urban farming is sweet

i remember every morning, waking just a mile or so outside the detroit city limits, leaving the townhouse and heading to work. i'd drive down woodward avenue into one of the most depressed cities in the u.s. crack heads and homeless people wandered into the snowy, city streets completely oblivious to the changing traffic lights on the busy, eight lane avenue. it was ugly. it was dangerous. then i would enter work, say hello to the doorman and step into a lavish old boy's club. the stark contrast hurt my brain trying to comprehend it. during the day, i catered to the every want and need of these mostly white male, suburban mcmansion owners while they played squash and smoked cigars. it wasn't something that made sense to me. these people used the city to pick up a paycheck and party in the oasis-like atmosphere of the club. before nightfall, they disappeared down the freeway into the arms of their safe, loving families and nestled down into their snuggly suburban bed. meanwhile, they worked in a city that they were barely tolerant of and most definitely not willing to invest effort, time, money or love into to make it the beautiful, musical, shining city it once was.

lately, i've been really interested in the urban exploration photography that is floating around on the interwebs. it's amazing - both beautiful and deeply sad. to see something that was once, not even that long ago, so magnificent fall into complete and utter disrepair and abandonment that seemingly no one cares about.

amazingly, detroiters still have some sense of community and urban farming is facilitating that neighborhoody feeling and helping them to put food on the table. urban farming develops community gardens in areas otherwise forgotten or deemed as trash dumps. in detroit alone they have managed to create 500 garden plots. i was so happy to stumble on this article from the BBC this morning. in most news stories out of detroit there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel, not even a glimmer of hope. here, we have an inspiring tale of do-gooding and neighborhood pride. in the future, i hope to keep finding more and more stories like this. it helps me reconcile my feelings toward the city. while it may look decrepit and frightening, the people still have the hope and the spirit to strive for a better future, a better life. makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.