Working with FoodLab and the good people at the Green Garage has been a truly wonderful experience thus far. The Green Garage is truly a dream work space – one that makes a conscious effort everyday to decrease its carbon footprint, encourages collaboration and networking, yet feels homey, welcoming, and comfortable. There’s even a cozy library lounge lounge 😀
I bet ya’ll are wondering what the heck FoodLab does though, because I didn’t know too much about the organization a week ago either. FoodLab operates with the mission to strengthen the community of food entrepreneurs in the region in order to make good-food a sustainable reality for all Detroiters. In this context, “good-food” means food that is healthy and nutritious, affordable, fair (no groups were exploited during its creation), and produced in a manner that is environmentally sustainable. FoodLab works to design, build, and maintain systems that reinforce this movement towards good-food. Currently, the FoodLab community includes roughly 200 member businesses and countless allies and partners in the region that are committed to this vision of a more just and sustainable food system.
My research this summer is going to revolve around how these FoodLab member businesses engage in community, and protect the environment as they conduct their business. In other words, I’ll be looking into how these businesses are strengthening communities and creating a positive environment for Detroit residents to live, work and play in. To do this, I’ll be interviewing good-food business owners in five target neighborhoods: Poletown, Corktown, Live6/University of Detroit – Mercy, Avenue of Fashion, and Brightmoor. I’ll be asking questions related to community engagement, how they handle food waste, how they source their products and their employees, and how they’re using their business to contribute to the long-term vision they have for their communities and this city.
This past week, I’ve learning a ton about FoodLab, how the organization operates, and also where to get some of the best food in the city. I’m extremely excited to get started with interviews next week, and gain perspective on how good-food businesses are contributing to the betterment of Detroit’s neighborhoods. With any luck, I’ll also get to sample some tasty food from FoodLab member businesses as I dive into two weeks of interviewing and data collection!
Overall, this first week in Detroit has been a very positive experience. I’m looking forward to meeting more inspirational people, learning from this community, and exploring this beautiful city in the weeks to come!
