From sunflowers to squash: One Detroit farmer’s push for food sovereignty in the city
Fennigan’s Farms combines agriculture and design to create a space for both fresh food and meaningful community connections
By SaMya Overall
Planet Detroit
November 4, 2024
Excerpt:
Driving down Monterey Street on Detroit’s westside, there are more abandoned and vacant houses than occupied ones. Sidewalks are overgrown with grass, and stretches of land as long as football fields separate the homes that remain.
About midway down the block, between Wildemere and Lawton streets, is Fennigan’s Farms. You can’t miss it from the tall towers of bright yellow sunflowers waving in the wind. As you walk up, there’s a table with tomatoes and a sign that reads “Free Produce.”
Amanda Brezzell is the co-founder and creative director at Fennigan’s Farms. Brezzell said the farm and design firm’s mission is to be a resource to the community, helping Detroiters achieve food sovereignty by providing fresh, accessible food, some at no cost.
According to a report sponsored by the Michigan Association of United Ways, about 69% of Detroit households surveyed find it difficult to afford the basic cost of living, including food. This is compounded by the fact that 39,000 Detroit households spend more than half of their income on housing alone, and that many find other necessities, such as utilities, auto insurance and child care, unaffordable.
“I just know what kind of help that would be for me, if somebody was giving me some of my groceries for free before I even had to get to the grocery store,” Brezzell said. “Even if it’s just a pint of tomatoes, that would have cost you way more. That’s three more dollars in your pocket or five more dollars in your pocket, or shoot, eight more dollars in your pocket.”
Read the complete article here.
Source: https://cityfarmer.info/from-sunflowers-to-squash-one-detroit-farmers-push-for-food-sovereignty-in-the-city/
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