Michigan Encouraging Urban Gardening
By Vanessa Richins
There is good news for residents of Michigan.
On Wednesday, Governor Jennifer Granholm announced the new “State of Michigan Land Bank Garden for Growth Program.”
In an effort to encourage urban gardening, participants will be able to lease tax-reverted property for only $50 a year, no matter what the size of the lot may be.
They will be able to do any sort of gardening or agriculture, as long as it is legal (sorry, no marijuana farms!) and adheres to the local zoning laws. Temporary fences are allowed – a fence permit may be required.
The advantage to leasing out the land is that the participants will not have to pay any property taxes or worry about other financial consequences of ownership.
This is a great idea. People will be able to use vacant lots to garden when they might not have been able to if they had to buy the property. Participants can enjoy cheaper produce and eat healthier. Cities will look more clean and inviting when there is lush vegetation instead of dirt and weeds. Houses surrounding the lots may see a rise in home value.
Homeowners with adjacent vacant lots will be able to purchase the property for only $250 through their side lot program.
Others may apply to purchase the lots through the residential lot program. If they had already leased the lot for a year, they would get $50 off of the purchase price.
Anyone interested may call 517-636-5149. You can also see the available lots by visiting the Michigan Land Bank inventory website. Good luck Michigan residents! Let us know if you get a lot.
August 20th, 2009 at 7:35 am
Great blog, I am enjoying reading all the information.
Thank you so much for posting this link. I am planning an urban community garden in Saginaw for 2010.
I am working on the land issue right now and learning so much.
wish me luck!
November 1st, 2010 at 10:32 pm
That’s a great opportunity for community members that may not have enough land to have their own garden. I’m a big believer in community gardening and sharing the land to garden. It’s not only a good way of producing your own food, but it’s a good way to teaching other where their food comes from.
Jeff
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