Foreclosed Land in to Green Paradise

June 13th, 2008 | Tags: Foreclosed Properties

Urban forestry plans are turning foreclosed lands in to a green paradise in Wayne County. Foreclosures have gobbled up thousands of properties leaving the region desolate, unwanted and uncared for. Into this vacuum moved in a non-profit group with fertile ideas of using the land to grow food for the hungry. The set named themselves Urban Farming. Their programme targets 20 abandoned properties in Wayne County. They will pull out the weeds; lay down a layer of fresh topsoil and then plant fruits and vegetables. Since the gardens would not be fenced off anybody hungry can walk in and take their pickings. The remaining would be donated to food banks.

Wayne County is dotted with boarded houses and vacant plots of land choking with weeds and grass. The apartment blocks those have been pulled down looks like huge football fields.

The founder of Urban farming, Taja Seville says that given the scenario the best place to start farming projects is Detroit. The city has always suffered from a surfeit of available houses and last year it ranked high in the national foreclosure race. Today in Wayne County there are nearly 7,000 plots lying vacant. Seville has turned this loss into an opportunity. Seville commented that he had lived in top cities like Los Angeles, New York, Connecticut, Minneapolis and London but nowhere had he seen such huge stretches of land lying unused.

Under the specific programme dealing with 20 plots a group of volunteers will look after the garden and Detroit City will provide the water. Raymond Wojtowicz, the Treasurer of Wayne County thinks it is a great boon and blessing. It will cost the county nothing for the land is being donated. If anybody wants to buy it then it will go up for sale. Perhaps the farming will attract buyers. He added that the neighbourhood would become free from the unhealthy fallouts from abandoned houses that become cesspools of disease and attract crime, drugs and violence.

Neighbours like Eric Parrish have nothing but respect for these farming operations. One can see that something positive is being done for the community. Others like him are joining in the work giving a face-lift to the city. The locals are grateful for what is being done although initially some were apprehensive of increase in pests. Gail Carr, one of the managers of the city who goes around boarding housing is overwhelmed by the change that is taking place – greening foreclosures!