A call to build community, starting in Louisiana

Leave the city.
Come home to the land.

AUM is gathering families who want more room, more quiet and more say in how they live. Each household gets a small home on its own homesite, and together we build a community with shared gardens, shared skills and neighbors who look out for one another. In an uncertain time, it is solid ground: a home that is yours, a place you belong, a living from your own work, and a voice that counts.

Why families build hereSee the packages

Watch AUM in three minutes

What comes with it

Safe, connected and yours.

With every home

Your own homesite150 by 150 feet, with room to grow, raise or make.
Water accessIts own water, with rainwater catchment for gardens and dry spells.
Solar and batteriesYour own power first, with the grid as a backup.
Its own septic systemDesigned to Louisiana's sanitary code for every homesite.

Shared, opening as families arrive

Gated entrance and securityfrom 5 householdsA staffed gate and a security service, paid for in the community fee.
Shared tool barnfrom 5 householdsTools you could not afford alone.
Co-op barn and produce hubfrom 10 householdsWhere the growers' co-op meets buyers.
Fishing dock and river trailfrom 10 householdsField & River days on the water.
Shared solar and batteriesfrom 20 householdsThe lights stay on when the grid does not.
Market dayfrom 20 householdsNeighbors and partner farms, every week.
Learning centerfrom 30 householdsClasses for every age.
Commons hallfrom 48 householdsThe heart of the village.

The programs that open as more families arrive are our plan, not a promise. We share progress with every household as each stage gets close. See how the village grows

Why AUM

Built by people who already love this land.

We know this land
Our team has surveyed these sites and lived on the land for more than two years while we prepared. We know where the water runs, where the shade falls and how the seasons feel.
This land is already working
The land is farmed today, and Relax Farms is part of the AUM family. New households join a working farm, not an empty field.
You own your home and your work
Your home, your harvest and your craft are yours. AUM keeps the land and the shared spaces in good order so you can focus on living and making.
Small homes, big savings
Because AUM keeps the land and builds small, a home here costs a fraction of a typical home in these parishes. You spend less on housing and more on the life you came for.

How it works

Four steps from the city to your own land.

01ExploreWalk through the layouts, the sites and how ownership works. Ask AUMi anything along the way.
02ChoosePick a package and a layout that fits how you want to live and what you want to produce.
03Build togetherWe build your home, with you on a Builder lot, under the written two-year promise below.
04Live and build togetherGrow, raise or make. You and your neighbors own the co-op that runs the shared spaces, and it can help you sell.

Ownership

You own your home and your work. Together, you own the co-op.

You own your home; AUM keeps the land

You own your home and your work. AUM keeps the land, runs the shared spaces, and helps you reach buyers if you want that help. Your homesite is leased to you for 40 years, a lease your family can inherit.

You co-own the community

Every household holds one share in the AUM Community Co-op, with one vote. You buy the share to take part, not to sell for a profit. If you leave, it is refunded at the price you paid.

Your home is finished within two years. Every sale comes with a written promise that your home is finished and ready to live in within two years of signing. If we miss it, you keep the right to make us finish, not just a refund.

Stewards, not tenants: AUM keeps the land and does the heavy lifting, and the households own and steer the operation around them.

How the co-op and the Community Fund work

Packages

Three ways in.

Every package includes a 150 by 150 ft homesite (just over half an acre), a home built for or with you, and a share in the community co-op.

BuilderFrom $66,000Your building skills lower your price. You build your home alongside AUM's crew.See Builder →HomesteadFrom $80,000Half an acre, a small home built for you, and room to grow food or raise animals.See Homestead →MakerFrom $172,000A larger home plus a production building for a workshop, small factory or commercial kitchen.See Maker →

The prices shown are starting prices. Each one includes the homesite set-up: septic, water and power runs, and solar. They are estimates while we lock in builder and material costs. Your contract shows your final price before you commit to anything. We compare today's prices with typical homes in these parishes, using public figures. AUM homes are smaller, and your monthly includes ground rent for the land. We never promise what a home or the land will be worth later. See the comparison

Seven layouts

A homesite holds more than you think.

As we grow

Every family that arrives opens something new.

5First neighborsThe co-op is founded: every household holds a share and a voteMaker Circle: neighbors meet monthly to share skills, ideas and first sales
10Growing togetherThe growers' co-op opens for selling to partner farms and grocersMarket-ready: every household can open a storefront and sell through the co-op
20Standing on our ownShared solar and battery systemSmall-business bootcamp: pricing, licences, bookkeeping and selling online
30A real villageA learning center for all agesBusiness studio: mentors, shared equipment and help taking a product to partner grocers
48Ours to runFamilies take on running the community day to dayCommunity-backed starts: members can vote Community Fund support for new local businesses

The programs that open as more families arrive are our plan, not a promise. We share progress with every household as each stage gets close. See every stage

Ready to build this with us?

Ask AUMi anything about life here, or join the interest list and a person will reply within two working days.

Leave the city.Come home to the land.