Farm-to-table takes on a whole new dimension in Davis, California, and BrightView Landscapes LLC played a big role in making that happen.
The Cannery is the state’s first farm-to-table new home community where residents have access to a 7.4-acre working farm. The farm, in turn, helps feed the community and creates a sustainable lifestyle.
“The New Home Company took an old facility – a tomato cannery –and proposed an entire development that is green and sustainable,” said John Escudero, a sales/client representative with BrightView Landscape Development. “It’s a great and innovative community.”
BrightView has worked with The New Home Co. in the past and, four years ago, the homebuilder and land developer reached out to BrightView to be a part of The Cannery project.
Nearly a third of The Cannery’s 100-acre development is dedicated to open space featuring parks, fields, and picnic areas. Each of the homes in the community will be no more than 300 feet from open space or park. The community is also covered with multi-use pathways and seating across greenbelts and community buffers.
“BrightView installed the infrastructures, streetscapes, Farm House, the farm, and even beehives and birdhouses,” Escudero said.
It took BrightView close to a year to finish its portion of the community, in part because the project included installing stabilized decomposed granite.
“Instead of using just sidewalks everywhere, we installed stabilized decomposed granite adjacent to it, which is gravel with an additive in it so that it doesn’t shift around under your feet,” Escudero said. “It feels like compacted dirt, but it gives you that crunch as you’re walking around.”
Stabilized decomposed granite not only gives the sometimes satisfying gravel crunch, but it also prevents ruts and weeds and is permeable, making it an eco-friendly solution.
Having the new granite provides the residents a variety of paving surfaces, said Dan Harper, BrightView’s Sacramento branch manager.
So far, the community has five active neighborhoods with more in the works and has won Master Planned Community of the Year, awarded by the National Association of Home Builders.
With The Cannery’s already unique concept, BrightView says its development team was able to take part in some unique creations.
“The farm element, beehives and birdhouses were cool,” Escudero said. “They were all done in the theme of farmhouse architecture.”
Once BrightView Landscape Development finished its portion, BrightView Landscape Maintenance took over and continues to maintain The Cannery.