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TL;DR

We want to build a 1 acre+ micro-farm community in the Phoenix Valley, with at least three revenue streams. We have $50-70K committed now, with the potential for another $50K, and we’re looking for at least another $100K to cover property purchase & startup costs.

Vision & opportunity

The long-term vision here is to build a network of micro-farm communities and save cities from their otherwise certain death of urbanization.

You may have heard of ecovillages: fully self-sustaining human settlements living in harmony with nature and needing nothing from the outside world. See great examples here:

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Communities living in harmony with the Earth. Help build this page

gogreener.fyi

While many people envision leaving “the matrix” (city life) to live in community this way, I see a massive opportunity to turn our existing cities into collections of ecovillages, where each community independently generates its own food and energy, and has a strong social fabric—just like religious communities, but without the need for the religious “glue.” Living in harmony with the Earth is a spiritual practice of its own that can bind families and communities together just as effectively.

I believe this vision can start in a few ways. I’m building a company called Homegrown which aims to be the “Doordash of home-grown food products.” Another key starting point is microfarms, which have been referred to as “the food growing solution to food deserts” and the “future of sustainable food.”

A 1-acre micro-farm can generate a sizable income and we want to build one somewhere here in the Phoenix Valley, on at least 0.5 acre but ideally 1 acre+. This walkthrough video does a good job of showing just how much space there is to work with on a single acre.

Here’s what that kind of space can generate.

Business models

With basic research, I believe this model can gross between $165-350k per year.

Farm income: $75-150,000/y

Microfarms have dozens of income streams. We see the opportunity to grow & sell in-demand crops to restaurants, which pay top dollar for fresh, high-quality farm products. Some of these can include:

high-ticket microgreens as a major revenue generator
rare & heirloom varieties of produce
cash crops like garlic, mushrooms, lavender, bamboo, trees & more

We plan to subsidize our more affordable, direct-to-consumer sales with this lucrative B2B model.

Rental income: $50-100,000/y

We plan to offer long-term rentals in the main house, mainly for cashflow stability to cover the mortgage, and short-term rentals on tiny homes/trailer hookups on the property.

Event income: $40-100,000/y

Finally, we’re also planning to rent dedicated space for high-ticket events like weddings, educational workshops, retreats and mini-festivals, to offering permaculture classes, and who knows what else?

Founder experiences & qualifications

Jérémy Chevallier (me) - $20-50K

I have several years’ experience managing rental properties, building profitable businesses, and organizing profitable community events.

I also have an incredible network of desert permaculturists, community builders, and business owners here in the Valley who are eager to support this project in many ways.

I’m currently building Homegrown, and open to investors on that project as well. This micro-farm will serve as Homegrown’s headquarters as well.

Dustin Searer - $30-40K

What we’re looking for

Because we’re aiming for acre+ properties within the city, we’re looking to raise somewhere between $100K-$1M to cover:

down payment/property purchase
startup costs (materials, equipment, property improvements, and labor)

I plan to do more precise breakdowns of each category.

For now, please let me know what questions you have. Thanks!

Microfarm Community: Memo for Investors & Partners