Sanctuary Farms

05/07/2026

Join us TOMORROW, May 8 for the Detroit Community Composting Collective Project Community Celebration! 🌱

In honor of International Compost Awareness Week, we’re gathering from 6–9 PM at Mama Imani Humphrey Banquet Hall at Detroit Food Commons to celebrate the completion of our compost pilot, share highlights from the DCCCP report, and recognize the farmers, backyard composters, community composters, and neighbors who helped make this work possible.

This celebration is coming up soon, and we’d love for you to be in the room with us as we honor this collective work and look ahead to the future of composting in Detroit.

Come celebrate with the 6 organizations that make up DCCCP: .green and Sanctuary Farms.

Together, we’re continuing to advocate for a citywide, decentralized, multi-scale compost system in Detroit.

RSVP today: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeI_vifzkyO5Kkn3Qh3Fzb-EFdXWMTQKrLy4I3UTVpa2nO_yA/viewform?usp=header

04/27/2026

Join us for the Detroit Community Composting Collective Project Community Celebration on Friday, May 8 from 6–9 PM at Mama Imani Humphrey Banquet Hall at Detroit Food Commons.

In honor of International Compost Awareness Week, we’re gathering to celebrate the completion of our compost pilot, share highlights from the DCCCP report, and recognize the farmers, backyard composters, community composters, and neighbors who helped make this work possible.

Come celebrate with the 6 organizations that make up DCCCP: Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund The Detroit Food Policy Council Oakland Avenue Urban Farm Sacred Spaces and Sanctuary Farms.

We’d love to see you there as we continue to advocate for a citywide decentralized and mulit-scale compost system in Detroit!

RSVP here: hhttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeI_vifzkyO5Kkn3Qh3Fzb-EFdXWMTQKrLy4I3UTVpa2nO_yA/viewform?usp=header

04/21/2026

Grateful to Councilmember Latisha Johnson for helping move this conversation forward.

Equitable water access is essential for Detroit growers, urban agriculture, and a stronger local food system. We’re proud to be part of this work alongside the Water Consortium and the Office of Sustainability.

Recently, we met with representatives from Sanctuary Farms, the Water Consortium, and the Office of Sustainability to explore how we can craft policies that guarantee equitable and sustainable water access for urban agriculture. These conversations were rooted in a shared understanding that Detroit’s growers—whether they’re running large community farms or tending small neighborhood plots—need reliable, affordable water to keep producing healthy food for our communities.

In November 2025, I took a formal step toward this goal by sponsoring a resolution urging City departments and community stakeholders to work together on a comprehensive, collaborative water‑access policy. The resolution set a clear deadline of June 30, 2026.

04/14/2026

We’re excited to share this opportunity from our partners at the The Detroit Food Policy Council. They’re looking for an Urban Farmer Policy Organizer to help connect with growers across Detroit, gather feedback, and support farmer-led policy priorities that reflect the real needs of our city’s urban agriculture community.

This role is a great fit for someone who cares deeply about food justice, local farming, and making sure Detroit growers have a stronger voice in policy conversations.

To apply, send your cover letter and resume to [email protected]
with the subject line Community Organizer Position.

Learn more here:https://detroitfoodpc.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/DFPC_organizer2026.pdf

03/27/2026

Ongoing maintenance is critical to the success of living pathways or grass areas that you convert into a native alternative. "No maintenance" is a myth as weeds will eventually establish themselves. It's much easier to get rid of the weeds before they produce their seed heads. The silage tarp worked well in smothering weeds before seeding the yarrow, but there were still weeds that came afterwards.

03/24/2026

For this section in the berm (aka median) we noticed a lot of other plants were introduced in the space. Some weeds and some beneficial plants. If you want to the natural look but also want more uniformity it's critical to make sure you remove the undesired plants especially before they spread their seeds.

03/20/2026

When we started our farm we used wood chips to create mulch pathways in both the nature sanctuary and vegetable rows. Over the past two years we've been converting these pathways into living pathways with western yarrow. We like western yarrow because it's native, low maintenance, and can tolerate foot traffic.

03/17/2026

Western Yarrow is a great, native alternative to turf grass. We've been transforming sections of grass into yarrow lawn around our farm. It's proven to be resilient, green, and doesn't need to be mowed as often.

02/19/2026

🚨 Internship Opportunity: Applications due Feb. 27, 2026 🚨

We’re sharing a Spring 2026 opportunity through the Organic Career Network in partnership with Sacred Spaces: Organic Certification & Access Intern.

Eligible applicants: ages 18–24, plus undergrad or grad students.
If you know a young Detroiter or student who’s interested in organic systems, sustainability, and community-based work, please share!

✅ Apply here: https://form.jotform.com/260346011017139
📄 Full job posting: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zvyepg_vZFhGmnpsptF3uoLu2mDXLRlq/view

01/30/2026

📣 The Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund (ASLF) 2026 Apprenticeship Application is now open!

ASLF offers paid, one-month apprenticeships with host farms and food businesses, designed to cultivate the next generation of food and agriculture leaders. Most apprenticeships take place in July and August 2026, and no prior farming experience is required, applicants just need enthusiasm for the mission and readiness to learn.

Sanctuary Farms is sharing this opportunity with our community and we’re especially proud because our Development & Programs Director, Cat Diggs, is part of the ASLF community.

✅ Deadline: Sunday, March 15 at 11:59pm PST
🔎 Learn more + apply through ASLF’s application page, linked here:

APPLY Applications for the 2026 season are open until March 15th at 11:59 PM PST! Click here to Apply Online! (preferred) Or, fill out this form and email, along with two letters of recommendation, to [email protected] The ASLF Apprenticeship seeks to cultivate and inspire the n...