Johnson’s ‘agri-hood’ keeps growing

Johnson Development, the developer of Riverstone, Sienna Plantation, Cross Creek Ranch and several other master-planned communities in the Houston area, has attached builders to 452 new lots at its farm-centric Harvest Green community, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The announcement marks the first phase of an expansion expected to bring another 1,400 homes to the 2,000-unit Fort Bend County community. Johnson purchased the 630-acre tract for the new homes last year— right next to the original 1,300 acres along the Grand Parkway at West Airport Boulevard.

The Richmond “agrihood” features a 12-acre functioning farm with an orchard, a pool, a greenhouse, fishing spots, parks, trails, green space and spaces for farmers market and festivals. Home buyers can join the farm club to grow their own vegetables or opt for a ready-to-plant backyard garden.

“People want to live the Harvest Green lifestyle,” Harvest Green General Manager Jerry Ulke said in an announcement. “We are seeing tremendous anticipation for these new sections.”

The average sales price for homes in Harvest Green is about $450,000— above the average price of about $395,000 in the greater Houston area. Construction and sales of the latest model homes are expected to begin this fall.

A joint venture between Johnson and the Texas Permanent School Fund, Harvest Green was first announced in the spring of 2014. Before the developer bought the land, it was acquired by the $26 billion Permanent School Fund, which manages proceeds from the sale of public lands for the benefit of Texas public schools.

The farm-living community occupies agricultural land formerly owned by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Inmate labor was used to grow corn and cotton as part of its statewide agricultural program, according to project details published by the Chronicle last year.

[Houston Chronicle] — Maddy Sperling