The hardscrabble whistle-stop of Vichyville is no stranger to lawlessness or blight. A brief saunter down the main thoroughfare will lead any visitor to chew the fat with aggrieved locals; most of whom sigh and ascribe their hardship not just to an underprivileged town fallen on difficult times, but far more. For years the town’s politics have amounted to little more than a jumbled fracas, rife with nepotism and the alleged pilfering of public coffers. When local officials are questioned by journalists, they only respond with their constitutional right to evade them for fear that their answers could be used against them in future prosecution.

Census data of recent years account for one of the highest crime rates in the area, a statistic commonly referenced in tandem with the community’s astounding level of abandoned property. Vacant structures outnumber inhabited ones 2 to 1, and the ones that aren’t boarded up properly or razed completely only serve to harbor delinquents and ne’er-do-wells. The local authorities themselves haven’t earned a reputation for being particularly adept, but this administration’s lackluster efforts to turn the ship around certainly haven’t helped. It’s no surprise that a neighborhood with such poor city services is rife with insurance fraud.

These bleak prospects force residents without the means to leave to create their own outlet. While sustainability offices across the country have began sponsoring gardening programs for urban outreach, the notorious backwater of Vichyville has had no such luck. However, that hasn’t stopped the community from banding together to create its own grassroots cooperative gardening program.(gewijzigd)
By claiming adverse possession on abandoned, foreclosed, or escheated property, environmentalists and health advocates have organized to seed agricultural cooperatives on lots that would have otherwise sat underutilized and disused. Citizens from all walks of life volunteer to grow a cornucopia of fresh produce for local consumption in what would otherwise be classified as a food dessert. The program is quickly evolving from a casual communal tradition to a more organized endeavor, and with the addition of a youth-targeted science and nutrition curriculum, will serve as a wellspring and instill a better sense of empowerment and entrepreneurship to youth and adults alike for years to come. The gardens may not feature the lavish trappings of the palatial grounds at Versailles, but for the humble townsfolk of Vichyville, they offer much needed respite and a meaningful point of pride.