Concerns over Flint's new Land-Use Policy

Successional Development 

of GC Land Bank Properties

The Author of the following essay feels strongly for the gradual development of renewable natural resources, through the preservation & enhancement of the soils and with the most desirable "cash crops" available to SouthEastern Michigan's Temperate Climate.

The proposal is simple.  The land necessary to begin cultivation is available to tend according to the tenant's tastes and habits, and in the past, Flint Residents have preferred to plant grass and allow good trees to take root whereever planted.

But the number of properties that have been vacated has risen: there have not been new tenants to move into old homes, and gradually as former residents relocate, the traditional domiciles blend into the wild as overgrowth seeps into the foundations of these homes.  

Who will reclaim the Land and how shall we create value out of these now wasted-spaces? 

It is simple, though no less arduous than at the dawn of civilization: we must use our farming implements, including chainsaws tillers and compost heaps,  to selectively cultivate a new variety where now oaks, grasses, and weeds grow.

The process of reclamation requires minimal effort from the whole community, active involvement with youth & young adults, and a sincere commitment from the families who choose to re-settle Flint, MI as a place of agricultural experimentation.

Those who own or have "Adopt a Lawn" properties through the Genesee County Land Bank are now utilizing their full space if what they decide to do is mow the entire plot on a weekly or bimonthly basis.  I want to make an extensive survey involving whomever wishes to participate, and design Landscape Architecture Blueprints.  These designs will go into the City of Flint Master Plan and be effective for an entire century.

I will provide schedules and maintenance logs, and recruit neighborhood volunteers to check-up on each project.  My Team will provide additional services to the GCLB Clean & Green Teams.  In essence, all who want to become farmers can receive their training as Edible Forest Gardeners in Flint, and after a period of service will be able to acquire lands of their own, even a periodic substantial income.

What are the assets that the City of Flint already has in order to make this possible?

Simply, the land is fertile enough to make this possible.  But we are not allowing the soils to be cultivated because food waste is mixed with garbage in homes and yardwaste is also hauled away from the City.  We need to make use of the fallen limbs of trees and of the mulch-grass that remains on lawns after the trimming.  Currently, there is a lot of cut-grass that remains along the cement sidewalks, and this allows more weeds to overgrow our public walking areas.  If GCLB Clean & Green mowing crews were conscientious of waste-piles for composting, and these were well-maintained, then our city in general would be cleaner & safer.  It would not cost us anything to change our current habits, but this policy requires a friendly relationship with every neighborhood in Flint.

The more efforts to draw in the safe collection of rain run-off the better. Where-ever a new Greenhouse goes up, say next to Hurley Medical Center, there should also be several composting stations and a few sealed RainBarrels.  

More than seed-money, we need the proper seeds to cultivate.  Dwarfed trees are better than traditional trees in most cases, but we need to make sure that the limbs can withstand the brutal winters.  Once the entire City of Flint is involved, we can petition for the donation of stems, seeds, and any type of propagate from other cities and nations.  This will increase the diversity and potential of Flint's Wealth of Renewable Natural Resources.  We must receive permission to cultivate certain plants from the USDA and from the Food & Agriculture Organization.  

What do we need to Account for with this project?

Service hours & Individual contributions

The number of service-hours that each volunteer contributes is written down, and the costs of building and equipment is collected.  This is necessary in order to recognise the people who actually do the work, and to bestow honor on our successes.

Weight of Added Soils

We are going to make Dark-Panelled "Treasure Boxes" for the composting of soils, made to look like regular treasure boxes except without a bottom and weatherproofed around the edges.  Every week, collections are made from the neighborhood and deposited on a "First-In First-Out" basis.  The bottom of this treasure bin is collected and used as needed.

Garden Labels and Lists

We will make labels for every garden and list the plants that grow there.  Latin names and sanskrit are additional details, as well as allergenic factors.  We will put a placcard that expresses the growth-pattern and common lore of each Garden's featured-variety.  Since the fruits will not grow traditionally as in rows, they will be taxonomically advertised at the Garden's entryway.

Miscellaneous Supplies

Putting sturdy boots on the feet of our volunteers is an essential pre-requisite for field-production.  So is providing (made or reclaimed) potting/pottery for the volunteers to take home and grow perennial herbs.  Some of these expenses can be paid by parents if we can provide publication to encourage both parents and volunteers.  This will be a collaboration with farming experts, council members, and officials and can utilize pre-existing media channels as a tool for self-expression.  A small portion of our budget should contribute basic supplies for any volunteer younger than 20 years who could not otherwise afford such goods.

Seeds: Budgetted versus Actual

Each new donated variety is recorded, but the "Wish-List" of every plant is budgeted for when the Landscape Architectural Blueprints are drawn.  Another record is made for substitutions, when donations are used instead of the budgeted tree.  At the beginning of every month, there will be a group of Record-Volunteers who tours the gardens and counts the existing field-crops, reconciling them with the original Blueprint estimates. 

Annual Chore-Lists must be collected, and the fresh harvest must always be brought to the Flint Farmers' Market in order to recouperate our expenses.  Volunteers are told not to prematurely pick the fruits, and how to prune the limbs of each perennial in order to maximize its yield. 

It important to count or estimate the number of seeds that have been collected at the end of each season, and to create the next year's plan according to what is available.  Since we will not order any varieties of fruit that are already grown here, the intention is to reuse all of the seed varieties that we have.  Some fruits will be sold at market while a portion that fall to the ground will be harvested for its seed.  The seeds collected will be in proportion to the needs of the land in the next season.