Have you ever heard of an agrihood? Unlike urban farms and gardens, agrihoods are entire neighborhoods dedicated to agriculture. Nationwide, there are about 90 of these agrihoods, with most of them being home to affluent millennials looking for close proximity to fresh and “clean” foods.
But in Detroit, a new type of agrihood has emerged. Dubbed the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative (MUFI), this inner-city farm is focused on helping solve food insecurity and providing economic opportunities in one of Detroit’s historic communities that were once home to a thriving black middle class. Now the median home value is under $25,000, and about 35% of the residents are homeowners.
At the moment, MUFI grows lots of hot peppers and collard greens, because that is what people in the area like. One of the goals is to create hot sauces from their fresh peppers for locals to sell. Besides the peppers, the farm also has rows and rows of other vegetable varieties all dotted with marigolds, which help keep bugs away, organically.
Saturdays are the best day of the week to be at MUFI. That’s when the farm is open for harvesting for everyone who wants some fresh food. For a city that has certainly seen its fair share of hard times, it’s beautiful to see this agrihood thriving in Detroit.
