Fifteen households are betting on a rural experiment an hour outside Seattle. Their success could redefine how farmland under development pressure gets preserved.

The Big Picture In 2020, a band of land preservationists pooled money and bought 240 acres of lush farmland in Snohomish County. The land was zoned residential, not agricultural. "This is one of the last non-flood plain farms of this size here," says Dave Boehnlein, 48, the project's cofounder. They knew developers would snap it up.

Their solution: Rooted Northwest, a co-housing community with 70 tightly clustered homes. 93% of the acreage —223 acres— will be gardens, forest, and farmland. The houses, mostly two-to four-bedroom townhomes, will start at $875,000. Owners will belong to two HOAs.

“"We’re going back to the old-school rural village: homes clustered for safety and shared resources, with farms and gardens radiating out," says Boehnlein.”

Why It Matters This project tests a hybrid model in a strained housing market. Instead of 5-acre single-family plots —the current zoning— it concentrates housing and frees productive land. The planning commission and county council had to pass an ordinance to allow it.

If it works, it could inspire more. "If they see happy folks, productive farms, and us budging the needle on food security, that would be part of the county's metrics for success," says Boehnlein. The community will operate under "sociocracy": topic circles where expert residents make decisions (e.g., on forestry), but anyone can weigh in.

Co-housing, inspired by Danish concepts, blends private ownership with shared spaces. Here, that means optional communal meals, common houses, and collaborative governance. At a time of high prices and environmental concern, it offers an alternative to conventional development.