Urban WWOOFer: D-Town Farms

D-Town Farm, a 7.5 acre farm on Detroit's west side, was started by the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network.  The DBCFSN has been developing for seven years, contributing to the public dialogue on food security, food justice, and racism in Detroit.  In addition to farming D-Town, they give tours and maintain a farm stand on site; they participate in farmer's markets six days a week and have a co-op buying club; and they run a lecture series and a youth development program.


There was a great Democracy Now video about D-Town in 2010.

D-Town is now at its third and hopefully final location, thanks to a ten-year lease from the city.   On a temporary lease, they cannot build any permanent structures and only now are in the process of getting electricity, thanks to solar panels that were donated from DTE Energy.  For so many challenges and such little time, they have made huge strides.  Today, their 7.5 acres includes:

- Organic vegetable gardens

- Compost.  They believe their compost is the most important product they create:  they must rebuild a soil that is entirely degraded and frequently toxic after years of industrial growth and little environmental regulation in Detroit.  They compost their own farm materials along with wood chips that are brought from the city and rotting fresh food brought from Forgotten Harvest.  They hope to use this extensive compost project to serve their own needs, to use for education, and to eventually sell to other Detroit farmers to help bring back soil health around the city.

- Mushroom beds.  A renown professional came in and did preparation and execution of a giant project.  Unfortunately, it was completely unsuccessful.  Soon they will reassess and attempt again.

- 8 Beehives
        
- 4 Hoop houses for year-round growth

- Farmer's Markets 6 days a week

- Soon-to-be pond or marsh area to solve flooding




D-Town Farms is an exciting project, but it undoubtedly still has a steep road ahead.  Currently, its economic stability is due to the work of interns and volunteers, the leased land and donations.  Their goal is a for-profit model.  They are selling large amounts of local produce in the community and have had successful results on much of their land.  But as is the case with almost every farm seeking sustainability in the country today, in their development process their costs would still outweigh their income if they were not receiving donations and volunteers.




Challenges (to D-Town and to the 100 other small farms in Detroit):

- Organic Agriculture.  Chemical-free agriculture is simply more labor intensive and less fruitful in the short-term and in our economy.

- Rural farm challenges in an urban environment.  While they have many of the challenges that go along with having an urban farm, they also are dealing with deer, groundhogs, and many of the farming challenges of a rural environment.

- Farming Knowledge.  Many of the farmers are from Detroit and do not have a lifetime of experience built up in agriculture.  Many are starting from scratch as adults (sort of like me!)

- Cultural Stereotypes attached to agriculture.  Agriculture has negative connotations enough in our society at large. But in the African American community, it is often still associated with slavery and sharecropping.  Who would want to regress to a past that their families had spent so long to get away from?  One of the DBCFSN's largest challenges is addressing this misconception and encouraging the African American community to realize the value of participation in food production and gaining control of their food supply.  

- Accepting help that empowers; not that dis-empowers.  The DBCFSN is very wary of white hand-outs.  In fact, most organizers and activists in Detroit are.  Inner-city Detroit is 85% colored and the surrounding suburbs are 85% white.  The racial tensions in Detroit today still run high.  African Americans were excluded and compartmentalized throughout Detroit's rise, and they continue to be long after its fall.  Surrounding areas do business with each other but avoid Detroit, except when it comes to Detroit's resources that they need (from a direct quote).  White nonprofits and white humanitarians come in to help "fix problems", reinforcing the inherent inferiority complex that our society has already taught colored society.  White "help" reinforces that our certifications and degrees make us more valuable, they cannot solve problems without outsiders, and it creates a system of dependency. 

D-Town Farms made it very clear that race is a big issue still today in Detroit and on the farm.  If a group of white superheroes, for example, comes in to volunteer, they will have a few things to address before they accept our offer.

One they realized that we were offering nothing more than hands to help them execute their vision...they were more than happy to welcome us in.  :-)