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URBAN
FARMING™
LAUNCHES
RAINWATER
HARVESTING
PROJECT
IN
DETROIT
DURING
EARTH
WEEK
DETROIT,
MI (Tell
Us Det)
- Urban
Farming™
- a
global,
non-profit
headquartered
in
Detroit
celebrates
Earth
Week by
launching
a
rainwater
harvesting
project
on
Detroit's
eastside.
This
project
uses
repurposed
Coca-Cola
syrup
barrels
to
create a
sustainable
water
supply
for
vegetation
in the
Urban
Farming™
gardens;
thus
providing
free,
fresh
produce
to the
community.
Urban
Farming™
and its
“green
partners”
Coca
Cola and
Home
Depot
played
host to
a
groundbreaking
event at
an Urban
Farming™
garden
site
located
at 11015
East
Jefferson
Avenue.
Urban
Farming™
has
identified
nine
garden
locations
throughout
the city
of
Detroit.
Garden
structures
or
“pergolas”
constructed
within
each
garden
are
equipped
with a
rain
barrel,
solar
panel
and pump
system.
The rain
barrel
will
capture
rainwater
from the
roof of
the
pergolas,
store
and
filter
the
water
into the
pump.
The
solar
pump is
connected
to a
drip
irrigation
system
which
when
activated
will
water
the
plant
life in
the
garden.
“This
Earth
Day
project
highlights
the need
to learn
about
the new
green
technologies
that are
necessary
to
preserve
our
planet
and
expose
our
community
members
to green
businesses
and
green
collar
job
opportunities
in the
emerging
Green
Economy,”
said
Taja
Sevelle,
founder
and
executive
director
of Urban
Farming™.
(Photo
by HB
Meeks/Tell
Us
Detroit)
Rick
Mahorn,
former
Detroit
Pistons
player
and
sports
announcer,
accompanied
by
Detroit
Pistons
mascot
“Hooper“and
dance
team, “Automotion,”
will
join the
“green
partners”
to
celebrate
Earth
Day. A
highlight
of the
event
includes
remarks
by Dr.
Garth
Graham,
White
House
Fellow
and
Deputy
Assistant
Secretary
for
Minority
Health
at the
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services.
In
addition,
Jimmy
Locust,
a famed
choreographer
and
dancer
will
perform.
(Photo
by HB
Meeks/Tell
Us
Detroit)
Percy
Wells,
region
vice
president,
public
affairs
&
communications,
Coca-Cola
Refreshments
said,
“Coca-Cola
is
committed
water
stewardship
in
communities
where we
operate.
Our goal
is to
safely
return
to
nature
and
communities
an
amount
of water
equivalent
to what
we use
in all
of our
beverages
and
their
production.”
Home
Depot is
donating
the
labor
and
materials
for the
project.
They
will
also
construct
the
pergolas
and
provide
decorative
planting
benches
adjacent
to the
gardens.
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