Now in my second week as an intern at the DPFLI urban farm and research site, I am starting to better understand the day-to-day operations of the site and my responsibilities. The primary goal of the DPFLI is to educate community members about urban agriculture and food systems, which is accomplished through a variety of programs for both youth and adults. We hope to show Detroiters the possibilities for gardening and farming in their own backyards and community spaces. Additionally, the site is a functional farm, producing a variety of fruit, nut, and vegetable crops which will be donated when they are ready for harvest. Even in only two weeks, I have learned so much about food justice and urban agriculture in Detroit from everyone I’ve met–particularly my site mentors Naim Edwards and Stathis Pauls.
In the weeks to come, I will be working with the other intern at the site to gather data on the type, variety, and quality of fruit and nut crops grown in Detroit. We will be interviewing approximately 20 farms in the area, and in addition to the aforementioned information will be asking about challenges faced by the farmers and resources they use. We hope to use the results of this research to determine what agricultural needs have not yet been met by the DPFLI, and how we can best continue to serve the community.
DCERP has been an incredibly awesome experience so far!! I have truly enjoyed getting to know all of the other fellows in the program, especially because we all have such diverse backgrounds and experiences–whether that be where we grew up, our majors, or our current internships. The potluck (nearly) all of the fellows shared this Thursday night was so much fun, and I’m so glad we got to hang out in an informal setting outside of the program. Additionally, we’ve been kicking around several different ideas for things to see in Detroit: visiting Belle Isle (I think a tour with an emphasis on history would be very cool), seeing the DSO, or visiting the Night Market in Beacon Park. One of my site mentors also suggested inviting the cohort to the DPFLI for a pizza night and site tour, which I think would be a ton of fun if we are able to arrange it.
Hi Claire! The work that you are doing at your urban farm sounds super interesting! It is super intriguing that you guys are going to interview the farms in the area, and is necessary for helping food justice in Detroit! Can’t wait to spend more time with you the upcoming weeks!
Hey Claire, the research that you’ll be conducting seems pretty interesting and as well as the results it will yield. I hope everything goes smoothly for you!
I find it so interesting how you get to interview farmers in your area to learn more about the agriculture problems not being solved in the area as well, I look forward to hearing more about your project!