Highland
Park
Food
System
:a toolkit of food and other resources for the citizens of Highland Park, MI introduction
Urban farms
Highland Park is a city within the city of Detroit, often called Detroit’s Detroit. Although having its own character separate from Detroit, Highland Park is very much a part of Detroit; they both suffer from many similar issues, and both have a deeply-rooted identity in the automobile industry. Most maps we see that analyze Detroit’s food system completely leave out any information or implications about the 11,000 people in the 2.9 square mile Highland Park. It leads to concern for the data-less void in the center of the map. This map can be used as a tool for citizens to find and understand their unique position in Detroit regarding food access, policy, and the possibilities for their current system. This is the data that is simply not available to the masses. Using GIS, scholarly research, site analysis, and discussion with community leaders, this toolkit aims to create a comprehensive understanding of Highland Park’s food system in relation to Detroit. A dense map of Highland Park is filled with data and food-related information (urban farms, markets, grocery stores, clinics, food pantries, etc.). Adjacent to the map, details further explain how to navigate the local food systems as a citizen of Highland Park. After a discussion with the mayor of Highland Park, Hubert Yopp, this research became rooted. Yopp mentioned that with no high school currently in Highland Park, he finds it very difficult to fund certain programs. Yopp also mentioned a water crisis in Highland Park related to the city’s physical isolation and degrading water supply system made from wooden pipes. These current concerns can be addressed through urban agriculture efforts in Highland Park. This toolkit provides a summary of population demographics, a breakdown of local policy, a map and extensive legend with details of local food sources, as well as information on local transportation options.
1. Avalon Village Avalon St., Highland Park, MI 48203
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A sustainable eco-village with a mission to “transform blighted blocks into a safe, functional, and beautiful space for the entire community.”1 There are many plans for the future of the village, including a more extensive urban farm with recently donated vertical farming. Once installed, the hoop house will allow for yearround farming and gardening education.
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2. Buckets of Rain 192 Glendale Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203 Buckets of Rain provides abundant fresh produce to the community, including to neighbors, to nearby clinics - specifically to SAY Clinic for the “Clinic to Farm to Table” program, and also to local homeless shelters. Since 2012, Buckets of Rain has provided 650,000+ servings of food.2
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hp demographics
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3. Isla’s Garden 232 Glendale Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203
This information is taken from the US Census Beaurau. It provides a sense of the identity of the city of Highland Park. These numbers are estimates of 2017.
Adjacent to Buckets of Rain, Isla’s is a “self-serve garden focusing on mothers with kids, on Glendale in Highland Park, has doubled in size for 2018 and is well utilized by the community.”2 L L G
local policy
Legend
This section of the toolkit breaks down the local policy surrounding urban farming, specifcially from Highland Park’s website and zoning ordinances: Chapter 1229: Urban Gardening, 1229.01 Intent The City of Highland Park strives to encourage personal and community scale local food production within defined areas of the City. Providing opportunities for urban gardening creates food independence and security for City residents, provides access to fresh food that does not lose quality in long transportation, provides opportunities for entrepreneurship and allows for a positive vacant land utilization strategy. The guidelines and regulations in this section define the relationship between urban gardening and other users. These regulations are design to: 1. Promote safety, health and welfare of residents 2. Preserve property values and enjoyment of personal property 3. Protect natural resources 4. Prevent pollution (both run-off (non-point source) or seepage to groundwater) 5. Promote humane animal husbandry practice The City of Highland Park supports organic practices for the benefit of wildlife (including bees, butterflies, birds, etc) and for the quality of the city water. Kitchen gardens are allowed, and community gardens are allowed in all districts, including hoop houses. Overall, the City seems very supportive of urban agriculture efforts in the city. Apiculture is allowed with some restrictions, i.e. 1 beehive per acre of owned property and must be properly locked in place. Chicken and rabbit enclosures also are allowed with restrictions and requires site plan approval. Market Gardens and Community Supported Agriculture are encouraged and are only not allowed to conduct commercial transactions on the garden site. The text in the online Highland Park City Zoning Ordinances is
4. Ohana Gardens Detroit 18 Church Street, Highland Park, MI 48203
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Ohana Gardens Detroit is an urban farm and active community space for Highland Park citizens. The Gardens have several hoop houses that provide the opportunity to garden year-round. There are also several bee hives kept on the premises.
Shelter
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Liquor Store L
Dollar Store/Party Store/ Convenience
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Grocery/Market Soup Kitchen/Food Pantry
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5. WMCAA Hoophouse Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency 138 Cortland St, Highland Park, MI 48203 6. Oakland Avenue Urban Farm 9227 Goodwin St, Detroit, MI 48211
Clinic
ALDI 15001 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203 Grace Food Market 2 11825 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203 Manhattan Fish & Chicken Market 13224 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203 United Meats 15100 2nd Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203 Glory Supermarket 14100 Woodward Ave # 1, Highland Park, MI 48203
Convenience/Dollar Store/Party Store
Red Apple Food Store 52 Bartlett St, Highland Park, MI 48203 Family Dollar 14048 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203 Dollar Tree 15151 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203 Family Dollar 12013 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203 Circle K Party Store 12800 Hamilton Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203 Woodward & Midland Mini Mart 15903 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203 1 Stop Candy & Convenient Store 16529 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203 CVS 14140 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203 Monterey Party Store 12119 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203
Church Food Pantry/Soup Kitchen
United Sisters of Charity 16339 Rosa Parks Blvd., Highland Park, MI 48203 God's Holy Temple Church 50 W. McNichols Road, Highland Park, MI 48203 A Voice in the Community Hamilton at Puritan, Highland Park, MI 48203 Emmanuel Community House 18313 John R St., Highland Park, MI 48203 Detroit Rescue Mission-Oasis 13220 Woodward Avenue, Highland Park, MI 48203 Redeemed Christian Fellowship 15 Ferris Street, Highland Park, MI 48203 Revival Tabernacle 16455 Woodward Avenue, Highland Park, MI 48203 Joseph project 16300 Woodard, Highland Park, MI 48203
Shelters
Oasis 13220 Woodward Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203 NSO 882 Oakman Blvd, Detroit, MI 48238 nso-mi.org Ruth Ellis Center 77 Victor St, Highland Park, MI 48203 Focus: HOPE Central Warehouse 1200 Oakman Blvd, Detroit, MI 48238 Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries 211 Glendale Ave, Highland Park, MI 48203 Cass Community Social Services 11850 Woodrow Wilson St, Detroit, MI 48206 Genesis House III 2015 Webb St, Detroit, MI 48206
local transportation
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Median household income (in 2017 dollars) 2013-2017 $15,699 Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2017 dollars) 2013-2017 $12,597 Person’s in poverty, percent 49% Person’s without health insurance, under 65 years, percent 11.6% 91.2% Black or African American, alone
Buckets of Water, in conjunction with SAY Clinic, a program “Clinic to Farm to Table” provides “free health care to uninsured women and children in Highland Park. “Clinic to Farm to Table” enables doctors to write “prescriptions” for patients with diet related health issues such as diabetes, obesity or hypertension. These patients can then visit our one-acre garden for a week’s worth of the recommended vegetables.”2 This resource is gaining momentum and it reinforces healthy, local food as a preventative care method. Also included on the map are the following categories: shelters, clinics, dollar stores/ party stores, grocery stores, liquor stores, church food pantry/soup kitchen. Below is a chart of these resources that readily have food for people. You can use this database online (https://docs.google. com/spreadsheets/d/1op1RxLnXj9XjyE-3XwgI_gOY-n4Ojn1iLKNfkFPEtmY/edit?usp=sharing) and continue to add resources to the database to help other Highland Park citizens to navigate the local food system. Grocery/Market
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The map analysis images to the right are data are the extents of the data available of Highland Park. Access these images through these QR Codes below.
other resources
7. WPeople for Palmer Park 910 Merrill Plaisance, Detroit, MI 48203
Urban Farm/Garden
The urban gardening community is strong, and continues to grow. Avalon Village, Buckets of Rain, and the SAY Clinic have come together to figure out how to bring in more community members to use their resources, specifically women and children. In terms of transportation in the city, the SMART city bus (https://www.smartbus.org/Services/Services-By-Community/Highland-Park) is an option, although fairly limited in number of routes, timing and reliability. A SAY Clinic van was discussed as a method for citizens to get to and from the clinic, as well as to the nearby farms (Buckets of Rain and Avalon Village). The van will shuttle people on a reliable schedule, and it will serve as a marketing tool through visibility. Access to food sources, other than gardens, is limited. Although Highland Park is a fairly small city with a walkability score of 77 and bikeability score of 68, the city currently does not have to ability to power the street lights throughout the city – making it dark, therefore less safe; and with less public transit available, this may become a large obstacle for some people. It is important to try to do your food shopping errand during hours where lighting is ample.
moving forward Several points of long-term goals were discussed at a recent community meeting (12/10/18). Several community leaders in healthcare and urban farming work towards marketing requirements, online presence, aesthetic enhancing master plans, ways to activate and inform the Highland Park community, and how to engage all local programs and resources with each other for a stronger network. The limitations of city water are an active concern and obstacle to farming/new construction efforts in the city. Avalon Village plans to install a new well, used to access the underground water table for fresh clean water. These types of community meetings are happening, and these relationships are very present in Highland Park. Strides are being made to better the health and food justice of the Highland Park community. Some questions that leaders of the local resources are asking include: where do people gather? Or where are the communities that we are trying to access and appeal to? Women are the main demographic the SAY Clinic is trying to appeal to - efforts are being made to access people via social media, traditional means of advertisement, and Google Search engine optimization (SEO) - this again relates back to the marketing efforts that will prove to be very important moving forward in reaching out to Highland Park citizens. In Highland Park, there is a need for a database of resources, especially those resources that revolve around food, restorative programs, shelters, healthcare, transportation, and educational programs. Here is an excel spreadsheet that can be accessed and edited by all in the community: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1op1RxLnXj9XjyE-3XwgI_gOYn4Ojn1iLKNfkFPEtmY/edit?usp=sharing . Resources, programs, companies, and stores can be added and corrected. Urban agriculture is vibrant in the city, especially in conjunction with other programs. The City government does a great job at encouraging and allowing people to practice sustainable food practices. If you have questions about specific local programs/ resources or have general questions about the Highland Park food system, access the database and contact the appropriate members of the community.
sources Food Map and other resources of Highland Park, MI 1”:448’ scale
1. The Avalon Village. “The Avalon Village.” The Avalon Village. Accessed December 11, 2018. http://theavalonvillage.org/. 2. “Buckets of Rain.” Buckets of Rain. Accessed December 11, 2018. http://www.bucketsofrain.org/. 3. Arcgis.com. Accessed December 11, 2018. https://www.arcgis.com/home/index.html. 4. “OpenStreetMap.” OpenStreetMap. Accessed December 11, 2018. https://www.openstreetmap.org/. 5. Smart. “Highland Park.” Westland. Accessed December 11, 2018. https://www.smartbus.org/Services/Services-By-Community/ Highland-Park. 6. ”Community and Economic Development.” Highland Park, MI - McGregor Public Library. Accessed December 11, 2018. https://www. highlandparkmi.gov/Services/Community-Economic-Development.aspx.
Theory Precendents: 7. Kellogg Foundation. Detroit Food & Fitness Collaborative. 2014 Economic Analysis of Detroit’s Food System. 2014. 8. Jacques, April Key. INSIDE THE CRYSTAL PALACE: A HISTORY OF HENRY FORD’S HIGHLAND PARK PLANT. Thesis defense. 9. Sadler,R.C., G.Arku, and J.A.Gilliland. Local food networks as catalysts for food policy change to improve health and build the economy. 2015. 10. ”U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Highland Park City, Michigan.” Census Bureau QuickFacts. Accessed December 11, 2018. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/highlandparkcitymichigan/PST045217.
Image sources: 1. Oosting, Jonathan. “Data Driven Detroit Debunks Food Desert Myth, Highlights Food Distribution Issues.” MLive.com. September 14, 2011. https://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index. ssf/2011/09/data_driven_detroit_dispels_fo.html. 2. Hemmings.com. Accessed December 11, 2018. https://www.hemmings.com/ blog/2013/07/19/highland-park-plant-birthplace-of-fords-assembly-line-eyed-for-preservation/. 3. ”Ohana Gardens Detroit.”. https://www.facebook.com/Ohana-Gardens-Detroit-244976352662207/. 4. Google Search. Accessed December 11, 2018. https://www.google.com/maps.