Looking for Urban Garden/Farm Pics for School Presentation!

[jeduncan]

Hey all,

I'm working on a project at school advocating urban agriculture in Detroit [[and other shrinking cities), and I'm trying to find some good images of gardens/farms/chickens/goats/fish/anything! Anything in the city that might be noteworthy to show the class pertaining to an urban farm in the city.

I have a few of my own, and I'm sure Google has a few things up its sleeve as well, but I think there's probably a larger wealth of images here on DY than anywhere else, as far as this topic goes.

Anyone have anything they don't mind sharing? Additionally, I'm trying to hunt down a good image of a map showing the ribbon farms... I found one, but it doesn't really do it justice.

I'll be referencing my photos to DetroitYES! usernames, unless you want actual names referenced.

Hope it's not imposing to ask you all for help, and I appreciate any help you can provide!

Thanks
JD
Masters Urban Planning Candidate
Wayne State University

[sumas]

Check out Georgia Street Community Collectives's website. For great maps try The Village of Fairview Historical Society. I think you could find a link by google.

[gnome]

JED, take a look at this thread from the old forum. You will find resources that let you access old Wayne County maps including ribbon farms.

Can I ask... are you trying to link the two: urban gardening and Ribbon Farms? Beside the fact that dirt is involved, I'm at a loss at seeing the connection. Maybe you could straighten me out.

http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/...tml?1237892986

[jeduncan]

Gnome, thanks for the link.

Nah, I'm not trying to make a link between the two. I'm basically trying to make the point that there was agriculture here before the city became a manufacturing center, just as a bit of historical background. Gotta give people some pretty pictures to look at on a powerpoint while I ramble on for them. or at them. I guess it depends on how you look at it lol

[gnome]

I assume you know about Hazen Pingree. His efforts to feed the citizens are more apt to our current situation than ribbon farms.

[Kell31]

I have started a window farm in my office in Detroit. I got the idea from the website windowfarms.org. I made my system from all recyclables. It is like the ones they have on their site but I had to modify the design to fit my environment. I will try to take a picture of the incredible growth we have in it this week. I currently am growing peas, basil, cucumbers, onions. And all of them are going nuts!

[PQZ]

I presume you have contacted Greening of Detroit which runs the largest urban farm assistance program in the region. I am sure they have many photos and real life experiences they can share with you.

You may also wish to contact the WSU MUP alumna that was the driving force behind Romanowksi Park while at The Greening. Ask Robin, he will put you in contact.

[RickBeall]

Got any watermelons growing in that window farm? Watermelons growing on your desk from a little planter in the window. Writing memos on the back of them. .... A smart alec in every crowd.

[jeduncan]

my god! How did I forget to mention pingree!? Time to revise the presentation!

[gnome]

http://sidewalksprouts.wordpress.com/history/pp/

An economic depression between 1893 and 1897 caused poverty and unemployment, in turn causing a higher demand for community gardens in cities [[Williamson). The Mayor of Detroit, a city hit hard by the depression, asked that owners of vacant lots allow the unemployed to grow vegetables for subsistence on their land. These lots were nicknamed “Pingree’s Potato Patches” after mayor Haze S. Pingree [[Lochbiler 1998). It was hoped that the cultivation would not only increase food supply, and therefore supplement income, but also provide a feeling of self respect and independence [[Williamson). The gardens saved money because taxes did not need to be raised as much to help support the unemployed. The city initially invested $3,000 in the urban gardening program. In the first year, $12,000 worth of vegetables and potatoes were harvested, meaning that $9,000 dollars of relief expenditures were saved. Over several years, a total of 2000 families participated in the urban gardening program in both Detroit and Buffalo. These programs made unemployed people feel useful, unlike the make-work welfare programs that were looked upon as second-rate jobs[[Warman). “There were many benefits attributed to this program, including hope, self-respect, independence, self-reliance, and the therapeutic benefits of fresh air and exercise, as well as financial savings. Another benefit identified was that immigrants would socialise in these gardens and therefore learn the “American way” more rapidly and easily become part of the United States melting pot [[Bassett, 1972, 1-17).” Several other smaller scale urban gardening programs were started in Minneapolis, Denver, and Chicago.

Man named Jed,

forgetting the Amazin' Hazen? How could you?

[DetroitPlanner]

I have started a window farm in my office in Detroit.

I tried that too, but I could not get the chickens to keep from falling off the ledge.

Seriously Check with 4 h and the High School N of MLK and E of I-96.

[Cooper]

I posted a few photos this summer when I went on the Detroit Agricultural Network's annual urban garden tour:

http://thinkdetroit.blogspot.com/200...n-gardens.html

[jeduncan]

actually, one of my partners did most of the research regarding what's going on in the city. we actually went to Catherine Ferguson Academy [[the school you're talking about) and interviewed the principal. It's a pretty rockin' little operation they have going on there -- pretty spread out, too. They could do a lot more cultivation on the land if they had more help. But the animals gotta have room to graze, too. Probably gonna volunteer there over the summer.

Tried going to Earthworks to interview someone, but they were obviously swamped when we went to talk to them about it, so that kind of fell through.

[DetroitPlanner]

The name of the school slipped my mind. I think one of the issues is that the school does not control all of the land over there.