Middlebrook: Growing a Village, Preserving Farmland
How an Iowa agrihood is connecting agriculture, community, and economic development by building on the roots of a rural town.
Location: Cumming, Iowa
Client: Diligent Development / Peoples Company
Project Partners: Design Workshop and the Middlebrook development team
Farmer D & Co Engagement: 2019-2021
Services: Agricultural Visioning & Planning · Farm Design · Farm Business & Operations Strategy · Farm Activation & Stewardship Advisory
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Middlebrook is an agriculture-centered community in Cumming, Iowa, bringing together working farms, a walkable village, local businesses, and community life.
Located just south of Des Moines, Middlebrook builds upon the character of an existing rural town rather than creating an entirely new community disconnected from its surroundings. The development extends Cumming’s Main Street village, connecting new neighborhoods, agricultural landscapes, local food experiences, and gathering places.
Working alongside Design Workshop and the Middlebrook development team, Farmer D & Co helped shape the agricultural vision, farm planning, and operating strategy, supporting the integration of productive agriculture into the community’s long-term development. h community farm and education center located in Encinitas, California, cultivating healthy food, environmental stewardship, food justice, and community connection through regenerative agriculture.
THE VISION
Middlebrook was envisioned as a new model of community development rooted in Iowa’s agricultural heritage.
The goal was to create a place where people could live, work, gather, and connect with the land while strengthening the identity of the existing town of Cumming.
Rather than treating agriculture as a neighborhood amenity, the vision placed farming and local food at the heart of community life. Working farmland, orchards, neighborhood gardens, local businesses, and a walkable village would come together as parts of a connected community.
The Great Western Trail adds another important dimension, connecting the village and surrounding farmland to Des Moines and neighboring towns through a regional pedestrian and bicycle network.
Together, these elements offer a compelling model for how rural communities can grow while honoring the land, local farming traditions, and Main Street character that make them special.
THE CHALLENGE
Creating an authentic agrihood requires more than incorporating a farm into a residential master plan.
The challenge at Middlebrook was to accommodate new development while maintaining a meaningful connection to the surrounding agricultural landscape and the existing town.
The project needed to balance productive farmland, commercial agriculture, community farming, recreation, housing, local enterprise, and public gathering spaces within a cohesive development vision.
Equally important was establishing a practical approach to farm operations. Different agricultural spaces would require different business models, management structures, and levels of community support.
The opportunity was to create a living agricultural system that could evolve with the community rather than become an expensive amenity to maintain.
OUR APPROACH
Farmer D & Co collaborated with Design Workshop and the Middlebrook development team to help integrate agriculture into the community master plan and establish a framework for long-term farm stewardship.
Our work included agricultural programming and planning for the town farm, orchards, neighborhood gardens, commercial agriculture, and farm-based education and events.
We also helped explore farm business and operating models, governance, staffing, programming, and phased implementation strategies that could support both productive agriculture and meaningful community engagement.
As the project moved toward implementation, Farmer D & Co supported the early activation of the town farm, helping connect the agricultural vision with the people, programming, and operations needed to bring it to life.
From the beginning, the focus was on integrating farming, community life, and long-term stewardship as interconnected parts of the development.
THE OUTCOME
Middlebrook has evolved into an active farm-centered community where agriculture, local enterprise, and village life reinforce one another.
The development brings together several complementary agricultural and community experiences.
The town farm provides opportunities for local food production, education, seasonal programming, and community gathering.
Wilson’s Orchard & Farm adds a commercial agricultural destination with orchards, farm-based dining, a market, and culinary experiences.
Middlebrook Meadow and the surrounding open spaces further connect agriculture with native landscapes, recreation, and access to nature.
Together with the growing village and regional trail connections, these elements are helping create a distinctive destination rooted in Iowa’s farming traditions.
PROJECT IMPACT
Middlebrook demonstrates how agriculture can become a catalyst for community identity, local enterprise, and economic development.
The integration of farms, food experiences, trails, and village businesses creates opportunities for residents and visitors to gather, shop, recreate, and connect with the land.
The project’s relationship with the existing town of Cumming is particularly important. Rather than replacing rural character with conventional suburban development, Middlebrook offers a model for strengthening an existing village while maintaining a close relationship with productive farmland.
Its mix of housing, local businesses, agricultural destinations, and gathering places also points toward opportunities for multigenerational living, entrepreneurship, and regional economic vitality.
Middlebrook shows how thoughtfully integrated agriculture can contribute to the long-term value and identity of a place while strengthening connections between people, food, and nature.
WHAT THIS PROJECT TEACHES
Middlebrook offers several valuable lessons for future agrihoods, conservation communities, and rural village developments:
Build upon existing places.
Strengthening an established town can create more connected, authentic communities than developing entirely new destinations disconnected from their surroundings.
Grow villages while preserving farmland.
Concentrating development around a walkable village creates opportunities to accommodate growth while maintaining productive agricultural landscapes and rural character.
Create complementary agricultural enterprises.
Commercial farming, orchards, community farms, markets, and educational programming can serve different purposes while contributing to a shared agricultural identity.
Plan for operations and stewardship from the beginning.
Farm business models, management structures, staffing, and long-term financial sustainability are as important as the physical design.
Connect farms and communities through thoughtful placemaking.
Trails, gathering spaces, local businesses, and public programming help make agriculture an accessible and meaningful part of everyday life.
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
“Farmer D brought a unique perspective to Middlebrook, helping us think through how agriculture could become a meaningful part of the community, from the farm planning to the long-term operations and programming. Daron understands both the vision and the practical side of bringing these projects to life. I’m proud of what we’ve created at Middlebrook and excited to build on our relationship. I see a lot of opportunity for us to work together on projects that create lasting value for landowners and communities.”
–Steve Bruere, President of Peoples Compan
CLOSING
Middlebrook reflects a central belief behind Farmer D & Co’s work: thriving communities grow from a strong relationship between people, land, food, and place.
By building upon an existing rural town, integrating productive agriculture, and creating opportunities for village life and local enterprise, Middlebrook offers an evolving model for stewardship-led development.
Its story reminds us that successful regenerative communities are not simply designed and built. They are cultivated over time through thoughtful planning, committed partnerships, and ongoing care for the land and people they serve.
