Tree Farm planting on Detroit's eastside

[Gannon]

I finally drove around Hantz's Farm area yesterday. First off, the area is no prize. I can't see him "making billions of dollars once the land becomes valuble", in this lifetime. Even waterfront property in Detroit apparently isn't THAT valuble. Second, that is one hell of a clean-up job they did. The area now looks great, even the locals don't have an issue with it. There is a basketball court in the middle of it that got refurbed, there were kids shooting hoops and had pick-up games going. Gannon, go down to Recycle Here, and get yourself one of those dictionaries from the book recycle box. They're free, it won't even cost you $11. You'll be able to look up the meaning of big words like "voluteer" and "slavery". It'll help you when you post.

I don't need any definition of the terms, you need a refresher on the means and ways of capitalism and robber barons. History and fashion seem to all go in cycles, so we were bound to have lumber barons again...Hantz is shaping up to be a rapacious one. I just don't get why the cheerleading and rush to give him labor he can afford to pay...when he promised jobs, and THESE are exactly the little-training labor jobs that everyone who needs a job can fill. This one literally.

Those saplings are not planted for a twenty to thirty year growth period, they are too close together. The ones planted by the free-labor seem destined to be moved before they are five years old. Dude is just growing money.

Unless there is some profit sharing with the city and citizens on the backend that hasn't yet been reported, my comments stand without adjustment.

Sincerely,
John

[Honky Tonk]

I don't need any definition of the terms, you need a refresher on the means and ways of capitalism and robber barons. History and fashion seem to all go in cycles, so we were bound to have lumber barons again...Hantz is shaping up to be a rapacious one. I just don't get why the cheerleading and rush to give him labor he can afford to pay...when he promised jobs, and THESE are exactly the little-training labor jobs that everyone who needs a job can fill. This one literally.

Those saplings are not planted for a twenty to thirty year growth period, they are too close together. The ones planted by the free-labor seem destined to be moved before they are five years old. Dude is just growing money.

Unless there is some profit sharing with the city and citizens on the backend that hasn't yet been reported, my comments stand without adjustment.

Sincerely,
John

Sorry, the neighborhood looks WAY nicer then it EVER did. [[except maybe back in the 50's) And yes, the trees were planted too close together.

[Cliffy]

Give an example of how those people planting trees could have been better spending their time; watching tv, shopping, or what? What were you doing during the same time frame that was so much less idiotic?

Yes, we are all idiots because we didn't show up to help a millionaire plant trees on his lot that he voluntarily purchased. Great argument.

[compn]

first thing i thought of when i saw the picture, the trees are way too close. maybe they'll chop down the ones that are too close after figuring out which ones are going to survive.

btw those people who are questioning volunteer work, have you never heard of arbor day?
http://www.arborday.org/programs/volunteers/

planting trees is good for the environment. like the friends of the rouge river. they plant trees too. are they slaves?
http://www.conservationfund.org/proj...tree-planting/

so people volunteered to work for a for-profit company. its different than volunteering for friends of the rouge river , when its sponsored by u-haul. thats a tiny hair to split. i understand and respect the argument.


you want to talk slavery? plantations? slaves of the system working for nothing??

come to livonia on saturday morning and watch the [[mostly) black court-ordered community service people work on the greenmead farm at 8mile + newburgh. i saw them work on getting the plots ready for the community garden so livonia residents can pay $35 to have a small plot garden there.

i am truely disgusted to see that going on in livonia.

[Jimaz]

Here's a couple of news stories -

http://www.freep.com/article/2014051...Detroit-blight ...

Thanks.

Trees planted were sugar maples, swamp oaks, bur oaks, white birch and flowering dogwoods.

I was wondering about that.

[old guy]

There are numerous reasons for planting trees close together when starting a tree farm or forest land. The selection of trees will probably be very nice to look at in the spring time. I can't imagine this isn't an improvement over what was there.
If you think it's a scam, don't participate. If you think you'd like to drive by the area year after year and feel good about what's transpiring, get into it and enjoy it. Hey, trees are good and we need a lot more of them on this planet.

I would also have to assume that there were people earning wages doing the initial set up for the project. People also selling seedlings. Volunteers donating time to help make the project feasible. Hey, I'd come over to your property and help plant a few trees. Someday your property might be worth more money because I helped out. So what?

I grow 1200 to 1800 organic vegetable plants every year that I give to people that are interested in growing their own gardens. Makes me feel good. They profit off the food, I don't get any profit from it. Different people enjoy doing different things. This deal sounds like a cool project even if some - one person profits from it down the road.

[corktownyuppie]

There are numerous reasons for planting trees close together when starting a tree farm or forest land. The selection of trees will probably be very nice to look at in the spring time. I can't imagine this isn't an improvement over what was there.
If you think it's a scam, don't participate. If you think you'd like to drive by the area year after year and feel good about what's transpiring, get into it and enjoy it. Hey, trees are good and we need a lot more of them on this planet.

I would also have to assume that there were people earning wages doing the initial set up for the project. People also selling seedlings. Volunteers donating time to help make the project feasible. Hey, I'd come over to your property and help plant a few trees. Someday your property might be worth more money because I helped out. So what?

I grow 1200 to 1800 organic vegetable plants every year that I give to people that are interested in growing their own gardens. Makes me feel good. They profit off the food, I don't get any profit from it. Different people enjoy doing different things. This deal sounds like a cool project even if some - one person profits from it down the road.

People helped to plant the trees because they agree with Hantz's vision and are rooting for his success.

[sumas]

Community leaders where I live are quivering with anger. Jobs were promised not volunteer opportunities. We get plenty of volunteers for our community gardens and clean ups. So don't diss Detroiters on the TV stuff. A new community garden is planned and I offered to provide lunch. Bought a gas grill, another neighbor is assembling.

I agree with our community, for profits, should hire, not solicit free labor.

[old guy]

Hey, a little of this, and a little of that. Trust me, there were some paid jobs involved in that project.

[mwilbert]

first thing i thought of when i saw the picture, the trees are way too close. maybe they'll chop down the ones that are too close after figuring out which ones are going to survive.

I don't know what they are planning, but as you say, all the seedlings won't survive, and you don't know which ones will do the best, so you thin them out after they have been growing a while. I happen to own a little forest land and I have a forester who comes out and marks areas for thinning every decade or so [[trees don't grow that fast, unfortunately.) I'm actually waiting for a harvester to come and do some thinning now, but he's working on clearing some lots for development so I have to wait. I was hoping he'd show up last fall, but I'm in no hurry and the developers are.

[CrashDummy]

Community leaders where I live are quivering with anger. Jobs were promised not volunteer opportunities. We get plenty of volunteers for our community gardens and clean ups. So don't diss Detroiters on the TV stuff. A new community garden is planned and I offered to provide lunch. Bought a gas grill, another neighbor is assembling.

I agree with our community, for profits, should hire, not solicit free labor.

Quivering with anger? Seriously? You don't "hire" someone for half a day just to watch a tree grow for the next fifty years. What, is somebody going to draw a pension for that? If it helps, the quivering leaders can just consider it an internship. For profit companies do that all the time. Plus, for this internship, I can get credit for my community service for drinking 40s and pissing on Belle Isle.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

I'm still glad that this "robber baron", who lives in the neighborhood, purchased the lots that nobody wanted [[for $520,000 as I recall), has cleaned them up and is paying taxes on them. Too bad Gannon and Cliffy didn't snap them all up when they had the chance, and put them to much better use.