In 1950, Detroit, Michigan was home to the biggest car companies in the world including Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors. At the time, the “Motor City” was the fourth largest city in the U.S. after New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia. But as auto companies decentralized manufacturing far and wide, Detroit’s population decreased — in 2021 it had slipped from fourth to 27th — and with that decline went the city’s tax base.
Not only did car manufacturing leave, but so did all the tax-paying businesses that support a vibrant working community, including food stores, banks, restaurants, gas stations, and many more. Residential and commercial buildings were abandoned, left empty for decades. And from 2005 to 2015, a third of Detroit properties went into foreclosure. By 2012, of the city’s 139 square miles, 40 had become vacant land.
Beautiful ground
But in recent years, something beautiful has happened: a literal green revolution. Inspired by the vision of people like Tyson Gersh and Darin McLeskey, founders of the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative (MIUFI), urban gardens have been revitalizing the landscape. These “micro farms” (1,400 of them at last count) are transforming the city’s vacant land into farms and gardens — literal urban oases — that are feeding residents, bringing communities together, and helping alleviate the serious problem of food insecurity.
Quan Blund, a manager at MIUFI, said that since 2011, a single Detroit 1-acre “agrihood” planted with 300 varieties of vegetables has given out 100,000 pounds of produce to 2,000 families. Food is distributed free every Saturday from 10 to 4.
Well-being boost
Detroit’s urban gardens are also having a positive impact on the environment and residents’ sense of well-being. They use sustainable gardening practices, including organic fertilizers and water conservation techniques that beautify and preserve the land and the environment for years to come.
A story like this, where someone has a vision of the “impossible” that can make something beautiful in such a troubled place, takes my breath away. I don’t know if I’d have the imagination and the courage to take on such a project, but I’m incredibly glad that people like Tyson, Darin, and Quan do.
#urbanfarming #makesomethingbeautiful #imagine #urbangardening