Sanctuary Farms

09/19/2025

Earlier this month, we had the honor of welcoming Dr. Ada Górna, Assistant Professor in the Department of Foresight and Strategic Studies and a member of the Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies at the University of Warsaw, for a tour and interview at Sanctuary Farms. 🌍✨ ForesightLab WGSR UW

Dr. Górna’s research explores the spatial organization of urban agriculture and its impact on communities, food systems, and sustainable cities. During her visit to Detroit, where she interviewed a number of key stakeholders in the city, we shared about our work in Riverbend in compost production, closing the food loop, and building a healthier food system both at the neighborhood scale and across the city. Through her project, Feed the Metropolis: Towards Sustainable Supra-Local Food Systems, Dr. Górna will continue on her comparative case study research journey in Cape Town, South Africa, and Barcelona, Spain, to identify sustainable urban development and urban agriculture practices that could be applied in Warsaw.

We’re grateful for the chance to connect across borders and exchange knowledge on sustainable practices that uplift both people and the planet. 💚 We look forward to further engaging with Ada's research in the near future!

📖 Learn more about her latest book: The Spatial Organisation of Urban Agriculture in the Global South https://www.routledge.com/The-Spatial-Organisation-of-Urban-Agriculture-in-the-Global-South-Food-Security-and-Sustainable-Cities/Gorna/p/book/9781032544403

09/18/2025

Fall is the perfect time to nourish your soil and we’ve got you covered! 🍂

From now until September 30th, enjoy 15% off Sanctuary Farms compost when you order online. Just use code FALL25 at checkout. 🪱🌱

Our compost is made right here in Detroit to help you build healthier soil, grow stronger plants, and access more nutritious food. Order today while we still have it in stock!

👉 Shop now and enter FALL25 before September 30th: https://sanctuaryfarmscompost.square.site/

09/16/2025

Community, we need your voice! 📚✨

The Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood is rallying to reopen the Monteith Library (14001 Kercheval). After years of being closed, it’s time to show up and show that our community cares about access to knowledge, resources, and safe spaces for learning.

➡️ The Library Commission’s next meeting is Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 1:30 PM in the Main Library (Woodward, Galleria Room).
Let’s pack the room and make our voices heard!

09/12/2025

Mark your calendars! The Great Michigan Compost Tour is happening September 15–20 across sites throughout the state, and it’s free to attend! 🌱♻️ Recycle, MI - Michigan Recycling Coalition - MRC

This statewide tour is a chance to see composting in action, connect with local compost leaders, and learn how communities are turning food and yard waste into healthy soil.

While Sanctuary Farms isn’t a stop this year, we’re proud to support this effort and encourage our Detroit community to check out a tour near you!

👟 Closed-toe shoes + weather-ready gear recommended.
📍 Find locations + details here: https://michiganrecycles.org/fourth-annual-great-michigan-compost-tour/

Let’s keep building a culture of composting in Michigan! 🌍✨

09/11/2025

🌱 Organics, co-founded by Brittanie Dabney, is pioneering a smarter, cleaner future for sustainable biorefining, and we at Sanctuary Farms are proud to be one of their local partners in Detroit.

By leveraging AI and piloting innovative tech (like autonomous waste-collecting robots!), Ecosphere Organics is transforming food waste into valuable materials for textiles, packaging, and bio-based fertilizers, all while reducing emissions and closing the loop on food systems.

We are happy to help support this circular vision by helping connect clean pre-consumer waste streams and contributing to community-powered sustainability strategies across Detroit.

📖 Read the full article via SBN Detroit: https://sbn-detroit.org/ecosphere-organics-on-advancing-sustainable-biorefining/

Using AI to Optimize Waste Collection

09/10/2025

You're invited! Join us for the Fall Equinox Celebration + Block Party hosted by Sacred Spaces at Sanctuary Farms! 🍂✨

On Saturday, September 20th (12–5PM) we’ll gather for an afternoon of food, learning, and community.

Stop by and enjoy a day of free:
🌱 Cooking demos
🌱 Compost workshops
🌱 Art + design projects
🌱 A bee class

This event is part of the Rooted in Riverbend initiative, bringing together neighbors, partners, and organizations working toward a more sustainable and connected Detroit. Share this post with your friends and family, the more the merrier!

📍 Sanctuary Farms, 3171 Lakeview St, Detroit
🔗 Sign up here: https://www.sanctuaryfarming.com/events-1/may11-gmd78-ehr4x-g8n6x-n3kw8-pb4nx-r9s46-67ttn-987x9-6jdnp-65ybw-zng5e-fpdzf-f6r69-4fcky-zlj8y-nr4xt-2b8dg-jj6jm-b9n5e-gan2e-8kttw-xk9be-sm8eg-sbt25-c3slh-839yl-d74gm

Presented by: Make Food Not Waste, Ecosphere Organics, Sacred Spaces, Design Core Detroit , and Sanctuary Farms.

09/04/2025

🌿 What does it take to build real collaboration in urban agriculture? At last year's National Urban Agriculture Conference, our Sanctuary Farms Co-Founder Jøn Kent joined fellow growers from across the country to speak on the “Cultivating Urban Agriculture Collaborations” panel hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture .

Sharing the stage with producers from New Mexico, Michigan, New York, and Mississippi, jøn lifted up the power of grassroots partnerships, community-rooted farming, and the urgent need for equitable access to resources for urban growers.

🎥 Missed the panel? Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiDnvISq7w8

08/29/2025

Learning, sharing, and breaking bread together. 🥗

Through Rooted in Riverbend programmatic series, Alkebulan Village youth cooked alongside Make Food Not Waste chefs for a hands-on cooking session. We want the next generation focused on confidence, creativity, and care for our community.

Big love to our partners for pouring into Detroit’s youth. 💛

08/28/2025

Our local environmental reporter, Jena Brooker of BridgeDetroit , wrote an article covering the first-ever National Urban Agriculture Conference, hosted right here in Detroit. Our co-founder Jøn Kent shared how federal programs often fall short for city growers, especially when U.S. Department of Agriculture offices are inaccessible and lack urban farming expertise.

The event highlighted both the potential and challenges in making urban ag policy truly equitable. As one of many Detroit farms pushing for systems that actually serve our communities, Sanctuary Farms continues to advocate for local access, climate-smart practices, and community-rooted solutions.

We're still waiting for a Detroit office to open though... in the meantime we along with many other Detroit farms are going to keep pushing this work forward!

📰 Read the full article: https://www.bridgedetroit.com/usda-falls-short-on-bridging-gap-with-detroit-urban-farmers/

The director of the USDA Detroit office quit shortly after a national urban agriculture convening last week in Detroit.

08/21/2025

📢 Last year, Sanctuary Farms was honored to participate in Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development - MDARD’s roundtable at Georgia Street Community Collective, helping shape Michigan’s new Farm to Family program, part of Governor Whitmer’s bipartisan FY25 budget.

This initiative invests $3M to strengthen Michigan’s food supply chains, support small growers, and expand access to healthy, locally grown food. Sanctuary Farms joined partners across the state to uplift community-based solutions, climate-resilient agriculture, and equity in the food system.

🌱 Together, we’re growing a future where Michigan families can thrive—starting from the soil up.

🔗 Read the full article: https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/about/media/pressreleases/2024/07/26/mdard-hosts-roundtable-to-develop-new-farm-to-family-program-under-governor-whitmer

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development: MDARD Hosts Roundtable to Develop New ‘Farm to Family’ Program Under Governor Whitmer’s Bipartisan Budget

08/20/2025

Earlier last month, we came together to paint a beautiful mural on our shipping container designed by the talented Baba Wayne Curtis of Feedom Freedom and celebrating our youth, nature and the cosmos.

From local youth leading the way (some from the Wolverine Center) with their artistry to neighbors sharing laughs over music, catered vegan gumbo from Chef Chucky , and sunshine, the day was filled with color, joy, and community spirit. 💛

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us, picked up a paintbrush, and made this vision come to life. ✨

And a very special thank you to Rosie and Joe of the Riverbend Free Space to help organize this gathering.