This past October I had the opportunity to take a behind the scenes look into Detroit farming and food systems. It was quite enlightening to learn how much the city is involved with farming (and I’ve lived within 20 minutes of the city my whole life!). Here are a few fun facts that I learned on my tour.
- If you’re from the Metro Detroit area you’ve likely heard of Eastern Market and it’s Saturday and Tuesday markets that are packed with farmers and independent business owners selling produce and other goods. But you might not know that Eastern Market is an enormous hub of wholesale produce with half a million dollars of produce going in and out of the market daily. Produce is purchased for large and small grocery stores, along with restaurants.
- Eastern Market also has an innovative indoor garden run by Green Collar Foods that can grow foods 365 days a year. This type of gardening also uses 90% less water than an outdoor garden because water that drains off from the produce is recycled and used again.
- Better Made Potato Chips, a Michigan company located in Detroit started in 1930 and makes potato chips, potato sticks, popcorn and more that is shipped globally. Specific types of potatoes are grown by farmers specifically for potato chips.
- Better Made uses Michigan potatoes 11 months out of every year (due to Michigan winters and potatoes can only stay fresh so long)
- Better Made’s busiest holiday is Mother’s Day (think about who does the cooking or grilling – which potato chips pair well with).
- Seventy percent of potatoes grown in Michigan are grown for potato chips. Michiganders love potato chips!
- Detroit has amazing urban farming going on such as Hantz Woodlands, an enterprise of Hantz Farms Detroit. We had the opportunity to talk with Mike Score, the president of Hantz Farms and discuss what his company has done to bring hope to one square mile in southeast Detroit. Now that may not sound like much to someone not familiar with the city or even how much time, effort and funds it takes to change part of a city, but Hantz Farms has spent millions of dollars to help the city. They not only are working to improve the physical living conditions by demolishing abandoned houses, clearing debris and planting thousands of trees, but they are also educating residents to enable them to improve their living conditions and lifestyles. It’s thrilling and amazing to see the changes that are happening in the city as we speak!
- Some farmers like the Horkey Brothers began their farm in the city and eventually moved to more rural area (Dundee, Michigan) when the city began to grow. The Horkey Brothers grow a large variety of produce including potatoes, cabbage, bell peppers, pumpkins, squash and sweet corn.
I hope this gives some insight into what Detroit has to offer along with the passion behind urban farming and rural farming!
As you may already know I have become quite intrigued by farming in the past year, evidence from my other trips. If you’d like to learn more about what Michigan has to offer in agriculture and the beef industry, check out my Michigan Pasture to Plate Tour and Beer, Ice Cream and Dairy Farm Tour along with the Michigan Agriculture Council, Michigan Beef Industry Commission, Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee, and United Soybean Board.
Disclaimer: I was not compensated to write this post, however meals were provided for this tour. And as always, all the opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.
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Kristy Hegner
Tuesday 1st of December 2015
It's an amazing place, isn't it!? I really need to visit more often, especially since I live so close!