Requiem for Farmer Floyd

When I was growing up in Detroit, there was a little boy on our block whom we called Farmer Floyd because he liked to wear overalls. It was our little joke: The urban farmer.

A few years ago, when visiting Detroit and driving by my former high school, I noticed that one of the two other schools that shared the complex with Central had been razed. I wondered: What if Central took that land and turned it into a greenhouse, allowing its science students to experiment with growing flowers, vegetables and other plants in different environments? Or maybe creating hybrids? Depending on what was grown, the school could market the products to help pay for books, computers and other classroom equipment. And Farmer Floyd wouldn't be a joke from the 1960s.

My friends thought I had consumed way too many shots of Jameson Irish Whiskey.

That's because at the time they, nor I, had heard of John Hantz, a former executive at American Express Financial Services. Hantz is trying to take over 40 acres at the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit to create an urban farm. Under Hantz's plan, the farm would not resemble the agriculutral behemoths of the Midwest, although he does someday invision a 1,000 acre tract. Instead, it would be a technological wonder, experimenting with such growing techniques as areoponics -- growing things in air.

According to an April 6 article by Laura Berman in The Detroit News, Hantz would start by growing a variety of lettuce and apples, and possibly Christmas trees. Using areoponics, he would be able to grow crops year round. To some people, particularly those who view argiculture as counter to the urban experience, Hantz's plan might sound absurd. But is it really?

Michigan has a wonderful agricultural tradition. The state is in the top three -- behind Washington and New York -- in growing apples. Bing cherries are a major crop. MSU experimented with Christmas trees in hopes of developing one with a longer shelf life after being cut. So why not experiment with growing food products on vacant land in Detroit? It would be a much nicer sight than empty, weed filled lots.

Working with other cities in the area with large swaths of vacant land, as well as the states numerous universities, Detroit could create the agricultural equivalent of the research triangle. An entire generation of miniority students could be turned on to agricultural research. The city could even go further and develop early-stage programs introducing students to animal husbandry and veterinarian medicine.

Doing so would mean taking "vocational" training to a new level. It also might make Farmer Floyd proud.