A plan to develop 300 acres in DeBary could benefit Seminole County residents and restaurants looking for a steady source of fresh vegetables.
Steve Costa wants to build a farm-to-table community on land his family has owned for 75 years at the southwest corner of Fort Florida and Barwick roads in DeBary. He is proposing to build a farm-to-table community that would feature 700 homes and a 3- to 5-acre farm.
“Instead of having a golf course community, something built around the golf course, it’s going to be built around the farms,” Costa told the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
The proposed development is about a half mile west of U.S. Highway 17-92 near the DeBary SunRail station.
The News-Journal reports that the development could include “community gardens, edible landscaping like peach trees, trails leading to River City Nature Park as well as an overlook on the St. Johns River.”
The DeBary City Council is expected to discuss a rezoning for the property at its Jan. 20 meeting.
Farm-to-table communities – sometimes referred to as “agrihoods – use the sweat-equity of residents to create a sustainable food system for the entire community. The communities are popping up in major metropolitan areas like Phoenix and Atlanta, as well as rural areas in Idaho and Vermont.
There is a proposal to build an agrihood in East Orange County near the Seminole County border at Lake Pickett, though critics wonder if the plan to build 2,900 homes on 1,200 acres would make the project less “agri” and more traditional neighborhood.
Sanford, Fla. 
Hi Dan;
Dori and I happen to own in Meadowlea on the River, which is bordered on three sides of this project. I went to the Public Info meeting at City Hall and was quite fascinated. I posted an overview of the project and a recap of the concerns our community has on the direct impact to us. You can see at: http://www.MeadownleaOnTheRiver.org
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Hi Dan;
Dori and I happen to own at Meadowlea on the River, which is the community that is bordered on three sides of this project. We went to the Public Info Meeting at City Hall and I was quite fascinated by the concept. Makes me want to build a community garden here! Anyway I did a blog post on our Community website to recap community impact concerns that were expressed at the meeting. You can read it at: http://www.MeadowleaOnTheRiver.org
MaryAnn Sigurdson
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