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in
the

KAREN COUF COHEN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

No More

PHOTOS BY ANTHONY LANZILOTE

Waste

Hazon Detroit
serves up healthy
heaps of compost
— just in time for
Earth Day.

TOP RIGHT: Tim Campbell from Midtown Composting has
agreed to pick up the compost from the Hazon Seal of
Sustainability sites.
TOP LEFT: Campbell adds to the compost pile at Oakland
Avenue Urban Farm.
BOTTOM: These discarded veggies will turn into black
gold for gardeners.

14

April 19 • 2018

jn

I

Jerry Ann Hebron, a
n the North End
longtime community
neighborhood of
leader working for racial
Detroit near historic
and economic justice,
Oakland Avenue, there
is the executive direc-
is a large patch of land
tor of the North End
where houses used to
Christian Community
stand, houses where
Development
Jewish immigrants first
Corporation and the
began their American
Jerry Ann Hebron
Oakland Avenue Farm,
journey, that in time
and she offered Hazon
became the homes for
some of Detroit’s most important an opportunity to bring the
Metro Detroit Jewish community
black cultural figures, including
into a relationship with the farm.
Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin and
This partnership has grown
so many more.
into year-round programming
Now it’s the Oakland Avenue
with activities that bridge cultur-
Urban Farm, one of the nearly
1,500 urban farms in Detroit that al and religious differences and
bring inner city and synagogue
provide food for residents and
youth together to work on the
eco-conscious restaurants such
farm.
as Avalon Foods, GreenSpace
“We host interracial Shabbat
Cafe, Detroit Vegan Soul and
gatherings every summer and
many catering businesses. This
organize bike-to-farm
urban farm, like many
tour events that end
others, is nourished by
up with a meal sourced
a simple ingredient —
from North End grow-
compost.
ers at Oakland Avenue
When Sue Salinger
Urban Farm,” Salinger
began work as manag-
said.
ing director of Hazon
The farm provides
Detroit, she began
fresh food, jobs and
developing partnerships
Sue Salinger
cultural activities to resi-
with organizations and
dents of the North End.
individuals working
The partnership will be
in the urban farming
movement in Detroit. Hazon is a made all the richer this spring
by a regular infusion of compost
national nonprofit organization
provided by Jewish organiza-
that encourages sustainability in
tions, thanks to Hazon.
the Jewish world and beyond.

continued on page 16

Compost is nature’s grow tonic, fondly referred to by gardeners as
“black gold.” Composting is a natural process of recycling organic
matter such as leaves, vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and egg
shells into a mixture that becomes a rich soil enhancer, full of healthy
microscopic bacteria, that will help your garden’s ability to grow.