AmeriCorps members helps Ingham County Land Bank ?create community gardens

Cody Mohr is a first year AmeriCorps member serving with Ingham County Land Bank helping to flip vacant land and turn them into growing spaces for neighborhood gardeners. Through Cody's service, people in the Ingham County area have access to fresh produce they may not have otherwise been able to enjoy.

Since the beginning of Cody's service in October of 2020, he has helped turn vacant lots, abandoned homes, and more into sustainable gardens in the local neighborhood. To create these gardens, Cody completes a multitude of tasks including plowing, tiling, removing invasive species, cutting down stumps, irrigating, and more. These spaces are turned into community gardens, as well as personal gardens that can be leased out to residents within the community.

One of Cody's most recent projects was assisting in turning a vacant lot across from St. Lawrence Church in Ingham County into a lavender farm. Cody particularly enjoyed creating the lavender farm.

"It is exciting to see all these areas transformed and beautified to life sustaining spaces," Cody said.

While in college, Cody became passionate about sustainability, which made him drawn to this project. Cody was also raised in the area and has enjoyed the chance to discover even more to love about his community.

"People are working to make the city greener, and it gives me hope for the future of the city," Cody said.

When Cody finishes his service term, he hopes to get a job in the computer science field, which is what he received his bachelor's degree in. With the money he makes from his future positions, he dreams of buying enough land so he can use the skills he has learned during his AmeriCorps service to create his own sustainable garden.

Cody created a music video detailing his service for training.

To learn more about the service of AmeriCorps programs visit the Michigan's AmeriCorps website.