Tryon Farm partners with 1st American Management Company to maintain 120+ acres of free-range living

Tucked away on the outskirts of Michigan City and just a couple of miles off the coast of Lake Michigan, a residential community called Tryon Farm sits nestled within 120 acres of prairie, wetlands, and forest, offering a lifestyle centered on conservation and a connection to the natural world.

Tryon Farm is a historic patch of land featuring dunes, creeks, ponds, open meadows, and miles of trails dotted with modern homes that are designed to blend into the landscape, preserving the surrounding nature as much as possible. There are few living communities like it, and maintaining it presents a unique challenge. For more than 15 years, the Tryon Farm Homeowners Association has entrusted the care of its special environment to 1st American Management Company, the largest locally-owned management firm in Northwest Indiana.

“I was blown away by just the drive to my current residence within Tryon,” said Jason Caref, a board member and 10-year city resident. “We are so close to Chicago that we can come out for a day or week at a time. It’s an escape from city living for a little while, where my family and I can take in nature and light up our fireplace or our outdoor fire pit. We can take a walk through Tryon with a glass or two of wine and enjoy the smell of nature that we can’t get anywhere else.”

The community is composed of both full-time residents and part-time owners who use their homes as a getaway. The farm itself has existed since the 19th century, but development of the modern homes began in the 1990s under the leadership of architect Edward J. Noonan, whose vision was to integrate the structures with the land.

“Nature is literally at your doorstep,” said Dave Murray, a board member and 15-year resident. “That emphasis on sustainability and a strong sense of community is what drew us into buying a home here at Tryon.”

Tryon Farm is built on the philosophy of maintaining its natural appeal, which makes managing it a unique challenge compared to a typical subdivision. The property blends together large, open acreage of various biomes with private infrastructure such as its constructed wastewater wetlands.

“It’s not a typical or easy place to manage,” Caref said. “Many firms wouldn’t know how to handle all of its challenges.”

For more than a decade, Tryon Farm’s homeowners have trusted 1^st American Management Company to handle these challenges, with property managers staying closely attuned to the community’s needs.

“Having a trusting relationship with a management partner allows them to develop that deep expertise which is so important,” Murray said. “It’s also important that they know what to look for in subcontractors to manage specialized maintenance projects.”

When Tryon Farm’s unique septic system began having issues, Ed Gomez, Property Manager, quickly stepped in to find the right team to handle the repairs. Because the system is custom-built for the community, it required a contractor with specialized experience.

“Everything at Tryon Farm is unique, so a big part of the job is finding the right people,” Gomez said. “I was able to bring in a qualified team to get everything fixed, and now the system is running smoothly again.”

Thanks to 1^st American Management Company’s long-term relationship with Tryon Farm, the issue was resolved quickly and with minimal impact on residents, keeping the community running as seamlessly as ever.

Another aspect of the job is knowing when not to “fix” something. Tryon Farm’s many hiking trails or open spaces might occasionally see a branch fall or stone roll — but the right move is not always to clean it up.

Sometimes a branch will fall, and your first instinct is to clear it away. But the residents often want to leave it there. It’s not that they want it to look messy; it’s that it adds to the natural look of the place.

Caref explained that the partnership with 1st American Management Company is a key part of how Tryon Farm’s natural aesthetic and unique day-to-day lifestyle is possible.

“1st American Management Company has done a very good job over the years to maintain all sorts of relationships with non-traditional contractors and companies as well as handy people,” he said. “Along with volunteers who reside at Tryon, they keep the well-maintained landscape and beauty of Tryon Farm intact.”

For more information about Tryon Farm, visit tryonfarm.com. To learn more about 1st American Management Company, go to 1stpropertymanagers.com.