Comments on: Potatoes, Not Just Pistons, Take Root in Detroit

By: yay food

yay food — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:21:24 +0000

I can’t wait until I see some attempts at small livestock raising in urban settings or even the truly radical for westernised folk insect cultivation that would yield the sort of cheap but healthy protein and fat we need even more than vegetables.

Glad to see urban farming, but would really like to see more attention paid to sustainably providing healthy protein and fat from animal sources.

By: Pattie

Pattie — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:33:48 +0000

Here’s my post following an interview with Detroit’s Urban Farming co-director Mike Travis: http://www.sustainablepattie.com/2010/01/come-see-whats-possible-taja-and-mike.html

By: Debra Eschmeyer

Debra Eschmeyer — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:11:58 +0000

Thanks for highlighting the great food system change happening in Detroit, Sarah. Fittingly enough, TAKING ROOT, the 5th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference is being held in Detroit from May 17-19, 2010. It will be a great opportunity to highlight what is happening locally and nationally. http://farmtocafeteriaconference.org/5/

By: Erin O.

Erin O. — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:56:54 +0000

This really is happening in Detroit. There is even a school that is trying to prepare it’s students to be urban farmers. The Sarah Ferguson Academy is a school for teen moms, and is set on a working farm. The produce and honey that the girls harvest is sold at Eastern Market to raise money for the school. The principal is trying to expand the farm to many more empty lots surrounding the school. It’s a great opportunity for the students!

It makes perfect sense because of all of the empty lots in Detroit. I just saw a study on the Detroit news that ~60% of the lots in Detroit are vacant. The Academy is teaching these girls to farm, and teaching them the economics of the farm. Now we need others to teach these skills to people in the neighborhoods.