RBI - FREE UNION FARM

Free Union Farm transforms a 55-acre historic agricultural landscape in Martin County, North Carolina, into a living campus for research, education, and regenerative agriculture. Developed for the Rural Beacon Initiative (RBI), the master plan builds upon nearly three centuries of shared stewardship by the Piney Woods Free Union community, creating a new model for rural resilience, economic independence, and environmental restoration.

The plan works with the site's unique ecological conditions, using its forests, fields, hydrology, and agricultural heritage as the foundation for future growth. Layered agricultural systems, including silvopasture and agrivoltaics, allow the land to produce food, energy, timber, and research opportunities while restoring soil health and strengthening ecological performance.

A network of research stations, community spaces, and working landscapes transforms the farm into a place of discovery and exchange. The existing farmhouse is reimagined through renovation and addition as the operational heart of the campus, providing researcher housing, staff offices, and collaborative spaces that support RBI's mission.

Through a phased master plan, Free Union Farm demonstrates how rural landscapes can become resilient civic resources where architecture, agriculture, and ecology work together to empower communities and cultivate a more sustainable future.