There are more than 12,000 vacant lots in Flint, and Genesee county is trying to change that.
Edible Flint is a non-profit organization that helps residents turn these vacant lots into urban gardens.
The group offers classes, resources and helping hands to get new gardeners started.
This year the group will host its sixth annual Food Garden Tour.
The tour will provide transportation to 15 gardens around the city that showcase different techniques of local growers.
Deb Hamilton is with Edible Flint.
She says having these gardens encourages healthy living.
"By having these gardens in the home and making them be a project where you could do them as a family, as a community, as a school, as a cooperative, it allows people to interact with one another and then it also gives them access to the healthy vegetables," Hamilton said.
She also says the tour can teach people how easy it is to get healthy food.
"The bottom line is we're getting fresh vegetables in peoples' hands and it's an opportunity for them to not have it just once because they went to the store, but to have it continuously all summer long," Hamilton said.
The tour is free and is set for Wednesday, July 30th starting at the new Flint Farmers' Market.
– Alyse Guenther, Michigan Radio Newsroom
