A simple question gives birth to an ambitious urban farm
project
This article was originally published in the Project Grow Community Gardens newsletter and is reprinted here with permission.
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| Photo from Wikipedia Commons |
A visit to Davis' home clearly shows his passion for growing things in an environmentally responsible way — an approach he calls "ghetto gardening." The hardscaping is comprised of stacked, reclaimed concrete chunks, former red sandstone, Detroit curb stones, and plant life. He rescued plants he found on empty lots while on bike rides around the city. Now, irises, daylilies, pachysandra, lilacs, and hostas all find their home on his land. Despite the name, it all comes together to create something far from "ghetto."
Over the years, Davis has watched his little corner of Hamtramck change. The number of vacant houses on the street increased and the police made their fair share of visits down the one-block deadend street. But his passion for the quirky little city has kept him from simply walking away. With the taste of pawpaw fresh in his mind, it clicked. Why not?
Davis — along with Julie Swartz, Robert Swartz, Evan Major, Stephen Gach, and a growing number of supporters — are bringing a reduce, reuse, and revival approach to six long-vacant, city-owned lots with the pawpaw playing a major role.
And so Hamtown Farms was born. It will one day grow more than 150 pawpaw, pear, and hazelnut trees. When complete, it will also have more than 50 raised community gardening beds for residents to grow seasonal vegetables. In addition, the project will include a large open public space that will accommodate a wide variety of community events including a Harvest Festival in mid-October.
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Gathering wild pawpaw seeds that will produce hardy root
stock. Photo by Julie Swartz. |
A recent trip to a nearby wild pawpaw thicket netted the group more than
500 seeds that are currently stratifying in a refrigerator. Chip bud grafting
of known varieties including 'Overleese' and' Sunflower' to 2-year-old rootstock
from these wild collected seeds will go a long way in ensuring hardiness. The group may have also stumbled upon a three-seeded
variety, though it will be a few years before this new variety, temporarily
named 'Bob’s Beauty,' can be confirmed.
Members of Hamtramck's local government including Mayor Karen Majewski
and Jason Friedmann, Director of Community and Economic Development, are
equally excited about the project.
A number of relationships are also beginning to sprout between Hamtown Farms
and area businesses and organizations including The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, the National Pawpaw Grower's Association, the Green Garage, People’s Community Services, Roots to Fruits Ecological Design, Project Grow Community Gardens, and others in order to help regrow this little corner of Hamtramck.
Hamtown Farms now consists of two plots that span nine vacant lots along Wyandotte Street. The group is allowed to use the land through a garden/lot cleanup permit granted by the city of Hamtramck. If you happen to own
or have access to a bobcat with a 12-inch auger, a large supply of concrete
chunks, or a good source for topsoil,
they'd love to hear from you.
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One of the plots at Hamtown Farms.
Photo by Michael Davis.
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To learn more about the project or for more about North America's
largest natively grown fruit, the pawpaw, write to hamtownfarms at gmail dot com.
They'd love to share their proposal and hear your thoughts.
