I recently visited Detroit with another intern, and Cheryl Danley of the CS Mott Group for sustainable food systems. The purpose of the trip was to see the urban agriculture in Detroit, and learn about the efforts to expand it. Detroit is a food desert, some people don’t like to refer to it by that name, but it is true. There are no large grocery store chains located in the city, which makes it harder for people to gain access quality, healthy foods. Times are hard, and they are getting harder. There are people who understand this, and want to make it better. In Detroit, we met with important people in the food system, and learned about their roles they   play in the community.

           Our first stop in Detroit was with Malik Yakini.  He is a very influential person in the efforts for expanding urban agriculture. He is the head of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, and he also created the Detroit Food Policy Council. He also runs the D Town farm located in River Rouge Park in Detroit. The two acre farm is home to lots of fruits and vegetables, and is very well taken care of. Malik Yakini is also the executive director of Nsoroma Institute which is a Kindergarten through eighth grade African-centered charter school on Detroit’s east side.  At the school, they teach about healthy living, and one of the ways they learn is by planting gardens. The school has raised gardens, for the students to get engaged in growing healthy foods.      

     The second place we visited was the Field of Our Dreams (F.O.O.D) mobile market. The mobile market runs on Detroit’s east side.  Its stops include senior citizen homes and places where people are unable to get out and purchase fresh produce. I had a chance to sit down with Nick Tobeir, who is one of the three men who run it. He explained to me the importance of why they do the mobile market, and how it benefits the community; which is very important because of the lack of stores with fresh produce available.

        The next place we got to visit was the Capuchin Soup Kitchen located on Detroit’s east side. We went to the soup kitchen to have lunch, and to see how it was run.  The soup kitchen was very nice, and some of the food grown in the Earthworks garden behind it is donated there. Everyone there seemed so grateful to have a place like that in the community. The dining experience overall was very enjoyable.

        After we visited the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, we walked to the Earthworks Urban Farm right next to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. There, we met with Gwen Meyer, an Americorps volunteer who helps with the Earthworks Urban Farm. I spoke to her about her doing social outreach, gardening, and equal access for people in the community. She also shared with me other activities she helps out within the community.

       When visiting the Earthworks Urban Farm, we met Patrick Crouch who is the manager of the Earthworks Garden in Detroit.  He spoke to us on what he does with his job. He explained to us how he felt about the program and the food system. He also gave us a tour of the gardens showing us the hoop houses, and explaining future projects to us along the way. They had different areas where they garden. It was a large open space with everything growing and it was just a beautiful experience.

        Our next stop was Gleaners Community Food Bank, located right next to one of the Earth Works Urban Farm plots. We took a quick tour of the building and got to see a lot of interesting things. The inside was beautifully decorated with all the walls painted and murals everywhere. We had a chance to observe volunteers working together to put together care packages for people. The Gleaners Community Food Bank was one of the highlights of my day in Detroit.

         After visiting the food bank, we stopped for a bite to eat downtown at Good Wells Natural Foods Market and Avalon Bakery. Pretty much everything at both locations was organic, which was interesting to me. They were located right next to each other, which is good for people who would like a variety of goods offered to them.  I liked the whole feel of being there; lots of people knew each other, which gave a sense of community. I appreciated being able to go to the food market and bakery, because it was a very good experience.

        The beautiful North Cass Community Garden located on W. Willis and Second Avenue was our last stop in Detroit. We were told about it while eating lunch downtown, so we placed it into our schedule before we headed back to East Lansing. The weather was okay for most of the day, but when we went to go see the garden it began to rain very hard. Even though the weather was bad, we decided to visit the garden quickly. The garden consisted of dozens of raised beds for gardening. Everything was kept up, the garden overall was beautiful, and I was more than happy to have had a chance to see the garden, even though it was rainy.

           Going to Detroit and visiting people and places involved with the food system was a good learning experience. I have been living in Detroit for my whole life and I have never seen any of the places that we went to at all. I was not only shocked, but I was inspired as well. I was inspired to find out what other things are happening that I know nothing of. I was also inspired learn more about the food system in Detroit, and become more involved. My eyes are open more now than ever before, and I am glad they are because with them I can see all the beautiful things that will emerge in Detroit.