“We seek to change the way everyone thinks about food access. It’s not just about having food around. Communities deserve permanent and sustainable options.”
/ The Fenn Farms Team /
Background
Fennigan’s Farms (est. 2019) is a sibling started sustainable agricultural design and development firm and urban farm committed to supporting food sovereignty and community resilience in our home base of Detroit, Michigan.
We believe that having permanent access to healthy food is a human right, and a key component to building community resilience. We are a team of Detroiters, artists, climate change scientists, designers, sustainability professionals, farmers, and community activists who have come together to build community resilience by addressing the inequity in our food system.
At the heart of what we do is our love for the beautiful people of Detroit. We design indoor and outdoor spaces for sustainable growth using sustainable ancestral and modern technology, and currently design these spaces across the City of Detroit.
Through this and our collective experience, we created a plan for building community resilience. Our Afrofuturistic plan unites Black and Indigenous land cultivation techniques, agrotechnology, art, and ancestral knowledge into a model for sustainable futures.
Our Design Firm
Our design firm brings an inclusive, community-centric approach to neighborhood design and sustainable development. We emphasize community care and cultural preservation while using ancestral and modern technology to create tools for climate change mitigation and community resilience. We design indoor and outdoor centers for growth, community displacement and neighborhood sustainability.
Urban Farm and Outdoor Design Studio
Our urban farm and outdoor studio is located in the Dexter-Linwood neighborhood. The outdoor studio is a space where visitors can learn about our approach to sustainable design and see how it works in real-time. Our farm serves as a solar-powerd community hub where we offer skill-building workshops and grow a variety of flowers, herbs, dyes, and textiles. All produce grown at Fennigan’s Farms is given back to the community for free. We do not sell produce. In this way, we serve to break down immediate barriers to accessing fresh food in the neighborhood. During on-site skill building workshops, we teach community members how to take care of their bodies and one another, and deliberately reconnect the community with food, creating pathways to community sovereignty.
‘‘Healthy food is a right. Just like clean air and water. I want healthy options to be the norm in every community.”
/ Founder, Amanda B. /
Fennigan’s Farms is named after our beloved dog, Fennigan J. As a working dog, Fennigan’s mission is to leave people in better spirits. We wanted to bring his legacy into our work, and make spaces better for communities that want our support.