MSU, Detroit Collaborate On Work Center For Urban Food Technology

Michigan State University and the city of Detroit announced a joint project Wednesday to position Detroit into a work center for urban food system technology and development. The agreement is the first step in what could make Detroit a global model for growing food and energy crops in once unthinkable settings — inside desolate buildings, on contaminated soil and between concrete slabs of shopping center lots. The university is seeding the program with an initial three-year funding of $1.5 million. MSU President Lou Anna Simon said the initiative isn't just about buying land, but helping to solve key issues that plague urban areas.