Michigan Urban Farming Initiative Wins $40K Grant
By Edward Cardenas
DETROIT (CBS Detroit) - A community garden in Detroit run by volunteers - and has about $500 in its bank account - recently won a $40,000 grant in the GRO1000 Grassroots Grants award program from Scotts Miracle-Gro.
The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative (MUFI) project to create a create a new children's sensory garden received more than 55% of the vote in the online competition, topping other finalists from Oakland, Orlando and New York.
Support for the non-profit came from a grassroots effort that included people handing out fliers downtown, knitting clubs, senior aqua aerobics and companies.
"Our organization is very much bare bones, grassroots," said co-founder Tyson Gersh, who said MUFI has a development plan and works hard to make it a reality. "We just go crazy trying to find ways to make that vision in a reality."
The sensory garden is just part of the two-square block area east of Woodward that includes an urban farm, community resource center and retro-fitted shipping container,
In the nearly three-and-a-half years since it started, MUFI has recruited over 5,000 volunteers who put in over 50,000 hours of volunteer services, produced over 25,000 pounds of produce using organic practices which were given to over 200 households in one-square mile area of the farm.
"People are very excited to just support Detroit in any way shape and form they can," said Gersh, on the success in the contest.
MUFI hosts Saturday work days, and is seeking additional volunteers from a variety of backgrounds including the skilled trades to continue its mission.
"There is just a lot of momentum around the city, and its development, and people want to step up. When they see an opportunity, they do," Hughes stated.
Supporting community groups has been an ongoing commitment from Miracle-Gro. GRO1000 awarded 132 garden grants and installed six community gardens across the country during along with donating more than 9,000 bags and bottles of Miracle-Gro product in 2014.
"The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative embodies the GRO1000 urban revitalization mission and we look forward to seeing all the benefits this garden brings to the area," said Su Lok, Director, Corporate and Community Partnerships Miracle-Gro. "It takes a community to grow a garden and that's why Miracle-Gro and GRO1000 are bringing greener spaces, revitalized food deserts and blossoming pollinator gardens to communities across the country."
