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> http://inhabitat.com/americas-first-urban-agrihood-feeds-2000-households-for-free/ <http://inhabitat.com/americas-first-urban-agrihood-feeds-2000-households-for-free/>
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> America’s first urban ‘agrihood’ feeds 2,000 households for free
> When you think of Detroit <http://inhabitat.com/tag/detroit/>, ‘sustainable <http://inhabitat.com/tag/sustainability/>‘ and ‘agriculture <http://inhabitat.com/tag/agriculture/>‘ may not be the first two words that you think of. But a new urban agrihood debuted by The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative <http://www.miufi.org/> (MUFI) might change your mind. The three-acre development boasts a two-acre garden <http://inhabitat.com/tag/garden/>, a fruit orchard with 200 trees, and a sensory garden for kids.
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> If you need a refresher on the definition of agrihood, MUFI describes it as an alternative neighborhood growth model. An agrihood centers around urban agriculture, and MUFI offers fresh, local produce <http://inhabitat.com/tag/local-produce/> to around 2,000 households for free.
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> Related: Amazing farm-to-table, eco friendly housing development in California is a locavore’s paradise <http://inhabitat.com/amazing-farm-to-table-eco-friendly-subdivision-in-california-is-a-locavores-paradise/>
> In a statement, MUFI co-founder and president Tyson Gersh said, “Over the last four years, we’ve grown from an urban garden that provides fresh produce for our residents to a diverse, agricultural campus that has helped sustain the neighborhood, attracted new residents and area investment.” Through urban agriculture <http://inhabitat.com/tag/urban-agriculture/>, MUFI aims to solve problems Detroit residents face such as nutritional illiteracy and food insecurity.
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> Now in the works at the agrihood is a 3,200 square foot Community Resource Center <http://www.miufi.org/america-s-first-urban-agrihood>. Once a vacant building, the center will become a colorful headquarters and education center. As MUFI is a non-profit operated by volunteers, they’ll receive a little help to restore the building from chemistry company BASF <https://www.basf.com/us/en.html?> and global community Sustainable Brands <http://www.sustainablebrands.com/>. Near the center, a health food cafe will sprout on empty land.
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> MUFI describes the agrihood as America’s first sustainable urban agrihood. There are other agrihoods around the United States, such as this one Inhabitat covered earlier in 2016 <http://inhabitat.com/amazing-farm-to-table-eco-friendly-subdivision-in-california-is-a-locavores-paradise/> in Davis, California. But the California agrihood is expensive; many people couldn’t afford to live there. The Michigan agrihood is far more accessible.
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> MUFI isn’t stopping with the community center. They’re also working on a shipping container home, and plan to restore another vacant home to house interns. A fire-damaged house near the agrihood will be deconstructed, but the basement will be turned into a water harvesting cistern to irrigate the farm.
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> + The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative <http://www.miufi.org/>
> Images via The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative (1 <http://www.miufi.org/america-s-first-urban-agrihood>,2 <https://www.facebook.com/MichiganUrbanFarmingInitiative>)