Michigan Urban Farming Initiative Vying For $40K Grant

By Edward Cardenas

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) - A Detroit community garden is one of four nationwide competing for a $40,000 grant in the GRO1000 Grassroots Grants award program from Scotts Miracle-Gro.

The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative (MUFI) is seeking to develop a Children's Sensory Garden.

Farm Manager Pinky Jones said in a YouTube video that the project - which is located in the neighborhood where she grew up - has been two years in the making.

"I watched this land turn vacant and empty, and over the last two years I've worked with great people to turn it into what you see now," she said in the video. "We are working very hard to do more."

The new Children's Sensory Garden will provide a hands-on, outdoor classroom for local youth to experience nature firsthand using their five senses, according to MUFI.

Oakland, Orlando and New York are the three other finalists competing for the People's Choice Community Garden Grant.

The program is part of the company's commitment to support the creation of more than 1,000 community gardens and green spaces in the U.S., Canada and Europe by 2018.

"Gardens and green spaces have the power to transform our cities and the lives of their residents," said Jim King, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, in a release. "Through GRO1000, our goal is to bring the positive influence of these green spaces to more and more communities."

Voting ends Feb. 9.