Episode Details

On today's Daily Detroit, we are at TechTown with guest Danielle Daguio, engagement manager with Keep Growing Detroit, to talk about how Detroiters are literally taking food into their own hands.

From backyard plots to porch planters and community farms, the Garden Resource Program is helping nearly 3,000 gardens grow across Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park with seeds, plants, soil testing, tools, and year round support.

Danielle explains what it means to build a food sovereign city and why so many people have turned to growing their own food in the wake of the pandemic, grocery price spikes, and concerns about what is in our food.

She shares how Keep Growing Detroit is lowering barriers for new growers by timing seed and plant distributions with the seasons and offering practical classes that make it easier to get started and keep going. ​

We also dig into the cultural side of gardening. Danielle talks about reconnecting with family foodways from New Jersey to the Philippines and how growing certain crops can become a way to remember loved ones and keep traditions alive.

You will hear about the Gathering of Growers series based on the Anishinaabe 13 moon cycle, cooking classes that highlight Filipino, Venezuelan, Puerto Rican, and African American crops, and the annual tour that showcases unique gardens across the city. 

If you want to plug in, volunteer, or sign up for classes, visit their site here or follow Keep Growing Detroit on Instagram and Facebook.

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