Planti• ng Roots

Detroit Farm and Garden celebrates grand opening in southwest Detroit.

Jackie Headapohl Managing Editor

]) etroit Farm and Garden (DFG), a land-
scape, farm and garden supply store, is
now open and growing in the former
Third Police Precinct in southwest De-
troit. The store, which opened in April,
celebrated its official grand opening
Sept. 14 with a tour that kicked off
three days of fun and festivities.
"The store supports Detroit's communities,"
says co-owner Jeff Klein, 39, who has lived and
worked in the city for more than 15 years as a
landscape architect and designer and partner at
Detroit-based Classic Landscape Ltd. His partner at
Classic and DFG is Andy Ray of Royal Oak.
Through his work, as a home-
w,,,,
owner in the city (he lives in
North Corktown) and as an activ-
ist in urban agriculture, Klein saw
an unmet need.
"I continually felt the effects of a
lack of access to quality landscape,
gardening and farming supplies
like soil, mulch, naturally organic
Jeff Klein
fertilizers and soil amendments;'
says Klein, who grew up in Hun-
tington Woods and graduated from Michigan State
University with a degree in landscape architecture.
'We are here to bridge these gaps."

WHY DETROIT?

It was music that brought Klein to the Motor City.
He was a drummer in a 1990s rock 'n roll band,
Ko and the Knockouts. Although his music career
faded, the discovery of a thriving (under-the-
radar) Jewish community helped make Detroit
"home" for him.
"At first, I felt disconnected from being Jewish,"
Klein said. "I didn't think there were many Jews
around."
A few years later, he discovered that many
people living in his neighborhood and working
for the local nonprofit Greening of Detroit were
Jewish. "I told my mom, 'I'm living in a Jewish
community right here in the city.'
"It was a nice eye-opener. It got me engaged
and wondering what about Judaism and our
upbringing brought us here to work on issues re-
lated to social and environmental justice," he says.
One of those Jewish neighbors he met is Jon
Koller, who is involved in community develop-

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Brian Allnutt of Detroit helps a customer at the counter.

ment at Friends of Spaulding Court in North
Corktown.
"Jeff has been at the front of the agricultural
movement for years, and it's been awesome to
watch him take his passion to the next level,"
Koller says. "If you walk around North Corktown,
you'll find a handful of beautifully maintained
projects — a good number of those are Jeff's."
Klein and Koller are both actively involved with
the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue.

URBAN FARMING

Urban farming in Detroit is a growing and im-
portant piece of the local economy, according to
Klein, and has been present since about the turn
of the century. It wasn't until the 19705 though,
with the launch of Detroit's Farm-A-Lot program,
that the modern urban agriculture movement in
the city really began.
"As an urban agriculture activist and humble
gardener, it Was easy to envision Detroit Farm
and Garden as a place that supported that move-
ment — a movement of people embracing the

FUN & LEARNING

RED DEAD

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The grand opening celebration at Detroit Farm and
Garden

DFG plans to empower the community through education and entertain-
ment. It will kick off its "Straw Bale Sessions" on Monday, Oct. 15. Straw
Bale Sessions feature live music on the store's Straw Bale stage. Holly
Golightly and the Brokeoffs will be the featured act. Contact the store for
more details or check out www.facebook.com/detroitfarmandgarden or

42 October 2012 I

1

Lori Coyne and Tammi Farmer, both from Charter One Bank,
look at T-shirts.

individual empowerment, reconciliation and
healing that can be achieved through community
gardening and farming," Klein says.
In March, DFG held its first fundraiser, sell-
ing 120 DFG "Supporting the Local Landscape"
T-shirts, and raising more than $5,000 to help
beautify its new location. The store was spruced
up with new paint through the help of volunteers
and the nonprofit Summer in the City.
The store, Klein says, represents the emerging
sophistication of Detroit as a place for new ways of
thinking about food, agriculture and doing business.
"We hope to help inspire and empower people
to take control of the physical landscape in ways
that are good for the community," says store em-
ployee and food activist Jen Rusciano.
Looking around DFG headquarters, Klein is
reminded "of the power landscape holds in per-
petuating positive change and a connection to our
environment."
As Koller puts it, "DFG is a step up for the ur-
ban farming movement in the city."'`'

detroitfarmandgarden.com.
DFG also offers a variety of classes for the budding urban (or suburban)
farmer. On Sunday, Oct. 21, from 1:30 3:30 p.m. at DFG, check out "The
People's Pickles" from local pickier Blair Nosan, founder of Suddenly Sauer.
The fermentation class will teach you how to brine and kraut your way to
delicious preserved vegetables.

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