Farm design & master planning
Whole-Farm Design. One Integrated System.
Garden Pool designs productive, resilient farms by looking at the entire property as one interconnected system. From livestock, orchards and food production to water, renewable energy, infrastructure and buildings, we help turn a vision for the land into a practical master plan.
Introduction
From Raw Land to a Working Farm
Building a farm involves much more than deciding where crops and animals should go. Water, energy, access, topography, infrastructure, livestock, perennial crops, annual production, waste streams, buildings and people all interact.
Garden Pool approaches farm planning as a complete system.
We can help clients develop a property from the initial concept through a comprehensive farm master plan, then remain involved during implementation and project management when appropriate.
The farm as a loop
- Land
- Water
- Energy
- Crops
- Livestock
- Nutrients
- Infrastructure
- People
…and back to the land. Outputs of one element become inputs to another.
Each element feeds the next. Designing them together is what makes a farm a system rather than a collection of separate projects.
Capabilities
Designed as One Farm, Not Separate Projects
Whole-Farm Master Planning
Property-wide agricultural layouts designed around the owner's goals, available resources, topography and long-term vision.
Livestock Systems
Conceptual planning for cattle, poultry and other livestock, including rotational systems, pasture access, shelter, water and integration with crop production.
Orchards & Perennial Agriculture
Planning for fruit trees, berries, vineyards, perennial crops, pollination, access, irrigation and future expansion.
Food Production
Field crops, market gardens, protected agriculture, greenhouses, hydroponics, aquaponics and other appropriate production systems.
Water Systems
Conceptual planning for rainwater harvesting, ponds, irrigation, livestock water, water storage, drainage and opportunities for gravity-fed distribution.
Renewable & Resilient Energy
Integration of solar and other appropriate energy strategies with an emphasis on reducing ongoing energy requirements before adding generation capacity.
Composting & Nutrient Cycling
Designing productive uses for manure, plant waste, compost and other biological resources so nutrients can circulate through the farm.
Farm Infrastructure
Conceptual placement of barns, equipment areas, workshops, processing areas, roads, fencing, utilities, storage and other supporting infrastructure.
3D Farm Modeling
Garden Pool can develop a three-dimensional model of the property using SketchUp, allowing clients to visualize the farm before major infrastructure investments are made.
Phased Development
Large farms do not have to be constructed all at once. Garden Pool can develop logical implementation phases that allow infrastructure and production systems to grow together.
Project management
From Master Plan to Implementation
For selected projects, Garden Pool can remain involved during implementation to help translate the master plan into a functioning farm. This can include project coordination, procurement support, contractor coordination, agricultural system implementation, scheduling, design adjustments and oversight of the overall vision.
The goal is continuity between the original design and what ultimately gets built.
Scope of practice
Specialized work requiring licensed architects, engineers, surveyors or other regulated professionals is performed or reviewed by appropriately qualified professionals when required. Garden Pool's role is whole-system agricultural planning, coordination and implementation.
Design process
Our Process
Discover
Understand the owner's vision, intended production, business or mission objectives, property characteristics and long-term goals.
Analyze
Evaluate the property as a system, including land use, water, access, infrastructure, energy and agricultural opportunities.
Design
Develop an integrated conceptual farm master plan.
Visualize
Build the plan in 2D and/or 3D so major systems, infrastructure and relationships can be understood before construction.
Implement
Develop phases, coordinate resources and, when appropriate, provide ongoing project management during implementation.
Scale
From Individual Systems to Complete Farms
Garden Pool's experience with sustainable food systems can be applied at multiple scales — the same systems-design methodology works whether the property is a homestead or a large multi-acre development.
Scale reflects the methodology Garden Pool applies, not a claim about the size of any specific completed project. Documented past work is published on Our Work.
- Homesteads and private farms
- Commercial farms
- Regenerative agriculture projects
- Educational farms
- Nonprofit and community agriculture
- Retreat centers and campuses
- Institutional food-production projects
- International agricultural development
- Large multi-acre farm developments
Why Garden Pool
More Than a Farm Layout
Garden Pool has spent years working at the intersection of agriculture, appropriate technology, food production, education and resilient systems.
Our approach is based on a simple idea: the most effective farms are not collections of unrelated projects. They are systems.
Water can serve multiple purposes. Livestock can contribute fertility. Agricultural waste can become a resource. Renewable energy can support critical infrastructure. Perennial and annual production can complement one another. Buildings, roads and utilities can be located with future growth in mind.
By considering these relationships during the planning stage, Garden Pool helps clients make better use of their land, infrastructure and investment.
Get started
Planning a Farm?
Whether you are developing a new property, expanding an existing operation or envisioning a highly resilient farm from the ground up, Garden Pool can help turn that vision into an integrated plan.
Farm design inquiry
Tell us about the land, the vision and where the project stands today.