$15M urban-agriculture plan to transform the lower eastside (Detroit, Holland: 2015, houses)

[MS313]

$15M urban-agriculture plan to transform Detroit space
The lower eastside of Detroit is getting some much needed investment, needed more so than any other part of the city. I honestly think this part of town with it's proximity to the riverfront and downtown should be one of the most vibrant and wealthy parts of Detroit but it's the opposite. Hopefully with more investments in this area, people will start to see the value of the lower eastside.

[Linda_d]

Let me just say I'm skeptical about the economic viability of this project. I'm not sure that "urban agriculture" is ever going to become the economic engine that some anticipate, and raising crops under cover in greenhouses is much more expensive than raising them outside. Limited sunlight during the winter months, especially in the Great Lakes area because of the cloudiness, means that lights have to be used, and that's in addition to heat.

I wish them luck, but I won't be surprised if this project fizzles.

[MS313]

Originally Posted by Linda_d

Let me just say I'm skeptical about the economic viability of this project. I'm not sure that "urban agriculture" is ever going to become the economic engine that some anticipate, and raising crops under cover in greenhouses is much more expensive than raising them outside. Limited sunlight during the winter months, especially in the Great Lakes area because of the cloudiness, means that lights have to be used, and that's in addition to heat.

I wish them luck, but I won't be surprised if this project fizzles.

I don't know enough about farming to give an honest opinion but at the very least it could be a temporary benefit/ use until something more permanent comes along.

[keraT]

i always wondered how urban farming is going to survive with our long winter and limited sunlight. I know the city has been pushing people to farm on small vacant land in residential area instead of leaving it empty and there are lot of community gardens going up in Detroit. But i guess those are only for summer only.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Depends on what is grown in the greenhouses.

[Retroit]

I hope they plan on using bullet-proof glass for those greenhouses. I doubt if they could grow greenhouse crops cheaper than they can truck them in from Calofornia, Mexico, etc. Also, do they actually plan on selling this stuff in the party stores next to the Cheetos and Twinkies?

[MS313]

Originally Posted by keraT

i always wondered how urban farming is going to survive with our long winter and limited sunlight. I know the city has been pushing people to farm on small vacant land in residential area instead of leaving it empty and there are lot of community gardens going up in Detroit. But i guess those are only for summer only.

Well since there's alot of farms all over MI and other cold climate states I guess it will work the same way all of the other farms do.

[Linda_d]

Originally Posted by MS313

Well since there's alot of farms all over MI and other cold climate states I guess it will work the same way all of the other farms do.

The difference is that farmers in farm country raise their crops during the natural growing season, which in Michigan, like in Western NY, is about from April/May through September/October, which means they don't have to warm and light greenhouses during the winter when there's limited sunlight and lots of cold. They use greenhouses to start vegetable seedlings and various types of row covers to protect seedlings that are set out early in the season, but they don't grow crops to maturity in greenhouses.

On a small scale, growing expensive specialty crops in greenhouses through the winter can provide some profit. I just doubt that the amount of profit is enough to justify the kind of large-scale investment that's being made. Farming in the US, in general, isn't very profitable except on the largest scale, which is why so many even mid-to-large size farmers call it quits every year. With extra costs for structures and utilities, plus requiring additional labor, this kind of urban agriculture doesn't seem likely to actually prosper.

PS - I come from a farming family, grew up on a farm, and still live in farm country where I've watched family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and farmers in general give up farming with depressing regularity over the years.

[memph]

Do you know how the situation differs between Canada and the US? Being from Ontario my impression was that at least certain parts of southern Ontario's agricultural regions had relatively prosperous farmers, like around Norfolk County and especially the Niagara fruit belt/wine region. Looking at aerial imagery, there certainly seems to be a higher % of land dedicated to farmland in southern Ontario than in Upstate NY or nearby areas of Ohio and PA. Western Ohio, Indiana and parts of Michigan seem more comparable to southern Ontario in that regard.

Anyways, the lower eastside of Detroit seems to be more or less corresponding to the neighbourhood that was called "Black Bottom" so presumably soils high in organic matter? That should help make agriculture more profitable no? I'm thinking something like the Holland Marsh area in southern Ontario. Would the heat island and maybe slight moderating effect of Lake Erie/St Clair/St Clair River also help?

Also what are the pros/cons for trying to cater to the local and organic food movements? It does seem like you can sell products for more if they're branded as local and organic and it does seem like that's partly what the goal is here (selling to high-end restaurants). Is that easier to do when you're near a big city?