Voices of the Food Movement in Detroit

Monica White

doi:10.5304/jafscd.2017.072.009

Abstract

First paragraph: Tee is a mother of four, born and raised in Detroit. She became an urban gardener one day in 2009 when she decided to take her lawnmower to a nearby abandoned, vacant lot filled with chest-high weeds and turn it into a community garden. Once she had cleared the space, she went door to door inviting neighbors to meet up to co-create a beautiful space. Where once pedestrians had crossed the street to avoid walking by a lot that seemed sinister, during the growing season it is now inviting, filled with fresh fruits and vegetables such as kale, tomatoes, collards, onions, watermelon, and zucchini the community grows. They also grow flowers, including lavender. Music can be heard while neighbors work in the garden, and artists are hard at work painting signs, building compost bins, and creating other garden decorations that together make this a community space....

Highlights

Growing food in Detroit says...I can grow my own food and I can feed my community
Lawnmower to a nearby abandoned, vacant lot filled with chest-high weeds and turn it into a community garden
Where once pedestrians had crossed the street to avoid walking by a lot that seemed sinister, during the growing season it is inviting, filled with fresh fruits and vegetables such as kale, tomatoes, collards, onions, watermelon, and zucchini the community grows

Summary

Introduction

Growing food in Detroit says...I can grow my own food and I can feed my community. The first step to rebuilding a culture is agriculture. Tee has used the garden to show children the “power of their own voice.” As she says, To ask children their opinion in designing something that’s a fixture in a community, that’s powerful.

Results

Conclusion