Cultivation Project Presentation

There, among a slew of dilapidated urban real estate ruins, lay a worn strip mall with gaudy, half-lit, flashing neon light signs, a crumbling foundation, a faded, worn exterior, several vacant spaces, and trash strewn along the sidewalks. A spot of late-night crime or daytime loan sharking and money scamming business. This structure stood there as an eyesore, seemingly abandoned and hopeless, lending to the ever-present depravity and despair of the city. With each passing day, it slowly decays, neglected and unclaimed.

Instead of letting such an area simply degrade with other parts of the city, I would have it torn down completely. With $150,000 for renovation of the property, I would cultivate an organic garden on the plot of land, serving to provide fresh produce and flowers to the people of the community. Certain sections would be reserved for herbs, root vegetables, fruits and vegetables that grow on vines, fruit trees, and perennial and annual flowers. Other sections would be delegated for harvesting bees’ honey and wax and raising chickens for eggs. A large shed would provide a space for storing tools and supplies for maintenance of the property, and a small, quaint shop would house the fresh goods for sale. The shop would have a small adjoining office space where information and files concerning various aspects of the business could be stored. A barn would store the wooden box “bee hives,” while a coop would house the chickens.

The community would find a sense of unity in tending the garden, buying from the garden, and simply celebrating the beauty of the garden. The garden would bring together the community for the common purpose of tending it, reaping from it, and admiring its beauty. Often, urban communities face t...

... middle of paper ...

...nvironment is spared the extra pollutants and waste of shipping and processing produce great distances. Additionally, the foods that convenience stores often supply come in layers of packaging (which ultimately end up in the landfill) and are often made with synthetic ingredients and conventionally grown products that are manufactured in a way that pollutes the soil and water supply. Buying foods from an organic garden cuts out the processing steps and restricts the use of harmful chemicals, which protects the health and wellbeing of the manufacturers and laborers, the customers, and the planet.

As evident, this project would require a great amount of effort, planning, organization, and labor, nevertheless, the resultant reward would be well worth it. I believe that great good would result from this project’s endeavors, benefiting both the community and nature.