Detroit urban farm is a square mile in size, includes 1500 parcels bought at $300 each

Video: Hantz Woodlands announces approval for 140-acre urban farm in Detroit.

Hantz Farms begins prepping for the planting of thousands of hardwood trees on nearly 150 acres by next fall.

By Gus Burns

Mlive

October 19, 2013

Excerpt:

It’s taken five years, but this week Gov. Rick Snyder approved the sale of nearly 150 acres, 1,500 parcels, to Hantz Woodlands, a private business, for about $500,000.

Urban farming has been discussed and tested as a possible land-use solution for Detroit’s enormous inventory of empty lots, but never on this scale.

The price equates to about $300 each parcel, but doesn’t include the nearly $3 million the company plans to invest over the first three years.

The agreement requires Hantz Woodlands, formerly Hantz Farms, to clear the lots of tires, brush, illegally dumped trash and other debris. Hantz agreed to raze 50 homes, will regularly mow and the lands are now back on the city tax rolls, rather than sitting stagnant and neglected by the broke Detroit government.

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