In Detroit, Jesse Jackson calls urban farming ‘cute but foolish’
“We need industrialization, not farming.”
By Michael Winter
USA Today
Sept. 7, 2010
With Detroit Mayor Dave Bing considering turning acres of abandoned land into vegetable gardens, the Rev. Jesse Jackson today spurned the idea of urban farming, calling it “cute but foolish.”
“The governor, a Democrat, brags about Michigan getting a battery plant, built north of Grand Rapids, as opposed to Detroit, the engine that drives the state,” Jackson told the city council, the Detroit News reports. “We need industrialization, not farming. Detroit needs the battery plant. Let farmers farm. … We are not offering a farming plan for Baghdad.”
He said creating large city farms might drive out even more residents. Between 2000 and 2006 Detroit’s population dropped 8.4%, and the city has lost nearly half its population in the past half-century. Urban farming has been mentioned as one possible solution to the land glut.
“It’s kind of cute but foolish it seems to me, as opposed to talking about urban homesteading,” Jackson said. “Detroiters would keep those properties and not get trapped into a gentrification process … that kind of thing is afoot.”
Tomorrow Bing will present the council his vision for revitalizing the city.
7 comments
Jesse Jackson is just jealous that he didn’t think of this first. The black and white community in Detroit are finally starting to come together and rebuild the city into something wonderful again. People are finally starting to work together. Families who live in blight will have nicer homes in newer communities. Dr. King’s beloved community will come to be in Detroit where all people will work together black hand holding white hand and so on.
It is a shame that Jesse Jackson’s huge ego would cause him to make such dishartening statements to people with genuine hope.
What a shame Jesse Jackson has turned out to be another dumb corporate democrat. These corporatists have not figured out that industrialization is slavery, and bad for the food supply, the environment, and the economy. What an ignorant statement he has made here.
The next time Jackson gets hungry, offer him a battery.
Jesse coming out and saying this is actually a good thing. It’s good because in doing so he makes it perfectly clear from where he gets his marching orders.
The relocalization of our food economies is a very important step in getting us out of this incredible predicament that we have gotten ourselves into. Industrialization = slavery. Don’t believe that statement? Just look around.
It is sad to see someone who has had so much to offer America become yesterdays man. The tired old mantra of the industrial revolution would seem quaint if it weren’t tragic and so out of touch. Keep planting Detroit you are an example to the modern world.
I guess he wants to eat batteries. How small minded.
Is Detroit considering forestry on some of its vacant land? Forests for food (see forest gardening — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_gardening), timber (building materials), wood (fuel), and ecosystem services.
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