URBAN FARMING IN DETROIT

Detroit is one example of how a city can provide its inhabitants with locally produced food. Every year, more than six tons of produce are harvested and sold on local markets. Rooftops, walls, unused landareas, planters in malls and on sidewalks are all subject for agriculture when Detroit is being transformed into a sustainable city. Together with backyard gardens and larger scale farms they provide thousands of pounds of fresh, nutritious produce for Detroit families. Simultaneously they improve communities by connecting neighbors, providing an alternative to trash strewn vacant lots, improving property values and reducing crime.



Detroit used to be the center of car production in the US. Since much of the production moved to Asia in the 1970´s, the city has been struggling with a decreasing population, high level of unemployment and abandoned buildings. Satellite images show an urban core giving way to an urban prairie. This led way for a new of using the city. Urban farmers have embraced the abandoned lots, gradually converting 15 acres of idle land into more than 40 community gardens and microfarms, some covering entire blocks.

A number of authorities, non-profit organizations, individuals and volunteers are collaborating to promote and encourage urban agriculture. In a resource program for gardening hundreds of home, school and community gardens get access to resources and information in order to empower Detroit residents to grow, harvest, prepare, and preserve food for their families in their backyards and neighborhoods. Together they create a more sustainable Detroit where locally grown vegetables and produces can be bought at your local market.

[bild: http://anthropik.com/]

LINKS
Detroit agriculture network
Earthworks urban farm
Urban farming