By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent

DETROIT, Mich. — The vision of a local businessman could return Detroit to its roots. John Hantz, CEO of Hantz Farms, LLC, recently announced plans to utilize vacant land and abandoned properties to create Hantz Farms, the world’s largest urban farm.
It’s a project that could restore abandoned and decaying Detroit neighborhoods to their natural beauty while creating jobs and sustainable new communities.

“Detroit could be the nation’s leading example of urban farming and become a destination for fresh, local and natural foods,” he said. “Hantz Farms will transform this area into a viable, beautiful and sustainable area that will serve the community, increase the tax base, create jobs and greatly improve the quality of life in an area that has experienced a severe decline in population.”

City officials are evaluating plans which call for pulling together hundreds of tracts of vacant land and abandoned property in Detroit’s lower east side to create urban farms. Phase 1 plans would utilize more than 70 acres of such properties.

The corporation hopes to reap what it sows by giving back to the community. Successful implementation would put the vacant properties back on the city’s tax roll and provide jobs, educational opportunities for local schoolchildren and a location for university-level research and advanced education.

Matt Allen, senior vice president of Hantz Farms, said it plans to grow natural, local, fresh and safe fruits and vegetables to help meet Michigan’s increasing demand for locally grown produce. “In many cases, projects such as this are more organized community gardening,” he said. But that’s not the case with Hantz Farms.
“We’ve looked at some of the examples from Michigan State University and the wonderful successes that they have had. We have done a lot of homework, too.”

Allen said planners originally considered growing organic products “because that’s where the market is heading,” but ultimately decided to pursue more traditional agricultural production practices. Hantz Farms is working with officials at MSU for their expertise on agriculture and soil sciences, as well as with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, a leader in community-based food systems.

Hantz Farms’ initial proposal, Allen said, includes an energy component to incorporate solar, wind, biomass, alternative fuels and more. Potentially, the farm could sell excess energy back to its local power provider. It also utilizes hoop greenhouse structures and other technology which would help expand the growing and harvest season for crops. Recreation facilities such as nature and equestrian centers are also proposed.

Allen said the market will determine production. “We’ll let science tell us what to grow and we’ll let the marketplace dictate what the demand is,” he said.

Part of the corporation’s marketing strategy is to incorporate an on-site farm store complete with a visitor center and experiment station, he said.

“Our vision is to create a visitor and learning center for the public where we can also host groups of schoolchildren and teach them about sustainable communities,” Allen said.

Rick Foster, vice president for programs at the Kellogg Foundation, is in favor of the project.

“It makes sense to utilize the blighted and abandoned land in the city to produce fresh, nutritious food for local consumers,” he said. “Urban development projects like this one not only create good food and connection to nature, but serve as an economic development anchor for others in the community.”

MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Dean Jeffrey D. Armstrong agreed. “Urban agriculture is an opportunity to provide an effective economic development program for the Detroit community,” he said, adding that the university is working “to develop a productive outreach and engagement program” as part of the proposal.

“The combination of land consolidation, blight removal, conservation of city services and the beautification of the city itself are just some of the byproducts that will come from our commitment to urban farming,” Allen said. “Detroit is going to go from being notorious to a city of notoriety.”