How urban agriculture is transforming Detroit
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0:01 - 0:02I'm from Detroit.
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0:03 - 0:07(Applause)
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0:07 - 0:12A city that in the 1950s
was the world's industrial giant, -
0:13 - 0:15with a population of 1.8 million people
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0:16 - 0:20and 140 square miles
of land and infrastructure, -
0:20 - 0:24used to support this booming,
Midwestern urban center. -
0:25 - 0:27And now today,
-
0:27 - 0:29just a half a century later,
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0:30 - 0:33Detroit is the poster child
for urban decay. -
0:34 - 0:38Currently in Detroit,
our population is under 700,000, -
0:38 - 0:42of which 84 percent are African American,
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0:42 - 0:45and due to decades of disinvestment
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0:46 - 0:48and capital flight
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0:48 - 0:51from the city into the suburbs,
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0:52 - 0:54there is a scarcity in Detroit.
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0:55 - 0:58There is a scarcity of retail,
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0:58 - 1:03more specifically, fresh food retail,
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1:03 - 1:07resulting in a city
where 70 percent of Detroiters -
1:07 - 1:08are obese and overweight,
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1:09 - 1:10and they struggle.
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1:11 - 1:14They struggle to access
nutritious food that they need, -
1:16 - 1:19that they need to stay healthy,
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1:19 - 1:24that they need to prevent premature
illness and diet-related diseases. -
1:24 - 1:29Far too many Detroiters
live closer to a fast food restaurant -
1:30 - 1:33or to a convenience store,
or to a gas station -
1:33 - 1:35where they have to shop for food
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1:35 - 1:38than they do a full-service supermarket.
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1:40 - 1:44And this is not good news
about the city of Detroit, -
1:45 - 1:48but this is the news
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1:48 - 1:50and the story
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1:50 - 1:53that Detroiters intend to change.
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1:53 - 1:54No, I'm going to take that back.
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1:55 - 1:59This is the story
that Detroiters are changing, -
1:59 - 2:03through urban agriculture
and food entrepreneurship. -
2:04 - 2:05Here's the thing:
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2:06 - 2:08because of Detroit's recent history,
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2:08 - 2:10it now finds itself
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2:10 - 2:13with some very unique assets,
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2:14 - 2:16open land being one of them.
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2:17 - 2:22Experts say that the entire cities
of Boston, San Francisco, -
2:22 - 2:23and the borough of Manhattan
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2:23 - 2:27will fit in the land area
of the city of Detroit. -
2:27 - 2:29They further go on to say
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2:29 - 2:32that 40 square miles
of the city is vacant. -
2:33 - 2:36That's a quarter to a third of the city,
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2:36 - 2:38and with that level of emptiness,
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2:38 - 2:42it creates a landscape
unlike any other big city. -
2:43 - 2:48So Detroit has this --
open land, fertile soil, -
2:48 - 2:50proximity to water,
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2:50 - 2:52willing labor
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2:52 - 2:54and a desperate demand
for healthy, fresh food. -
2:55 - 3:00All of this has created
a people-powered grassroots movement -
3:00 - 3:02of people in Detroit
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3:02 - 3:04who are transforming this city
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3:04 - 3:07from what was the capital
of American industry -
3:08 - 3:10into an agrarian paradise.
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3:10 - 3:11(Applause)
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3:11 - 3:16You know, I think,
out of all the cities in the world, -
3:16 - 3:21Detroit, Michigan, is best positioned
to serve as the world's urban exemplar -
3:21 - 3:25of food security
and sustainable development. -
3:25 - 3:30In Detroit, we have over 1,500, yes, 1,500
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3:30 - 3:35gardens and farms
located all across the city today. -
3:35 - 3:36And these aren't plots of land
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3:36 - 3:39where we're just growing
tomatoes and carrots either. -
3:40 - 3:44You understand, urban agriculture
in Detroit is all about community, -
3:44 - 3:46because we grow together.
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3:46 - 3:49So these spaces
are spaces of conviviality. -
3:49 - 3:53These spaces are places
where we're building social cohesion -
3:53 - 3:58as well as providing healthy, fresh food
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3:58 - 4:01to our friends, our families
and our neighbors. -
4:01 - 4:03Come walk with me.
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4:03 - 4:05I want to take you
through a few Detroit neighborhoods, -
4:05 - 4:10and I want you to see what it looks like
when you empower local leadership, -
4:10 - 4:13and when you support grassroots movements
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4:13 - 4:17of folks who are moving the needle
in low-income communities -
4:17 - 4:18and people of color.
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4:18 - 4:21Our first stop, Oakland Avenue Farms.
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4:21 - 4:26Oakland Avenue Farms is located
in Detroit's North End neighborhood. -
4:26 - 4:31Oakland Avenue Farms is transforming
into a five-acre landscape -
4:31 - 4:35combining art, architecture,
sustainable ecologies -
4:35 - 4:37and new market practices.
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4:37 - 4:39In the truest sense of the word,
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4:39 - 4:43this is what agriculture
looks like in the city of Detroit. -
4:45 - 4:49I've had the opportunity
to work with Oakland Avenue Farms -
4:49 - 4:53in hosting Detroit-grown and made
farm-to-table dinners. -
4:53 - 4:56These are dinners
where we bring folks onto the farm, -
4:57 - 4:59we give them plenty
of time and opportunity -
4:59 - 5:02to meet and greet and talk to the grower,
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5:02 - 5:04and then they're taken on a farm tour.
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5:04 - 5:10And then afterwards,
they're treated to a farm-to-table meal -
5:10 - 5:12prepared by a chef
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5:12 - 5:18who showcases all the produce on the farm
right at the peak of its freshness. -
5:18 - 5:20We do that.
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5:20 - 5:21We bring people onto the farm,
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5:21 - 5:24we have folks sitting around a table,
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5:24 - 5:27because we want to change
people's relationship to food. -
5:27 - 5:31We want them to know
exactly where their food comes from -
5:31 - 5:35that is grown on that farm
that's on the plate. -
5:35 - 5:37My second stop,
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5:37 - 5:39I'm going to take you
on the west side of Detroit, -
5:39 - 5:41to the Brightmoor neighborhood.
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5:41 - 5:44Now, Brightmoor is
a lower-income community in Detroit. -
5:45 - 5:47There's about 13,000
residents in Brightmoor. -
5:48 - 5:53They decided to take
a block-by-block-by-block strategy. -
5:53 - 5:56So within the neighborhood of Brightmoor,
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5:56 - 6:01you'll find a 21-block microneighborhood
called Brightmoor Farmway. -
6:01 - 6:06Now, what was a notorious,
unsafe, underserved community -
6:06 - 6:11has transformed into a welcoming,
beautiful, safe farmway, -
6:11 - 6:15lush with parks and gardens
and farms and greenhouses. -
6:16 - 6:19This tight-knit community
also came together recently, -
6:19 - 6:21and they purchased an abandoned building,
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6:21 - 6:26an abandoned building
that was in disrepair and in foreclosure. -
6:26 - 6:29And with the help of friends
and families and volunteers, -
6:29 - 6:32they were able to take down
the bulletproof glass, -
6:32 - 6:34they were able to clean up the grounds
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6:34 - 6:37and they transformed that building
into a community kitchen, -
6:38 - 6:40into a cafe, into a storefront.
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6:40 - 6:44Now the farmers and the food artisans
who live in Brightmoor, -
6:44 - 6:47they have a place where they
can make and sell their product. -
6:47 - 6:49And the people in the community
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6:49 - 6:52have some place where they can buy
healthy, fresh food. -
6:53 - 6:55Urban agriculture --
and this is my third example -- -
6:55 - 7:00can be used as a way to lift up
the business cooperative model. -
7:01 - 7:05The 1,500 farms and gardens
I told you about earlier? -
7:05 - 7:07Keep Growing Detroit
is a nonprofit organization -
7:07 - 7:10that had a lot to do with those farms.
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7:11 - 7:16They distributed last year
70,000 packets of seeds -
7:16 - 7:19and a quarter of a million transplants,
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7:19 - 7:21and as a result of that last year,
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7:21 - 7:25550,000 pounds of produce
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7:25 - 7:29was grown in the city of Detroit.
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7:29 - 7:32(Applause)
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7:35 - 7:37But aside from all of that,
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7:37 - 7:40they also manage
and operate a cooperative. -
7:41 - 7:42It's called Grown in Detroit.
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7:42 - 7:46It consists of about 70 farmers,
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7:46 - 7:47small farmers.
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7:47 - 7:50They all grow, and they sell together.
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7:51 - 7:54They grow fruits,
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7:54 - 7:55they grow vegetables,
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7:56 - 7:57they grow flowers,
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7:57 - 8:00they grow herbs in healthy soil,
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8:00 - 8:03free of chemicals,
pesticides, fertilizers, -
8:03 - 8:06genetically modified products --
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8:06 - 8:07healthy food.
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8:08 - 8:10And when their product is sold
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8:10 - 8:12all over the city of Detroit
in local markets, -
8:12 - 8:15they get a hundred percent
of the proceeds from the sale. -
8:17 - 8:18In a city like Detroit,
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8:19 - 8:25where far too many, far too many
African Americans are dying -
8:25 - 8:27as a result of diet-related diseases,
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8:28 - 8:31restaurants, they have a huge role to play
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8:31 - 8:35in increasing healthy food access
in the city of Detroit, -
8:35 - 8:37culturally appropriate restaurants.
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8:37 - 8:39Enter Detroit Vegan Soul.
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8:39 - 8:45Yes, we have a vegan soul food restaurant
in the city of Detroit. -
8:45 - 8:46(Applause)
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8:46 - 8:47Yes, yes.
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8:48 - 8:52Detroit Vegan Soul
is providing Detroiters the opportunity -
8:52 - 8:56to eat more plant-based meals
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8:56 - 8:59and they've received an overwhelming
response from Detroiters. -
9:00 - 9:02Detroiters are hungry
for culturally appropriate, -
9:02 - 9:04fresh, delicious food.
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9:05 - 9:08That's why we built a nonprofit
organization called FoodLab Detroit, -
9:08 - 9:12to help small neighborhood
burgeoning food entrepreneurs -
9:12 - 9:14start and scale healthy food businesses.
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9:15 - 9:18FoodLab provides
these entrepreneurs incubation, -
9:18 - 9:21hands-on education, workshops,
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9:21 - 9:24technical assistance,
access to industry experts -
9:24 - 9:26so that they can grow and scale.
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9:27 - 9:28They're very small businesses,
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9:28 - 9:31but last year, they had a combined revenue
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9:31 - 9:34of over 7.5 million dollars,
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9:34 - 9:37and they provided 252 jobs.
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9:37 - 9:38Listen.
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9:38 - 9:41(Applause)
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9:41 - 9:44These are just a few examples
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9:45 - 9:49on how you expand opportunities
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9:49 - 9:53so that everybody can participate
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9:53 - 9:54and prosper,
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9:54 - 9:58particularly those
who come from neighborhoods -
9:58 - 10:02that have been historically excluded
from these types of opportunities. -
10:03 - 10:05I know, I know.
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10:06 - 10:09My city is a long way from succeeding.
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10:10 - 10:11We're still struggling,
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10:11 - 10:14and I'm not going to stand here
on this stage and tell you -
10:14 - 10:18that all of Detroit's problems
and all of Detroit's challenges -
10:18 - 10:21are going to be solved
through urban agriculture. -
10:21 - 10:22I'm not going to do that,
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10:22 - 10:24but I will tell you this:
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10:25 - 10:28urban agriculture
has Detroit thinking about its city -
10:28 - 10:29now in a different way,
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10:30 - 10:33a city that can be both urban and rural.
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10:34 - 10:37And yes, I know, these stories are small,
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10:37 - 10:40these stories are
neighborhood-based stories, -
10:40 - 10:42but these stories are powerful.
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10:42 - 10:45They're powerful because I'm showing you
how we're creating a new society -
10:45 - 10:51left vacant in the places and the spaces
that was disintegration from the old. -
10:51 - 10:55They're powerful stories
because they're stories about love, -
10:55 - 10:57the love that Detroiters have
for one another, -
10:57 - 11:01the love that we have for our community,
the love that we have for Mother Earth, -
11:01 - 11:03but more importantly,
these stories are stories -
11:03 - 11:08on how devastation, despair, decay
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11:08 - 11:13never ever get the last word
in the city of Detroit. -
11:13 - 11:16When hundreds of thousands
of people left Detroit, -
11:16 - 11:19and they left us for dead,
those who stayed had hope. -
11:19 - 11:21They held on to hope.
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11:21 - 11:23They never gave up.
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11:23 - 11:25They always kept fighting.
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11:25 - 11:26And listen, I know,
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11:26 - 11:30transforming a big city like Detroit
to one that is prosperous, -
11:30 - 11:33one that's functional, one that's healthy,
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11:33 - 11:36one that's inclusive,
one that provides opportunities for all, -
11:36 - 11:38I know it's tough,
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11:38 - 11:40I know it's challenging, I know it's hard.
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11:40 - 11:41But I just believe
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11:42 - 11:46that if we start strengthening
the social fabric of our communities, -
11:46 - 11:51and if we kickstart economic opportunities
in our most vulnerable neighborhoods, -
11:51 - 11:55it all starts with healthy, accessible,
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11:55 - 11:59delicious, culturally appropriate food.
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11:59 - 12:00Thank you very much.
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12:00 - 12:04(Applause)
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12:07 - 12:08Thank you.
- Title:
- How urban agriculture is transforming Detroit
- Speaker:
- Devita Davison
- Description:
-
There's something amazing growing in the city of Detroit: healthy, accessible, delicious, fresh food. In a spirited talk, fearless farmer Devita Davison explains how features of Detroit's decay actually make it an ideal spot for urban agriculture. Join Davison for a walk through neighborhoods in transformation as she shares stories of opportunity and hope. "These aren't plots of land where we're just growing tomatoes and carrots," Davison says. "We're building social cohesion as well as providing healthy, fresh food."
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 12:22
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How urban agriculture is transforming Detroit | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How urban agriculture is transforming Detroit | ||
Brian Greene approved English subtitles for How urban agriculture is transforming Detroit | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How urban agriculture is transforming Detroit | ||
Joanna Pietrulewicz accepted English subtitles for How urban agriculture is transforming Detroit | ||
Joanna Pietrulewicz edited English subtitles for How urban agriculture is transforming Detroit | ||
Joanna Pietrulewicz edited English subtitles for How urban agriculture is transforming Detroit | ||
Joseph Geni edited English subtitles for How urban agriculture is transforming Detroit |