{"id":166506,"date":"2024-11-22T08:00:34","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T13:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/?p=166506"},"modified":"2024-11-21T13:15:25","modified_gmt":"2024-11-21T18:15:25","slug":"from-sunflowers-to-squash-one-detroit-farmers-push-for-food-sovereignty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2024\/11\/from-sunflowers-to-squash-one-detroit-farmers-push-for-food-sovereignty\/","title":{"rendered":"From Sunflowers to Squash: One Detroit Farmer\u2019s Push for Food Sovereignty"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This story is the first in <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/outliermedia.org\/detroit-urban-farming-garden-agriculture\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe Healing Soil: Detroit\u2019s Urban Farms,\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a three-part series being co-published with <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/outliermedia.org\/detroit-urban-farming-garden-agriculture\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Outlier Media<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/planetdetroit.org\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Planet Detroit<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and is supported by the <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/mihealthfund.org\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Michigan Health Endowment Fund<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Driving down Monterey Street on Detroit\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p>About midway down the block, between Wildemere and Lawton streets, is Fennigan\u2019s Farms. You can\u2019t miss it from the tall towers of bright yellow sunflowers waving in the wind. As you walk up, there\u2019s a table with tomatoes and a sign that reads \u201cFree Produce.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Amanda Brezzell is the co-founder and creative director at Fennigan\u2019s Farms. Brezzell said the farm and design firm\u2019s mission is to be a resource to the community, helping Detroiters achieve food sovereignty by providing fresh, accessible food, some at no cost.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-container\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Farmer Amanda Brezzell&#039;s push for food sovereignty in Detroit  \u00b7 Outlier Media &amp; Planet Detroit\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NBzozuG-u4E?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Video credit: Reel Clever Films, Planet Detroit and Outlier Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to a report sponsored by the Michigan Association of United Ways, about 69 percent of Detroit households surveyed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unitedforalice.org\/county-reports\/michigan\">find it difficult to afford<\/a> the basic cost of living, including food. This is compounded by the fact that 39,000 Detroit households <a href=\"https:\/\/outliermedia.org\/detroit-housing-costs-affordable-renting-buying\/\">spend more than half<\/a> of their income on housing alone, and that many <a href=\"https:\/\/outliermedia.org\/detroit-cost-of-living-bills-expenses\/\">find other necessities<\/a>, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/outliermedia.org\/detroit-dte-bills-utilities-gas-electricity-high-cost\/\">utilities<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/outliermedia.org\/detroit-car-insurance-higher-rates-reform\/\">auto insurance<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/outliermedia.org\/detroit-day-care-child-care-subsidies-cost-parents\/\">child care<\/a>, unaffordable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI 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,\u201d Brezzell said. \u201cEven if it\u2019s just a pint of tomatoes, that would have cost you way more. That\u2019s three more dollars in your pocket or five more dollars in your pocket, or shoot, eight more dollars in your pocket.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brezzell said they believe urban farming is important for their neighbors\u2019 health and well-being, and hopes Fennigan\u2019s Farms becomes a community hub to accomplish just that.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A community-first approach<\/h2>\n<p>At its core, Fennigan\u2019s Farms is an \u201cagricultural design\u201d studio. The team develops pop-up farmers markets, garden beds and community gardens to increase green spaces around Detroit. Fennigan\u2019s also grows flowers to sell at local events.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37306\" src=\"https:\/\/outliermedia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/1031_Out_FarmsAmanda_2024CydniElledgeFennigansFarms002-1290x860.jpg\" alt=\"A large garden behind a sidewalk, a row of sunflowers and a sign that reads \u201cFennigan\u2019s Farms.\u201d Below, another sign states, \u201cWe Believe Black Lives Matter, No Human Is Illegal, Love is Love, Women\u2019s Rights Are Human Rights, Science is Real, Water is Life, Injustice Anywhere Is a Threat to Justice Everywhere.\u201d\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fennigan\u2019s Farms, an inner-city garden, brings fresh produce and a sense of community to Detroit\u2019s neighborhoods. Photos by <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cydni Elledge\/Outlier Media.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The design work and floral sales are how Brezzell can offer free produce, which they say is important to giving their community locally sourced food options, eliminating barriers to access.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing aware of community needs is paramount to what we do,\u201d Brezzell said. \u201cWe wanted to break down that immediate barrier to accessing food. I can\u2019t drive you to the store, but if you\u2019re walking past, I can give you something. &#8230; Food was never meant to be a commodity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-transform: capitalize;\">The U.S. Department of Agriculture considers an urban area a <\/span><a style=\"text-transform: capitalize;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ers.usda.gov\/webdocs\/publications\/45014\/30940_err140.pdf\">food desert<\/a><span style=\"text-transform: capitalize;\"> if its poverty rate is at least 20% and if one-third of residents live more than one mile from a major supermarket or grocery store. By that definition, <\/span><a style=\"text-transform: capitalize;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.jrn.msu.edu\/2022\/01\/detroits-status-as-food-desert-challenged-as-more-produce-options-emerge\/\">about 10% of Detroit<\/a><span style=\"text-transform: capitalize;\"> is considered a food desert.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>But the key consideration is access to fresh and healthy food, which remains a <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.publishing.umich.edu\/ujph\/article\/id\/6072\/\">problem in the city<\/a>, especially for Black residents, Brezzell and Bauer said. A poor diet and an inadequate nutrient intake can lead to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC11031378\/\">several health problems<\/a>, such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s about our food system taking advantage of certain communities,\u201d said Kate Bauer, an associate professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Michigan. \u201cThis is not about a lack of education. Urban farming allows local people \u2014 individuals \u2014 to take back that ability to control their health, their bodies and what goes on in their neighborhoods.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fennigan\u2019s Farms aims to be more than a local grocery store. Brezzell wants it to become a community hub, a place for residents to gather, share knowledge and engage in discussions about sustainable practices.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37307\" src=\"https:\/\/outliermedia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/1031_Out_FarmsAmanda_2024CydniElledgeFennigansFarms023-1290x860.jpg\" alt=\"A group stands outdoors, watching an art display with yellow fabric pieces hanging on a line.\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fennigan\u2019s Farms hosts a workshop on creating dyes and textiles from materials grown on the farm, celebrating the Detroit Month of Design. Photos by <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cydni Elledge\/Outlier Media.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When planning crops, Brezzell said it\u2019s important to consider the needs of the community and consult them about what they want to eat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes people are like, \u2018Wow, you grow a lot of tomatoes,\u2019 or, \u2018You\u2019ve got a lot of herbs,\u2019 or whatever. Yes, because people in the neighborhood want tomatoes. They want potatoes, they want squash, corn, beans, et cetera. So we\u2019re making sure to grow those things and not have to throw them away because people aren\u2019t eating them.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Creating a food-sovereign Detroit<\/h2>\n<p>Between 2017 and 2022, the city <a href=\"https:\/\/planetdetroit.org\/2024\/03\/detroit-revives-program-to-increase-fresh-food-access-for-residents\/\">lost 10 full-line grocery stores<\/a>, leaving 64, at that time. The addition of Black-owned stores like the <a href=\"https:\/\/outliermedia.org\/detroit-cooperative-business-explainer-members-costs\/\">Detroit People\u2019s Food Co-op<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgedetroit.com\/detroits-only-black-owned-grocery-store-aims-to-improve-food-access\/\">Neighborhood Grocery<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/wdet.org\/2023\/01\/18\/detroit-woman-brings-fresh-healthy-food-to-her-corner-of-the-city\/\">Linwood Fresh Market<\/a> has helped to address the issue, but considering some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/story\/business\/2024\/09\/02\/conflicts-arise-over-new-grocery-stores-in-some-metro-detroit-suburbs\/74924377007\/\">suburbs like Livonia<\/a> have more major grocery stores than residents say they need, Detroit still has progress to make.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLooking at particularly African American or Black communities, I think it\u2019s incredibly important (to) think about the overlapping and interfacing systems of injustice and structural racism that are impacting these communities,\u201d said James Buszkiewicz, a research investigator at University of Michigan who has studied social determinants of health. \u201cIt trickles all the way down to this kind of (food access) &#8230; and access to opportunities that can impact food access.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Urban farming offers a community-based solution to this problem, but Black urban farmers often encounter financial barriers to acquiring land or accessing water to grow food. Brezzell said they had to spend between $5,000 and $10,000 to get water for the farm.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cFood was never meant to be a commodity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><cite>Amanda Brezzell, co-founder of Fennigan\u2019s Farms<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The City of Detroit has initiatives to increase access through <a href=\"https:\/\/detroitmi.gov\/departments\/planning-and-development-department\/land-based-projects\">land-based projects<\/a> like urban farming, but Brezzell said the support is still inadequate. They want policies that make sustainable farming simpler at the city, state and federal levels.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s an economic opportunity,\u201d Brezzell said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just that I can\u2019t buy the land. It\u2019s not just the water. It\u2019s about the fact that I need access to continue to do the things that I want to do for my community. But if it\u2019s been commodified and turned into an economic opportunity that I\u2019m not allowed to benefit from, then that\u2019s just another form of displacement, right?\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An appreciation for locally grown produce<\/h2>\n<p>Recent research shows that living near community-based agriculture initiatives can have a positive impact on a person\u2019s health.<\/p>\n<p>Bauer\u2019s research for the project <a href=\"https:\/\/www.feedingmifamilies.org\/\">Feeding MI Families<\/a> shows that lower-income families have limited food options. Urban farming increases those options, cultivates a deeper connection to local food sources, promotes healthier eating habits and invokes a greater appreciation for local agriculture.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur health is really due thanks to farmers and all the people in the food system who can get healthy food to us,\u201d Bauer said. \u201cThat\u2019s why (there\u2019s) all the efforts to get farms in schools and child care centers, to get kids exposed to fresh flavors. There\u2019s a strong belief that knowing where your food comes from and knowing the process of growing the food &#8230; is going to shift your mindset to be more appreciative and open and thoughtful about the way you eat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brezzell said the joy they experience cultivating land with their family and the conversations Brezzell gets to have with their neighbors gets them out of bed every day.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37308\" src=\"https:\/\/outliermedia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/1031_Out_FarmsAmanda_2024CydniElledgeFennigansFarms012-1290x860.jpg\" alt=\"A Black personwoman wearing a white headscarf, glasses and yellow hoodie smiles and leans on a garden fence near a blue shipping container with a mural of a neighborhood and sunflowers. \" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Amanda Brezzell believes urban farming is vital for the health and well-being of their neighbors, hoping that Fennigan\u2019s Farms will grow into a community hub to support this vision. Photos by <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cydni Elledge\/Outlier Media.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>They hope the farm remains a resource for Detroiters, as a community hub for emergencies, a place to find fresh produce or just somewhere for residents to get together and talk about growing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not sitting here thinking like, \u2018We\u2019re feeding people,\u2019 or \u2018I\u2019m keeping people alive.\u2019 I\u2019m coming from the space of, you come by, you see free produce, and it sparks something in you,\u201d Brezzell said of their mission.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe community doesn&#8217;t need your &#8230; pity. Nobody needs your help from that mindset. People need access to resources so they can best take care of themselves with full autonomy. So offer your support.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This <a href=\"https:\/\/outliermedia.org\/fennigans-farms-food-access-detroit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">article<\/a> first appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/outliermedia.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Outlier Media<\/a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healing Soil: Detroit Urban Farms is produced by Outlier Media in partnership with Planet Detroit, with support from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This story is the first in \u201cThe Healing Soil: Detroit\u2019s Urban Farms,\u201d a three-part series being co-published with Outlier Media and Planet Detroit, and is supported by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. &nbsp; Driving down Monterey Street on Detroit\u2019s westside, there are more abandoned and vacant houses than occupied ones. Sidewalks are overgrown with grass, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2055,"featured_media":166508,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":[33284],"meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33068],"tags":[33301,33218,33084],"article-theme":[33291],"class_list":["post-166506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food","tag-access","tag-culture-heritage","tag-food","format-republication","article-theme-people"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>From Sunflowers to Squash: One Detroit Farmer\u2019s Push for Food Sovereignty - Modern Farmer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This story is the first in \u201cThe Healing Soil: Detroit\u2019s Urban Farms,\u201d a three-part series being co-published with Outlier Media and Planet Detroit, and is\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2024\/11\/from-sunflowers-to-squash-one-detroit-farmers-push-for-food-sovereignty\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From Sunflowers to Squash: One Detroit Farmer\u2019s Push for Food Sovereignty - Modern Farmer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This story is the first in \u201cThe Healing Soil: Detroit\u2019s Urban Farms,\u201d a three-part series being co-published with Outlier Media and Planet Detroit, and is\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2024\/11\/from-sunflowers-to-squash-one-detroit-farmers-push-for-food-sovereignty\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Modern Farmer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ModernFarmerMedia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-11-22T13:00:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/FULL2024CydniElledgeFinnegansFarm014-1-jpg.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"853\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"SaMya Overall, Outlier Media\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ModFarm\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ModFarm\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"SaMya Overall, Outlier Media\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2024\/11\/from-sunflowers-to-squash-one-detroit-farmers-push-for-food-sovereignty\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2024\/11\/from-sunflowers-to-squash-one-detroit-farmers-push-for-food-sovereignty\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"SaMya Overall, Outlier Media\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#\/schema\/person\/c902eb6edcbb64efbb9d20456e022bc3\"},\"headline\":\"From Sunflowers to Squash: One Detroit Farmer\u2019s Push for Food Sovereignty\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-11-22T13:00:34+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2024\/11\/from-sunflowers-to-squash-one-detroit-farmers-push-for-food-sovereignty\/\"},\"wordCount\":1472,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2024\/11\/from-sunflowers-to-squash-one-detroit-farmers-push-for-food-sovereignty\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/FULL2024CydniElledgeFinnegansFarm014-1-jpg.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Access\",\"Culture &amp; 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