VISION’s Alternative Breaks took a trip to Detroit last weekend to volunteer at the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative.
One question that typically comes to mind is “Farming in Detroit?” But it is indeed a growing trend in Detroit (no pun intended) and it might, in fact, be the one thing that could save the crumbling city.
The volunteers worked alongside many Detroit natives who live in mostly abandoned neighborhoods without much accessible transportation to a grocery store. Many of them are food insecure, meaning they don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
Typically, they rely on gas stations and fast food to feed their families because of the sparse affordable grocery stores.
MUFI has changed this daily struggle for many as it provides fresh vegetables and fruits to the community every Saturday. The garden is in constant need of assistance seven days a week, but on Saturdays it is open to the public to purchase the products.
According to the Census Bureau, the population of Detroit has dropped by a drastic 25 percent in the last decade so there is an abundance of vacant land that is not being used. There are 40 square miles of this vacant land, which makes up nearly a third of the city, and turning the land into an agricultural project is an innovative way to keep Detroit prosperous and alive. The EMU volunteers worked with many other volunteers from nearby universities in helping pick weeds and harvest tomatoes, broccoli and peppers.
They cleaned and sorted the produce and also helped with the trash and organized the farm.
For more information check out miufi.org and remember to always be thankful for your food and the people who produced it.
