Keep Growing Detroit

UPDATE: We reached our goal! If you'd still like to support, there are two ways you can donate directly: 
1. Make a one time or recurring unrestricted donation to Keep Growing Detroit's PayPal 
2. Send a check made payable to Keep Growing Detroit to our office at 1445 Adelaide Street, Detroit, MI 48207 



It’s more than just plants in the ground.

Knowing where your food comes from, how it’s grown, how fresh it is, and having it all right in your backyard creates an immense freedom and independence from relying on what’s at the store. Keep Growing Detroit  (KGD) was established in 2013 to cultivate a food sovereign city where the majority of fruits and vegetables Detroiters consume are grown by residents within the city’s limits. KGD’s strategic approach to achieving this mission facilitates beginner gardeners becoming engaged community leaders and food entrepreneurs, addressing the immediate needs of the community while promoting sustainable change in our food system.

With support from KGD, in this year alone, over 26,000 residents are transforming their relationship with food by cultivating a garden. Through the Garden Resource Program  (GRP), KGD provided seeds and vegetable transplants to 1,930 family, community, school, and market gardens. Compared to last year, this is an over 20% increase in participation in the GRP! 


Members also have access to garden necessities such as tools and raised bed materials, personalized technical assistance, and classes. KGD’s Education Series is taught by skilled local experts and provides relevant, accessible content on topics such as Urban Gardening 101, Foraging in the D!, and Future Food: Seed Saving. This year, to encourage Detroiters to grow thriving gardens and continue learning with safe social distancing, all KGD classes have been moved online and are free.

As more Detroiters demand access to fresh, affordable fruits and vegetables, growers seek diverse outlets for their produce to both meet the needs of the community as well as create economic opportunities for themselves. Grown in Detroit (GID) is made up of GRP members, who sell their Detroit-grown produce at markets. This summer, we launched the Online Farm Store, as an alternative avenue for GID growers to sell their latest harvest, and still receive 100% of the profits from their produce.


Throughout the global pandemic, going to the store feels more like gearing up for a mission than just a quick trip. Masked up and ready to go with a game plan, but only to be met with empty shelves or settling for what’s leftover. Especially for those who’ve been hit the hardest, easy access to basic necessities, like food, has been hard to come by. At a time when the health of you and your family is of utmost importance, easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables are vital to helping everyone breathe a little easier. Learning how to garden at home is just one way to be more resilient in 2020.

Despite COVID-19 challenges, KGD continues to work tirelessly to provide the services and resources to Detroit’s growing community. Supporting the GRP through your donations will not only support the 2021 growing season, but it is an investment in a resilient community. 

It is an investment in small farmers right in the city of Detroit. 

It is an investment in helping more people to access fresh fruits and vegetables. 

It is an investment in growing more sustainable farms in gardens. 


If you’re able to donate or help spread the word, thank you for the many ways you’re able to invest in a better, more resilient food system. 

“We can’t grow food on all this concrete” ~ Haki Madhubuti

BACKGROUND 
Black farmers in Detroit face increased barriers to land ownership. We see this in our day to day interactions with black growers who are unable to purchase the property they are growing on. This is land where black farmers and gardeners grow produce to serve neighbors, families, and the community as a whole. Oftentimes, the funding to buy the land is the only barrier. We have to change this, and we believe now is the time. With an increase in development in the city, we seek to support these growers with the capital they need to become land secure. We are reaching out to our community to support this effort in a show of cooperative economics and collective responsibility. 

In collaboration, the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network  (DBCFSN), Oakland Avenue Urban Farm, and Keep Growing Detroit have created the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund. 

WHAT IS IT?
The Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund is specifically targeted to support black growers and farmers in the city of Detroit to purchase land they are currently farming or plan to farm on. 

Farmers and growers will be considered for the fund by way of an application process. Funds cannot be used for anything other than land purchase. Funds will be dispensed with a signed purchase agreement. 100% of funds raised will go directly to the black farmers selected by the application committee.