Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

The CFFO Commentary: Agricultural Entrepreneur Puts Focus on Farming for the Motor City

By John Clement

September 17, 2010


I’m watching with interest a Detroit-based entrepreneur whose vision for his city could throw many of our paradigms about urban agriculture out the window. Seeing Detroit’s huge amount of vacant land as an opportunity, the entrepreneur is setting out to assemble large parcels of vacant inner-city land and create a large-scale, for-profit agricultural enterprise.

The entrepreneur in question is John Hantz, the head of Hantz Financial Services, a company with more than 500 employees and $1.3 billion in assets under management. He has created Hantz Farms Detroit and has committed $30 million over the next 10 years as start-up capital to create an innovative farming business wholly within the city limits of Detroit. In addition to the business opportunity, Hantz also hopes his contribution to the city will take some of the surplus land off the market, provide jobs with benefits, supply local markets with fresh produce and stimulate development around the edges of his farming enterprises.

And if ever a city needed such an entrepreneurial vision, it’s Detroit. Once a city of nearly two million people, it has now shrunk to fewer than 900,000. Devastated by long-term changes in the auto industry, plus more recently the sub-prime mortgage crisis, the city has seen a steady exodus of people and capital. In fact, one source says that over 25,000 acres of abandoned land (between 30 and 40 square miles) rests within the city, with the mayor currently pushing forward with a plan to demolish about 10,000 vacant houses. Some community leaders say the city has to plan for a steady population of only 700,000 people, which means that lots and lots of vacant land exists that needs new uses.

John Hantz figures that a large-scale, for profit agriculture fits the bill for the vacant land. He’s starting slow and is currently in negotiations with the city to open up 77 acres for farming on Detroit’s east side and is proposing to turn 40 acres of the Michigan State Fairgrounds into a demonstration farm. Along the way, he’s met with plenty of naysayers who allege that Hantz is just performing a land grab. Also, resistance is strong from advocates of a more community-oriented, less profit driven approach.

Although early on in its development, I’m going to be watching with interest how the Hantz experiment rolls out. It has the ability to throw a major paradigm shift into our thinking about the relationship between cities and their food supplies. And it also may create new models for urban development in cities that are now considered post industrial. Either way, farming is front and center in some of the economic visions for the Motor City and it bears watching for the lessons it may hold.

John Clement is the General Manager of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario. The CFFO Commentary represents the opinions of the writer and does not necessarily represent CFFO policy. The CFFO Commentary is heard weekly on CFCO Chatham, CKNX Wingham, Ontario and is archived on the CFFO website: www.christianfarmers.org . CFFO is supported by 4,353 family farmers across Ontario.

Views: 44

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Governments Of Canada and Manitoba Investing More Than $6 Million to Grow Local Food Processing Economy and Support Jobs

The governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing more than $6 million to help grow the economy by increasing food production facilities and supporting jobs across Manitoba under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced here today. “When we invest in food processors, we’re helping them grow, stay competitive and ensure they can keep putting their high-quality food on tables here in Canada and around the world,” said MacDonald. “These projects will help build a stronger, more resilient food system while supporting good jobs in the process.” A total of 19 food processors in Manitoba have been approved for funding for equipment upgrades, facility expansions, and new technologies that will improve efficiency, production capacity and environmental performance. “These investments support our economy, strengthen our communities and ensure susta

Governments of Canada and Manitoba Announce Support for Livestock Producers Affected by Drought Conditions

The governments of Canada and Manitoba are announcing support measures to aid Manitoba’s livestock producers affected by drought conditions, federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced today. Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) will provide support measures through its AgriInsurance program, improving cash flow for livestock producers needing to secure additional feed. “Our livestock producers play a critical role in our food supply and our economy. We need to do everything we can to support them, especially in the face of these dry conditions,” said MacDonald. “These program changes will ensure producers in Manitoba receive claim payouts faster, so they can source other feed options as quickly as possible.” For claim calculation purposes, MASC will be applying a quality adjustment factor to reduce yield appraisals by 40 per cent for drought-stricken cereal crops (all varieties of wheat, oats, bar

Government Fulfills $2 Million Commitment to Food Banks of Saskatchewan

As announced in the 2025-26 Provincial Budget, the Government of Saskatchewan is providing $1 million to Food Banks of Saskatchewan in August 2025 to distribute to agencies across the province. "This funding fulfills our government's commitment to provide $2 million over two years to help Saskatchewan families and food banks with rising food costs," Social Services Minister Terry Jenson said. "By partnering with Food Banks of Saskatchewan once again this year, we are providing additional support to communities across our province." The $2 million commitment was first announced in July 2024, with the first $1 million installment provided to Food Banks of Saskatchewan in August 2024. The Ministry of Social Services will work with Food Banks of Saskatchewan to distribute the second $1 million installment in August 2025 to agencies based on the population and average food bank usage of the communities they serve. "Saskatchewan Food Banks are experiencing an unprecedented year of dema

Register for Keep it Clean’s webinar on pre-harvest tips to produce market-ready crops

Keep it Clean will host a webinar on Wednesday, July 30 at 11 a.m. CDT to inform Canadian growers, agronomists and retailers of key on-farm practices to avoid unacceptable product residues and answer any questions to help protect the marketability of Canada’s canola, cereal and pulse crops. Registration for the webinar, which will include a live Q&A with experts, is now open. The webinar will dive into key practices, including how to properly stage crops for pre-harvest glyphosate application, why it’s essential to follow pre-harvest intervals (PHIs) and how to scout effectively for disease. “Applying a product like pre-harvest glyphosate for weed control too early can lead to unacceptable residues in harvested grain, putting market access at risk,” says Krista Zuzak, Director, Crop Protection and Production at Cereals Canada. “Following label directions - like waiting until grain moisture is below 30 per cent in the least mature part of the field - helps prevent residue issues

iTradeNetwork Webinar – Register Now

The Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC), the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA), and the Association des producteurs maraîchers du Québec (APMQ) have been working with iTradeNetwork to schedule a series of webinars for growers.

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service