Young urban farmers ght for limited land as Grand Rapids grows

GRAND RAPIDS — When the Great Recession roiled Michigan in 2008, Takidia Jenkins-Smith started a garden at her home in southeast Grand Rapids to stretch her grocery budget. Twenty-four at the time with three young sons to feed, she kept at it, eventually growing food for friends and extended family.

In 2017, she spun the hobby into Fresh Beets Urban Farm, a commercial venture selling quick-growing household vegetables like greens, tomatoes and peppers via a community-supported agriculture model.

But as she scaled the business, reliable land became an issue.

Sometimes, she leased parcels in southeast Grand Rapids. Other times, private landowners let her cultivate it for free, turning underutilized lots into urban farms — for a time.

“One of one of my largest plots that was volunteered to me, they ended up putting houses on it,” said Jenkins-Smith, now 39. “People would be excited about the project, and then they would change their mind.”

Jenkins-Smith’s is a common refrain among younger urban farmers, who often face the choice of competing for valuable land in cities ornancing larger rural plots.

As the average age of U.S. farmers nears 60, advocacy groups and industry leaders are pushing for policy changes that remove barriers to entry for the next generation — namely, the cost of land.

Kellogg Co. and Meijer Inc. announced they will provide undisclosed sums to the National Young Farmers Coalition to send a group of young farmers, including ve from Michigan, to Washington, D.C. eir task is to lobby members of Congress

Crain’s new “Before it Hits the Market” report features prominent and unique properties about to go on the market — especially those with a backstory. Tell us about your unique property — before it lists. Contact reporter Nick Manes at nick.manes@crain.com. See FARMERS on and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to shift power and resources to their generation of farmers in general and people of color in particular. e companies, which declined an interview, said in a joint statement that access to land and capital are the two biggest barriers to entry for young people, especially those who don’t come from farming families. e West Michigan Young Farmers chapter is speci cally concerned with improving access for farmers of color and women. And since farmers of color typically live in urban areas, her chapter is primarily focused on Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids resident Alita Kelly, land organizing director for the National Young Farmers Coalition and chair of the West Michigan Young Farmers chapter, said real policy shifts are needed for that to change.

Demolition on the existing Wayne County criminal justice complex downtown is expected to start in the coming months.

Pending the county’s ability to relocate its employees and inmates to the new facility at I-75 and East Warren Avenue, Bedrock LLC CEO Ko Bonner said his company “would love to begin deconstruction activities later this year.”

“We will be in a position to hand over the keys in April,” Bonner told me last month. “We are close, about 85 percent done. e last strokes are always the longest. en it’s really how fast can the public sector move their facilities.” ere is a March 14 deadline for substantial completion of construction on the new complex, although it’s not clear what the implications are for missing that mark.

I reached out to both Wayne County and a Bedrock spokesperson seeking additional details, as well as a member of the Wayne County Commission who is on a subcommittee on the criminal justice complex.

But during a meeting early this month, James Carter Fisher, assistant corporation counsel for Wayne County, told subcommittee members that businessman Dan Gilbert’s team was saying it would meet that deadline. at March 14 date “starts the sixmonth move process,” Carter Fisher said.

“We have been having pretty much daily walk-throughs of the buildings” with end users like prosecutors, sheri ’s department personnel and others, he said.

“We are a little skeptical they will hit that turnover date. It is something we will monitor closely.” at move paved the way for the demolition of the site commonly known as the “fail jail” site, which became a symbol of municipal mismanagement when it was saddled with delays and major cost overruns. e existing jail site, about half of a broader 15.4-acre site controlled by Gilbert, is planned ultimately to become an “innovation district,” it was announced in 2021 after the previous plan for the Detroit Center for Innovation to go there collapsed. e new I-75/Warren complex, others have reported, has also been over-budget like the “fail jail” was, although cost overruns are generally absorbed by Gilbert and his companies. e Detroit Free Press reported last month that the cost of the new jail complex is $609 million, or more than $75 million over projected costs.

In June 2018, Wayne County approved an agreement with Gilbert’s Rock Ventures LLC to build a $533 million criminal justice complex to replace the existing complex on Gratiot Avenue.

As part of that deal, Gilbert is to acquire the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, Division I and Division II jails, plus the Juvenile Detention Facility, following completion of the new complex.

CCIM Michigan chapter names rst female president

Alis Manoogian has been selected as the rst female president of the Michigan chapter of Certi ed Commercial Investment Member, or CCIM, a commercial real estate and investment trade organization.

Manoogian is currently assistant vice president of investment sales at South eld-based Farbman Group.

“It is truly an honor to be chosen as the next president of CCIM Michigan,” Manoogian said. “I hope that by being in this role, I’m able to serve as an example for young women who want to seek leadership opportunities in commercial real estate to obtain a CCIM credential.”

Women as well as minorities have been under-represented in commercial real estate for decades. A press release on Manoogian’s selection says women represent just 36 percent of commercial real estate employees.

Contact: kpinho@crain.com; (313) 446-0412; @kirkpinhoCDB