Food Field

1600 Lawrence, Detroit, MI 48206

(313) 312-7235 | www.foodfielddetroit.com/

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Food Field

Business: Urban Farm

Food Field is an urban farm on four acres in central Detroit. Since 2011 we’ve worked to transform this abandoned school site into the ultimate small-scale farm with organic produce and permaculture, chickens and ducks, a fruit orchard, honeybees, aquaponics and more. Our goal is a sustainable business that’s economically viable while building the health of our land and community.

Green Badges

Each organization featured on Detroit Green Map has the chance to tell the story about why they are a sustainable “green” business.

Product

Sustainability is our business! We founded Food Field to try to bring true sustainability to our local food system–both by growing organically on a human scale, and operating a viable business producing food for Detroiters for the long term. We hope to continue growing and sharing our model while improving our soils and growing practices each year.

Energy

Our business is very low-energy and produces solar power for most of our needs. We use occasional tractor power and other power tools for certain tasks but otherwise operate with hand tools. We hope to be hooked up to the grid soon and selling back solar power to DTE!

Water

We imagined we were implementing ideal water practices by maintaining green space, planting trees, creating a pond, collecting rainwater, and using drip irrigation–but instead might be foreclosed because of new DWSD programs and mismanagement!

Corporate Social Responsibility

Since we began farming in Detroit, our great challenge has been how to find sustainable land uses and rebuild our food system from the ground up. How can we build an urban farm that won’t be abandoned when grant funding runs out or redeveloped when property values go up? How can we change the way we eat and use resources in an unsustainable environment? We’ll tie it all together on Saturdays this year when we host volunteers in the field, distribute produce to our cooperative, open a farm stand to the neighborhood, and cook up pizza for all with local ingredients in our wood-fired oven. Come join us!

Waste

Our farm goes out of the way to reuse waste from other businesses and residents, from collecting spent grain from breweries to picking up bagged leaves curbside. We can make good use of many items that would otherwise go to the dump.

Transportation

Luckily our commute to work is 1 mile! Unfortunately we still rely on pickup trucks but try to minimize driving and schedule deliveries together.

Supply Chain

We don’t source many supplies on a regular basis. We do try to source plants and materials locally when possible.

Climate Action

Agriculture is one of the main drivers of the climate crisis. Our business is all about rethinking how we farm and creating a sustainable model, based on minimizing energy needs, using local resources, and investing in renewable energy.