8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS EMPLOYMENT MARCH 8, 2024 The United States Agriculture Corps starting platform: Detroit, and other rural parts of Michigan The United States Agriculture Corps is a Michigan based non-profit that I founded. Our mission is to create a program that can be duplicated in other cities and states. There are food shortages occurring all across the nation. With our population increasing and natural resources being stressed, we wanted to create a program where people of all walks of life could have an opportunity to learn, grow and have a sustainable job. Most commonly, people with just a high school diploma are left out of the equation of higher learning. So our training program was created just for them. Most of our nation’s farmers do not have a high level degree. We have a mobile app rolling out August 15. We feel this avenue was necessary because nearly everyone has a smartphone and communication is key. We are six months from launching in Detroit. We are currently in the process of acquiring 100 vacant lots from the City of Detroit with the help of a loan from our local USDA Office. There are many people farming in the city but they are not doing it for four seasons and they are not problem in communities is interest in agriscience or agriculture as a whole, which is why I want the USAGC program to be “get paid to learn” and target everyone from ASHLEY POWELL Groundcover vendor No. 595 youth to the retired. The program was designed to be short and not as in depth as many long programs that require some higher education for comprehensive purposes. Detroit has improved greatly over monopolizing it. By now the City should be known for growing food and turning it into a salable food product. Doing this puts money in residents’ households and provides cash flow for the City. Our goal is to launch in six months, grow seven crops for three years and then diversify to over 20 by 2030. The Greening of Detroit has done a great job so far but gardens aren't enough to cover what's going on in blighted neighborhoods. The City has yet to attract major agriculture investment aside from Hantz Farms who I will be touching base with soon about possible partnership. A common the years. However, simply put, in some neighborhoods housing redevelopment is not possible. There's not enough income to support a mortgage so developers don't want to build. The average yearly income for a Detroit resident is $17,000. The eye sore is there. The lack of education is there. Most cities are known for something. Ours is the Motor City but nearly half of the residents don't qualify for working for Big Auto either. The threshold for getting trained has to be lowered to “can you remember basic information,” with graduates and veterans as managers. The Detroit Future City Project did an excellent job of outlining what Detroit is set to become. Detroit needs to take advantage of the situation where there is so much blight. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Truth be told, there is so much going on with our arable land that any city in any state is where ag investment is heading if not already there. Our population is growing at a devastating rate and there have been issues with production due to climate. There are over 2,000 Walmart locations and 5,000 McDonald's across the United States and many other retailers and outlets with food constantly readily available. Is Detroit ready? Is America ready? If Detroit does not take on what could be, big ag will take over and gentrification will be worse. We need to care about the poor in the City. We need to care about how the City looks and what the future holds for an ever-changing landscape in reference to survival. We know no housing is going to be developed, so what is there to do other than farm the land? Even if there is a house sitting next to a burned down or lesser see CORPS next page
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