City Commons is a cooperative of Detroit farms raising food with common resources for common people in Metro Detroit.
Community Supported Agriculture is a fantastic way for people who care about local food, sustainable agriculture and revitalizing the local economy to get directly involved in making it a reality. CSA members support the farms by buying seasonal “shares” that provide them with vegetables and other farm products. Members receive boxes of farm fresh goodies every week during the growing season. City
Commons is a cooperative urban CSA; the produce you receive is all grown in Detroit at six market gardens located throughout the city. The food you receive each week hasbeen grown using sustainable methods, meaning that we do not use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Produce for City Commons CSA is grown by many farmers: Chris McGrane grows food on the east side of Detroit. Ryan Harroun and Elizabeth Phillips found their shared passion for farming along myriad paths and have teamed up to run Vinewood Knoll Farm in Southwest Detroit. Alice Bagley spent four years running a farm in eastern Washington and now runs Fields of Plenty where she moves her plants and produce all over Detroit by bicycle. Emily and Meg have traveled the world in search of good eats, only to find that they can grow the freshest food right in their own neighborhood at Singing Tree Garden, uptown Detroit. Minehaha Forman was raised on a subsistence farm in Belize, Central America and feels right at home farming in Detroit. Noah Link and Alex Bryan grow vegetables, fruit, poultry, fish, honeybees and more at Food Field near historic Boston-Edison.
Thanks to everyone who helped make Week 1 of City Commons CSA a success! Pictured are this week’s Farmer’s Choice and Flower Share.
In this week’s box: fennel fronds, chard, garlic scape, cilantro, lemon balm, carrots, parsley and turnips. 🥕🍃😊
With less than 2 weeks until the start of the CSA we are excited to share that we have another pick up location to add! We are excited that folks will be able to pick up their CSA boxes at the new Elephant & Co. location in the Cass Corridor/Midtown (previous location of Founders Brewing) on Tuesday evenings from 4-7 PM. You can get pizza and a Eastern Market Brewing Co beer while you are there! Sign up at https://citycommonscoop.localfoodmarketplace.com/Subscriptions
Back at with lots of happy plants for your garden. Come see us in shed 4! Don't wait until Sunday to get your plants unless you love crowds.
.bagley
Don't forget the flowers! Lots of our farmers help with flower shares but Lis at .detroit is the primary grower and bouquet maker. Check out all these beauties from last year.
Stop by shed 4 to get some tomato and pepper plants, plus fresh scallions
Say hi to and .bagley
It's that time of year again! Come buy transplants from us at Eastern Market this Saturday in Shed 4. We'll have tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and more. There might even be a little produce for sale.
Alice Bagley Greydale Farms Candi Franklin
We are still looking for a couple more folks to do work trade in exchange for a CSA share. If you are available for an hour or 2 Tuesday afternoons or Friday evenings, have your own vehicle, and would like to get a free CSA share, please reach out!
We also still have some CSA shares available to purchase, but with the season starting in less than 7 weeks you should sign up soon!
Happy Earth Day from this little corner of the earth we call Detroit! The earth gives us so many good things including garlic, beets, carrots, strawberries, chard, and peas.
If you would like some of these gifts we still have CSA shares available.
We also still have some opportunities for work trades for produce. Please email us if you want to know more
Here is *almost* all of the City Commons Crew (missing Candi Franklin and CWO FARMS ).
It is tough to get a bunch of busy farmers together in the same place and the same time- and to catch us without dirt on our face to boot! But Michigan Good Food Fund asked us for a head shot and as a cooperative we knew we needed to try and get as many of us in there as possible!
In case you missed it, we received a Seed Award grant from MIGFF. We'll be using most of the funds to hire a contractor to do a bunch of our Admin and Logistics stuff this coming year. This should lead to a much smoother customer experience AND free us farmers up to grow more produce and flowers for the CSA (and maybe even take a break from time to time).
If you haven't signed up for a share yet, there is still time! Check out https://citycommonscoop.localfoodmarketplace.com/Subscriptions
Don't forget veggies for your holiday dinners! These sweet little carrots and leeks made it through the winter and will be cooked for a side dish with some wild rice on Sunday.
If you want to be sure your summer and fall is full of vegetables be sure to sign up for your CSA share! We also have an add on option to get a November bonus box of fall veggies right before Thanksgiving.
Don't look outside, just look at the leek babies that are ready for spring. Are you ready for spring? Have you signed up for your CSA share?
Our member-Farmer Donnie Jones was quoted in this Planet Detroit article about climate change and agriculture. https://planetdetroit.org/2024/03/detroit-farmers-grapple-with-climate-change/
One of the advantages of having several diverse farms in our cooperative is that it helps us hedge against challenges that climate change throws our way.
Urban agriculture can also help cities adapt to a changing climate by creating green spaces that lessen the urban "heat island" effect, and also absorb water from more extreme rainfall events.
Last Tuesday in Detroit reached 73 F, breaking the all-time February records going back to the 1800s, according to the National Weather Service. Tuesday in Detroit reached 73 F, breaking all-time February records going back to the 1800s.
We are so thankful to the MI Good Food Fund for our Seed Award! We will be using these funds primarily to improve our Admin and Logistics, primarily by hiring a contractor to do a lot of that work so that we can concentrate on growing veggies and flowers!
Besides preserving our sanity during the busy growing season, we think this will make for a way better customer experience, with much faster replies to your e-mail, smoother deliveries, and a generally more organized CSA.
We're rounding up on the last half of CSA week and wanted to show off some beautiful veggies from the last couple years. All our farmers select their varieties with care. Most of us have been doing this work for over a decade and so have tried many crops and varieties before we settled on the ones that work best for us, our gardens, and our customers. Often these are varieties you won't see in the store. Most of the vegetables grown for commercial sale prioritize color, shelf life, and uniformity. Part of why we love running a CSA and working on a small scale is that we can prioritize flavor, fun, and success in our specific micro-climates.
CSA Innovation Network
As you may have gathered we LOVE veggies and produce, but that's not all we're into! You can also get a flower share from us. For 16 weeks (or 8 if you want a half share) you can get a beautiful bouquet of flowers grown by our farmers. Lis at Bloomtown is our primary flower farmer and arranger, but we all get in on the action from time to time.
Besides being beautiful, flowers (especially natives) help pollinators and other species that keep the ecology around our farms healthy.
If you sign up for our CSA you will get a box of produce every week (or every other for a half share) for 20 weeks from mid June through the end of October. All our produce is grown in Detroit using organic methods. We do our best to give you the freshest and most delicious produce coming out of the farms each week.
With a Farmer's Choice share, we pick what goes in the box- though you can always add extra items from our farm store.
If you want a little more control you can get a Customizable Share, giving you the option to swap out items you don't like for items in the store that you like more.
For more information go to our website: https://citycommonscoop.localfoodmarketplace.com/Subscriptions. If you have questions or want to set up a payment plan you can e-mail us at [email protected].
Happy first day of CSA week! City Commons is special for a lot of reasons, but especially because we are a cooperative of 7 farms from all over the city of Detroit!
Bloomtown provides many of the amazing bouquets that you can purchase with a flower share.
Candi and Mark at CWO Farms grow veggies and flowers.
Donnie with Occupy Yourselves Agricultural Academy grows vegetables on the east side.
Also on the far east side is Sanctuary Farms, a cooperative that grows vegetables and also makes tons of compost every year.
Ambassador Fridge on the North End does flowers, heirloom tomatoes, and other veggies.
Fields of Plenty is also in the North End with Farmer Alice growing lots of veggies, but especially loving root veggies and squash.
Over in Brightmoor we have Greydale Farms with Britt. If you've ever marveled at the little cucamelons and ground cherries you can thank Britt (she also grows big veggies too).
By signing up for our CSA you will be supporting all these farms!
https://citycommonscoop.localfoodmarketplace.com/Subscriptions
Let your valentine know that you think they're hot stuff, just like the compost piles at Sanctuary Farms. Those piles divert over 1/2 million pounds of food waste every year
If you want you and your sweetie to be enjoying vegetables and flowers grown using regenerative practices this summer- order a CSA share now!
https://citycommonscoop.localfoodmarketplace.com/Subscriptions
We here at City Commons are not here to discourage any one from being fat and happy on Fat Tuesday. We are eating our Pączki and enjoying the other delicacies of the season as well.
BUT we also believe in balance in all things, and if today's sugar and fat is making you dream of tomorrow's greens- get ready for the summer with a CSA share. We'll provide you with fresh fruits and veggies of all kinds June-October.
Happy Mardi Gras!
Still need a gift for valentines day? Don't worry! We've got you covered. Have your sweetie thinking of you all summer long with a produce or flower subscription from City Commons!
Buy now at https://citycommonscoop.localfoodmarketplace.com/Subscriptions
Want to find the perfect way to let your crush know you are into them? Buy them a subscription for fresh produce that will nourish them and their microbiome! Nothing says love like dietary fiber (and we sell flower subscriptions too). Check it out at https://citycommonscoop.localfoodmarketplace.com/Subscriptions
We are happy to be returning to Oakland Avenue Farmer's Market as one of our weekend pick up locations. If you choose to pick up your CSA at Oakland Avenue you will pick up at the Fields Of Plenty booth. OAFM is a small neighborhood market with vendors selling produce, jam, shea butter, and other products. There is also often music and cooking demonstrations!
Our new Tuesday pick up location is also a brewery. We are excited to have Batch Brewing Company as our new Corktown pick up location. Batch Brewing has been in the neighborhood since 2015 and besides beer also serves delicious food, specifically on Tuesdays Taqueria El Rey does a pop up. They also host many events and have some super nice outdoor seating. We are really happy to have them as a CSA pick up location this year. So if you want good beer AND tacos along with your veggies and flowers, sign up for this pick up location. https://citycommonscoop.localfoodmarketplace.com/Subscriptions
Our new east side pick up location is Someday Brewing in Grosse Point Woods.
After years of home brewing, including winning contests, our friend Anthony was always being asked "When are you going to open a brewery?" The answer of course was "Someday" Well last year Someday finally arrived! They make a variety of beers and meads, so if you choose this as your CSA pick up location you can enjoy a drink when you pick up your veggies.
Lis from Bloomtown is here to remind you that our CSA isn't just veggies- we have flower shares too!
Bloomtown is a cut flower farm in East Poletown. Bloomtown offers bouquet subscriptions, wholesale flowers, and event florals, and is part of the Michigan Flower Growers Cooperative and City Commons CSA. Lis started the farm in 2022 with the goals of building good soil, supporting biodiverse landscapes, and building healthy communities for people, plants, and wildlife.
Stopped by the garden (this is Alice Bagley writing from Fields Of Plenty) yesterday during the sunshine-y weather to check on things. Lots of early stuff and "leftovers" from last season.
In the first photo is a little shoot of garlic coming up. Garlic is planted in the fall, and then mostly sleeps all winter to start growing as soon as these days start getting longer.
These are some carrots I planted a little too late for the 2023 CSA season, but I've been pulling a few up this winter and now that they days are getting longer they should start to size up.
The third photo is a "volunteer" cilantro plant that is sprouting from some seeds that an older plant dropped.
Strawberry plants are looking good. These were planted in spring 2023- strawberries usually need a year to establish before they start giving big harvests. HOPEFULLY there will be enough this year to go in the CSA boxes.
Photo 5 are some pear trees planted in spring 2023. They'll still need a couple more years before they start giving fruit reliably, but I am looking forward to them hoepfully sizing up and starting to provide a little shade this summer.
And finally the last photo is a little fall planted spinach. Again, it has mostly hung out for the winter, but as the days get longer we should get some new growth and be able to start eating a little fresh green stuff.
It doesn't just take the farmers to make our CSA go- we are also super thankful for all the businesses that partner with us as pick up locations.
Pink FlaminGo to Go is run by our friend Meiko. They are a farm to table carry out restaurant up near Palmer Park. That means that when you pick up your CSA box you can also check out their selection of frozen ready to eat meals, pantry staples, and more.
We really appreciate their dedication to healthy, local food- and appreciate them opening their doors on Tuesdays for our CSA members!
Sanctuary Farms is our newest co-op member farm.
They have three clear objectives:
1) cultivate organic produce,
2) create nutritious compost and
3) provide equitable green spaces to historically disadvantaged communities.
With these aims they want to foster a thriving community on the lower eastside of Detroit where people are safe, healthy and connected to their local environment and food.
We are so happy to have Sanctuary Farms as a member for a second year.
Donnie Jones grew up in Detroit. Donnie advanced quickly from helping at Food Field to founding his own farm at Robinwood Park in 2012.
Now Donnie farms on the east side at Occupy Yourselves Agricultural Academy . Occupy Yourselves grows many vegetables, flowers, and herbs, they were one of the first recipients of the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund .
Until her recent passing Donnie's wife Roxanne also ran the farm. Roxanne brought experience from years at Earthworks Urban Farm. Roxanne's spirit lives on in the soil and plants and their three children.
This is Mark & Candi. Together, they are known as CWO FARMS . This is their 8th year on the Detroit Urban Farming scape, and they look forward to another season of providing high quality organically grown produce for City Commons clients and a host of others.
Detroit, MI
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Important garden news. 🥕 🫛 🍓 Only 25 days until the CSA starts. Don't sleep on getting some. #GrownInDetroit #CooperativelyGrown #CommunitySupportedAgriculture
In this video from last summer Donny and Alice talk (while working!) about why we think City Commons is a unique choice for your farm fresh veggie and flower needs. You can sign up today at https://citycommonscoop.localfoodmarketplace.com/Subscriptions
Community Supported Agriculture is a fantastic way for people who care about local food, sustainable agriculture and revitalizing the local economy to get directly involved in making it a reality. CSA members support the farms by buying seasonal “shares” that provide them with vegetables and other farm products. Members receive boxes of farm fresh goodies every week during the growing season. City Commons is a cooperative urban CSA; the produce you receive is all grown in Detroit at six market gardens located throughout the city. The food you receive each week hasbeen grown using sustainable methods, meaning that we do not use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Produce for City Commons CSA is grown by many farmers: Chris McGrane grows food on the east side of Detroit. Elizabeth Phillips found her passion for farming along myriad paths and is now growing at Iroquois Ave Farm on the east side of Detroit . Alice Bagley spent four years running a farm in eastern Washington and now runs Fields of Plenty where she moves her plants and produce all over Detroit by bicycle. Emily Brent has traveled the world in search of good eats, only to find that they can grow the freshest food right in their own neighborhood at Singing Tree Garden, uptown Detroit. Noah Link and Nick Jones grow vegetables, fruit, poultry, fish, honeybees and more at Food Field near historic Boston-Edison. Donnie and Roxanne Jones grew up in Detroit and farm together on the east side. Donnie advanced quickly from helping at Food Field to founding his own farm at Robinwood Park in 2012. Roxanne brings plenty of experience and herbal knowledge from years at Earthworks Urban Farm.
Faith, Hope and Unity Farms of Detroit
Manistique Street
The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative (MUFI)
Brush Street
