Corn Wall on Cornwall Project Keeps Growing
When my husband Gaston and I moved back to Detroit several years ago with our son Daniel, we brought with us a passion for living simply, creating a beautiful environment to share with our neighbors, and using the land wisely. We set out to regenerate the soil around our home, planting flowers and vegetables that could eventually sustain us, using only natural gardening methods - no Roundup allowed!
When dumping became a problem on the berm at Nottingham and Cornwall next to our home, I wanted to do something creative to stop it. One day the words “corn wall on Cornwall” just fell out of my mouth! People would be less likely to dump trash in an area where something was growing - why not corn?
One great thing about corn is that it pulls toxins out of the soil. Last spring we cleared out the berm for two blocks of Cornwall, between Somerset and Barham. It’s amazing what we dug up - bumpers, clothing, you name it. Then we planted corn and sunflowers. The birds love the sunflowers, which have grown taller than me this year, and our chickens - yes we have chickens, too - love the corn. Our resident pheasant and neighborhood turkey, who my husband named “LaVerne” sometimes hang out with the chickens.
Last summer Gaston installed a patio made from reclaimed chunks of concrete - people who use recycled materials call it “urban ore” - and also a fireplace made from rubble that Gaston found inside the front porch we had to replace. The inside of the fireplace was created by cutting in half an old bathtub that was in the house we bought. You can always buy building materials at Lowe’s, but it’s much cooler, and cheaper, to use materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill…it just takes a bit more time!
This summer’s projects include building a decorative fence around our yard from small tree limbs that Gaston carves by hand. He was an installation artist in Los Angeles before coming here, so he knows how to make large scale pieces that are beautiful as well as functional.
We’re also in the beginning stages of creating a community space in the vacant lot across the street where our neighbors can watch movies on a large screen, lent to us by our friend and neighbor, AJ White. I’m determined to have it ready for movie nights before the weather turns cold.
By the end of the summer, we also plan to have an A-frame bat house completed, and we will start to dig a small pond, where we can raise fish for eating - another way we want to create a sustainable, earth-friendly lifestyle.
Our neighbors love what we’re doing. People stop by all the time when Gaston is out working to ask him questions and trade stories. It started with a desire to stop illegal dumping and has grown into something much bigger and better. Next year, when the corn has improved the soil enough that the corn is safe for human consumption, we're going to have a community celebration. Stay tuned!
The hand-carved decorative fence was designed by Gaston Nogues. Image courtesy of Jim West
Sunflowers are one of the primary features of the Corn Wall on Cornwall Project. Image courtesy of Jim West
