The bright sun beat down on us as we pulled freshly ripened tomatoes off the vine and scavenged for peppers from the Cadillac Urban Garden on Meritt. The vegetables were ready for harvest, and the watermelons would be ready in a week. It was prime picking time, and young volunteers were in every corner of the garden watering the raised garden beds lining what used to be a parking lot in southwest Detroit.
Cadillac Urban Gardens began in 2012 as a community collaboration between Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision (SDEV), Ideal Group, General Motors, Detroit Dirt, residents, non-profits, businesses, schools and other local community organizations.
“General Motors approached our group asking us if we had any use for scrap shipping crates in the Spring of 2012,” says Sarah Clark, Director of Programs at SDEV. “It came at the perfect time — the Ideal Group owned a vacant parking lot that was formerly an executive parking lot for the old Clark Street Cadillac Plant, and so we transformed this lot into Cadillac Urban Gardens using the GM shipping crates as raised planter beds to grow fruits and vegetables for the community.”
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”2339″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]
Peppers grow at the community garden in shipping crates now used as garden beds.
Today, the garden’s success is largely due to hundreds of hours of volunteer work — all are welcome.
Located near Detroit’s Mexicantown and about 1 acre in size, this garden sits in a fenced-in parking lot that formerly served as Cadillac’s Executive Parking lot when the Clark Street Plant was up and running.
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”2340″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]
Sarah Clark, Director of Programs at SDEV and Pashon Murray of Detroit Dirt.
“Anyone is welcome to use Cadillac Urban Gardens,” she says. “We encourage visitors to do a little work in the garden and then pick as many of the fruits and vegetables as they need for their families.”
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”2341″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]
These garden beds were formerly used by GM as shipping crates.
Besides growing food for the community, Clark says this garden grows leaders.
“It provides a space for community members to come together to grow fresh fruits and vegetables, learn from one another, and beautify their neighborhood,” Clark says. “Cadillac Urban Gardens and Scarcyny Park serve as the anchors of this neighborhood, leading to increased efforts to clean and improve safety.”
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”2342″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]
Richard Zarate, a volunteer and Dolores Perales, Field Supervisor.
Growing up a few blocks away from the garden, Dolores Perales started volunteering in high school, and now works for SDEV as Field Supervisor.
“I came out to volunteer for Cadillac’s Planting Day,” Perales says. “Soon, I myself became a garden leader my senior year of high school, and eventually began to intern at SDEV assuming the position of Field Supervisor,” she says. “Now as a Sophomore at Michigan State University, I manage and maintain the garden and volunteer groups that come to help in both Cadillac Urban Gardens and nearby Scarcyny Park.”
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”2343″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]
Perales has seen firsthand how the garden can positively affect the lives of local families.
“The success of the garden is very important to me because it is extremely beneficial to the community. The produce the garden grows has allowed my family to add fresh fruits and vegetables into our diets,” she says. “This garden provides easy access to a healthy alternative for the community and teaches children where food comes from and the process of how it is grown.”
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”2344″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]
The Children’s Garden area at Cadillac Urban Gardens.
The garden has turned into more than a space that provides food, it’s a community center where people can create friendships too, she says.
“I feel the community has become closer and is now more involved with projects that are meant to help benefit the area helping to maintain and create a safe and healthy environment for future generations to come.”
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”2345″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”540″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”960″}}]]
SDEV’s annual Garden Party fundraiser is August 4 from 4-8 p.m. at Cadillac Urban Gardens.
Purchase tickets, here.
The event will feature live music, craft beer and wine, raffles,and local pop-up chefs making dishes from the garden’s fruits and vegetables. All proceeds support the mission of Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision to improve the quality of life and environment in Southwest Detroit.