Is your zip code affecting your health more than you think? That question is at the heart of a new prospective study from Texas A&M University, which will monitor how life changes for residents who move into an "agrihood" - a neighborhood built around a functioning farm. Led by Dr. Jay Maddock, professor at the School of Public Health, the study seeks to explore the real-world health impacts of designing communities with agriculture at their core.

The pilot site is Indigo, a 235-acre master-planned community in Fort Bend County, Texas, where residents will begin moving in later this month. Indigo includes 42 acres dedicated to agriculture, featuring crop fields, pastures for livestock, and walkable, car-free green spaces that account for over half the land use. Maddock and his team believe this environment may promote healthier behaviors, from increased physical activity to better nutrition.

"The developers have taken everything we know about building a healthy community and embedded it into this neighborhood," said Maddock. "This gives us a rare chance to study how behavior changes before and after people move."

Agrihoods are a relatively new concept, with fewer than 100 projects globally, and very little scientific literature analyzing their health impact. Maddock's team will track 350 individuals: half from Indigo and half from a demographically similar comparison community nearby, which lacks agrihood features.

Participants will complete comprehensive lifestyle surveys before moving in, and again at three- and six-month intervals. Data will include self-reported diet and activity levels, but also clinical measures like blood pressure, cholesterol, and metabolic markers. The study includes mobile health assessment clinics stationed in both neighborhoods.

A unique feature of the research is the use of a Veggie Meter, a non-invasive finger scan that measures carotenoid levels in the skin to estimate fruit and vegetable consumption. In addition, participants will wear accelerometers to capture real-time movement data.

Initial conversations with Indigo residents suggest high enthusiasm. Many chose the neighborhood specifically to live close to agriculture and engage with the food system. The study will also assess levels of social connection, as community designs with green spaces and food production may encourage stronger relationships among neighbors.

"This is pioneering research," Maddock noted. "We're examining whether people connect more deeply with their food, their health, and each other."

The study has broader implications beyond personal health. Maddock sees agrihoods as a model for sustainable urban development, reconnecting people with food origins while promoting rural workforce visibility. "Forty percent of Americans have never met a farmer. We've become disconnected from food sources," he explained. "Agrihoods may help rebuild that relationship."

Focus groups will further refine the study, helping researchers understand which community features are most and least utilized. Questions include whether residents eat food grown on-site, the feasibility of integrating urban livestock, and how local policies could evolve to support such initiatives.