Detroit, MI will be the recipient of $100,000 to grow urban farming initiatives in the city. The benefactors of the gift are Mahindra USA, the world’s number one-selling tractor brand based on volume, and Mahindra North American Technical Center based in Troy, MI. The money is expanding on the current Urban Ag Scholarship Initiative and will be split between five non-profit organizations that are already involved in urban ag. In addition to this gift, one of the farms will recieve a new Mahindra tractor and the city itself will be gifted an mPACT XTV utility vehicle.
“Mahindra is a global enterprise with affiliates in more than 100 countries,” said Richard Haas, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Mahindra North American Technical Center. “At the crux of Mahindra’s core values is a pledge to innovatively drive positive change in the lives of our stakeholders and communities, wherever we are in the world. Supporting urban agriculture in Detroit is a natural fit for Mahindra, given our position as the world leader in tractor production.”
Detroit is one of the nation’s pre-eminent urban agriculture sites. Increased demand for locally grown food, and efforts to improve the quality, availability and affordability of produce sold to residents—coupled with thousands of plots of vacant, arable land—make Detroit an excellent incubator for the farms and gardens that have sprouted in all areas of town. Urban farms also encourage entrepreneurialism, help workforce development by teaching employable skills, and boost the city and region’s economy.
Rick Haas adds, “Detroit is very much a city on the rise. Mahindra is looking forward to playing a part in its growth and return to prosperity.”
Mahindra also invests in several agriculture-focused scholarship programs, including: five Urban Ag scholarships, four Women In Ag scholarships in partnership with the Future Farmers of America, and 12 Mahindra Texas Pride scholarships that are offered jointly with the Career and Technology Association of Texas, Inc.
