Urban Farming Takes Root in Detroit

Photo of “Slumpy” in Brush Park, Detroit by KelBell.

By Matthew Wells
BBC News, Detroit
10 July 2008

But the idea of permanent social change, away from the old industrial core, is something that Detroit sorely needs, according to the editorial page editor of the Detroit News, Nolan Finley. “Today’s reality is that we have a lot of vacant space, and not much economic opportunity,” he said.

“You could have urban farming – you could have livestock in some of these stretches of empty land. You could reforest it into tree farms so you’re not maintaining a sidewalk, a power line, for a street that has two houses on it.” The conversion from Motown to Growtown may seem far-fetched, but given Detroit’s economic woes, marketable ideas are in big demand.

Link to BBC article here.

Link to “UrbanFarming.Org” site and video here.