Detroit and Urban Agriculture

If there is any city at the forefront of the urban agriculture movement it would, undoubtedly, be the city of Detroit.

Try looking at the City of Detroit from Google Earth and you'll see the amount of vacant land that exists in the city.  Currently, there are over 100 km2 of vacant land in Detroit.  The city of San Francisco could fit into Detroit's vacant land and there would still be room to spare.  Ever since the race riots of the 1960s, the decline of industry and our -recently-subsided- obsessions with suburbia, these vacant lots have been biologically regenerating.  In some areas through Detroit, deer populations have exploded, foxes are seen commonly and coyotes are heard howling in the night.

The residents of Detroit are increasingly using vacant lots as farmers plots.  

What do they see as the purpose and benefits?

1. They are engaging disadvantaged neighbourhoods in eating healthy food and having community events.

 2. They are solving the issue of living in food deserts by growning their own and selling it to independent grocers so others can also benefit from eating fresh produce.

3. They are choosing not to support the imported food of industrial agri-business.

 4. They are decreasing their ecological footprint.

The residents of Detroit are investing in their community and building a local economy.  

How can we do the same?