established in 1975 as one of the first conservation subdivisions, Farmcolony was ahead of its time in recognizing the need to preserve farmland, wooded habitat and natural areas while meeting the growing need for housing developments.
Today, Farmcolony features 285 acres of protected land with 120 acres actively farmed, 70 acres of mountain woodland with horse and hiking trails and 95 acres of home sites carved out of land not suitable for farming.
A community garden, orchard, gazebo and dog park, plus a full social calendar with community-wide parties and events are just a few of the amenities enjoyed on the farm. There is the original 18th century farmhouse still used as a community center. Owners may also use the historic farmhouse for overnight guests, private parties, weddings and other events for a nominal fee.
Those who purchase lots share ownership in the 190 acres of common areas as well as the historic farmhouse, livestock and equipment. Owners are encouraged, although not required, to take part in the daily activities and chores on the farm–attend to the livestock, harvest the hay, gather the eggs, or sow, tend and harvest the produce. Everything that is produced on the farm is available to the residents, including a vast array of produce grown in the garden.
Farm operations are governed by an elected Board of Directors chosen from members of the Farmcolony Homeowners’ Association. The Board of Directors oversees the care, upkeep and oversight of those portions of Farmcolony communally owned through the Farmcolony Homeowners’ Association. The homeowners association is responsible for the maintenance of all farm roads, plants and seeds for the community garden and trees for the orchard, all communal buildings, pastures, and entrances, and funding for social events.
Committees made up of residents of the farm help carry out farm operations. Committees currently active on the farm include a finance committee, a garden committee, a goat committee, a chicken committee, and a small engine committee, to name a few, which provide residents with a wide range of opportunities for getting involved in the operation of the farm.
Each year, workdays are established to encourage residents to participate in the operation of the farm. Typically, workday projects are organized to accomplish specific tasks related to sprucing up the farm, helping with needed repairs, and cleaning and maintaining the garden and grounds. Workdays, which culminate in a community-wide lunch or potluck dinner, provide members an opportunity to socialize and to develop a greater familiarity with the operation of the farm.
Farmcolony allows the boarding of farm animals that are housed with other animals on the farm. Currently, the residents of the farm communally own a flock of chickens and several goats, in addition to the cattle. No more than three animals per lot owned may be privately boarded at a time. A small boarding fee is charged for each privately owned animal boarded on the farm.
A significant portion of the site’s total acreage is under trust to preserve the pristine, natural space complete with breathtakingly beautiful mountain and pastoral views. Conservation easements protect the land from conversion to other uses such as new housing because they remove the ability to subdivide and develop property. There are additional easements on the landscapes surrounding Farmcolony that protect the picturesque setting of the farm from future development.
Farmcolony is oriented to the south-southeast in relation to the solar position providing an optimal solar orientation for producing solar energy. And since Farmcolony is zoned a rural area, the tax rate is considerably less than that for residential use.
The city of Charlottesville is located just 15 miles away offering Farmcolony residents the best of both worlds: a great rural lifestyle within close proximity to a cutting edge city rich in cultural, natural, and artistic history. Farmcolony is also at the doorstep to a bounty of recreational opportunities. For instance, Farmcolony is just minutes from the Shenandoah National Park, which includes over 500 miles of fantastic trails and Virginia’s Skyline Drive, the historic 105-mile mountain top highway that winds its way along the spine of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.
All said, Farmcolony is a working farm. Some things have changed in the operation of the farm over the last 40 years – the amount of livestock or a change in crops. But the concept remains the same – a conservation-based community that preserves the legacy of an 18th century landscape that provides a unique opportunity for people who desire a peaceful, sustainable country life on a farm, but who lack the means or desire to manage a large working farm on their own.