Lest the East Side and North Corktown have all the fun in terms of Detroit's rapidly growing urban agriculture scene, ground broke last week on Downtown's first community garden, a partnership between Greening of Detroit and MGM Grand Casino located at the corner of Third and Plum.
Grand Garden will include an herb garden, fruit garden and learning pavilions for future urban farmers. A centerpiece will be a 60-by-99-foot greenhouse that will grown herbicide- and pesticide-free flowers, vegetables and other horticultural crops grown for on site and off site use; sales of produce to local restaurants will partially fund the operation.
The first seeds will be sown at the site later this month, with first harvest occurring in fall of this year. Greening expects the operation to be fully functional in 2011. It will be open throughout year to local residents for educational tours and workshops.
The Grand Garden is approximately two acres in size and will be managed by Greening. MGM Grand's investment in the undertaking is valued at $1 million over five years.
Source: Greening of Detroit
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.