Urban Farm and Outdoor Design Studio

Urban Agriculture

Drawing from the past in order to create a sustainable future, we grow all produce organically, using afro-indigenous land cultivation techniques, like generating biochar, interplanting, succession planting, pollinator habitat rehabilitation, and compost generation.

We design the landscape based on what is already present in the space. This allows us to preserve and restore indigenous flora while rehabilitating pollinator habitats, leading to the overall climate sustainability of the neighborhood with climate-adapted plants, shade, and dry-farmed (farming without water) food.

On our farm we grow a variety of fresh produce that we give to the community for free. We also grow flowers, textiles, dyes, herbs and spices. Using an African Batik style of printing and the dyes we grow, we create unique fabric prints that are availible on our website on a seasonal basis.

On the land we steward, we recognize that it is not our own. With this in mind, our promise to the community is to designate a portion of our land to be cultivated by those who belong to the Indigenous community here in Detroit and Indigenous people who have transplanted to this land.

We also recognize our position as Black people who are cultivating land because we want to. This privilege we honor, by honoring our rest and our bodies as we care for land. We also pay all those exchanging labor for money a fair wage. Through these acknowledgments and the actions we are taking as a result of our place in history we center our commitment to community and justice.

Outdoor Design Studio

The solar-powered maker space is used to create and implement sustainable solutions to climate change and the other issues we face in real time. This serves as a space for on-the-ground community-designed support. Our design space also serves as our processing center and is designed to be used in response to neighborhood power emergencies.

Throughout our space, you will find different design elements that support our model for sustainability. We invite you to schedule a visit and come see what we do.