Paul Harris with the UK’s The Guardian came to Detroit not too long ago to produce an article on the way that urban agriculture is revitalizing and changing Detroit for the better. It was his second visit to the city and an attempt at presenting a wider view of the kind of strides farming is taking in the city. In the article he covers many folks in Detroit– Mark Covington and his Georgia Street Garden (the same guy featured in DL!’s documentary “The Farmer and the Philosopher”), beekeeper Rich Wieske with Green Toe Gardens, Taja Sevelle’s Linwood Street Urban Farm, Patrick Crouch and Earthworks Urban Farm and Mike Score with Hantz Farm. Quite a talent bill, eh? Harris weaves a fabric of hope in the article with equal parts devoted to each character. Covington tells the tale of gardens saving neighborhoods, Wieske talks about how perfect Detroit is for all sorts of agricultural endeavors, Savelle addresses the progress of the urban farming movement, Crouch discusses income potential from gardening for poor residents and Score looks at large scale commercial farming as a viable industry in Detroit. All pieces fit together nicely to display the potential of farming in this city from a variety of different angles. All of which point once again to the fact that as Detroit pushes forward re-defining itself with its signature pioneering spirit, there is a good chance other struggling cities will listen and take note. Evidence, once again, that we gotta keep pushing. Onwards.

The BLOWOUT is upon us. 200′some bands, a lot of thrashing guitar arms and plenty of interesting folks to chat with at Paychecks during, perhaps, a $1.50 guzzling session with PBR (they serve cans of that stuff all the time for $1.50 by the way). There’s that temptation to list off five bands that you absolutely must see this weekend, but that’s probably what MetroTimes et al are for. Instead, here’s an artist that definitely is NOT at the Blowout in Hamtramck this weekend, but will undoubtedly provide some Detroit throwback joy:

Marv Johnson was quite the troubador, having been remembered probably most for performing on the first ever record to come out of Motown Records. In 1968, after some mixed business, ol’ Marv hung up his hat with his recording career in Detroit. Like clockwork, this is exactly when his jams became smash hits in the UK. Ahhh. Funny how that works. Speaking of the UK, have a gander at this article, hot off the press from foggy London-town, it is an account of (AHHH!) the real estate market here in Detroit. But don’t fret, get beyond the chatter about $100 houses and focus more on the two stories of folks from out of town moving here because they see opportunity in the city. AHA! That’s what I’m talking about.

Laura Barton, writer for The Guardian, basically the New York Times of the UK, provides a pleasant account in this article of understanding the positive history and story of the music scene in Detroit. Joe Hunter of the Funk Brothers closes out the article with “God Bless the dreamer. God Bless the result.” Hey Joe! Atta boy!