The excitement of the draft has truly permeated the city, bringing energy and enthusiasm that extends far beyond downtown festivities and the general passion for football. Importantly, this event has also shone a light on something less expected but deeply significant: urban agriculture. As the city celebrates new team picks and enjoys its moment in the sports spotlight, community gardens and urban farms are gaining recognition as vital elements of urban life.
It is all too common for underprivileged communities to endure substandard conditions that shouldn’t even be an issue, such as access to clean food. Likewise, our veterans, who have sacrificed immensely for the US, are frequently neglected. Despite the sensitivity of this issue, it reflects our reality. This has spurred a number of grassroots organizations, policies, and nonprofits, both locally and politically, to take action. Among them is the NFL and S.H.I.E.L.D 1, a nonprofit founded by NFL players aimed at boosting economic mobility in underserved areas. They showcased the Green Boots Veteran Community Horticulture Gardens and Marketplace for their community ribbon-cutting event on the city’s westside, which features a GroShed. GroSheds are hydroponic gardening sheds designed for cold climates, allowing year-round access to nutritious, non-toxic, affordable whole foods, thereby addressing the seasonal gaps in fresh produce availability in these communities.
The excitement behind the draft have touched down in the city but it goes beyond the confines of downtown and the fun times and the love of football, this has placed a spotlight on urban agriculture.
Green Boots not only offers nutritious food choices for the local community but also provides a therapeutic outlet for veterans like its founder, Travis Peters, to engage in gardening and improve their mental health.
PHOTO: Travis Peters, Green Boots Community Horticulture Gardens and Marketplace
“My mission was to sustain myself, my family, and my community through urban agriculture without leaving our veterans out of the picture,” said Peters. “This place is a multifaceted space where we focus on urban agriculture basic training for our veterans and community along with horticulture therapy and protocols to help bridge the wellness gap.”
“The GroShed will allow us to produce food at a higher rate, a faster and a more economical rate” Peters said. “This space has no city municipalities connection whatsoever. We run on solar power and rainwater, I rely on nature and just what the earth gives us.”
Standing alongside community members and local media were NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Senator Debbie Stabenow, New Orleans Saints Linebacker Demario Davis, NFL Cornerback Josh Norman, and NFL Legend Alex Lewis.
“Travis is an extraordinary man and I’m proud to be here on behalf of the NFL,” said Goodell. “I’m also inspired by our players. There are two players here that have really led the way. Damario Davis and Josh Norman. For the last 4 or 5 years I’ve heard about this concept and their desire to make this happen and they have worked to make this happen. It has been their undying support to bring this into fruition not just here in Detroit but also in Buffalo. These men are not just great professional athletes, they are stand up men.”
PHOTO: New Orleans Saints Linebacker Demario Davis, Travis Peters, NFL Cornerback Josh Norman, Senator Debbie Stabenow, United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
This event is part of the NFL’s Inspire Change social justice initiative. Inspire Change is designed to reduce barriers to opportunity, especially in communities of color, demonstrating the collective efforts of the NFL family—current and former players, teams, owners, and the league office—to foster positive change. The initiative operates at all levels within the league, with a mission to showcase their commitment to social justice and community improvement.
This GroShed initiative all started when Davis took a trip to Flint, MI a few years ago and realized there was a need for clean water. At the time he witnessed truckloads of water bottles being dispersed throughout the city, but he had an epiphany regarding his charity work, “What’s going on with the water system? That’s when we moved from doing just the charity work to finding sustainable solutions in the community.”
“This is a continuation of our work that we’re doing in other cities,” said Davis. “We are committed to bringing sustainable solutions to communities that have traditionally been marginalized. This work touches me personally. It brings our hearts joy.”
The NFL is collaborating with the White House on the “Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities” initiative, highlighting this effort at the event.
Amidst the backdrop of steel and concrete, a transformation is quietly taking root—a healthy mindset. Spearheaded by Peter and powered by the enduring strength of the local Black community, this initiative isn’t merely about planting vegetables; it’s a reclaiming of urban spaces, turning them from symbols of decay into beacons of hope and growth. These community gardens are not just places to grow food; they are sanctuaries of empowerment, where residents, burdened by economic hardships and societal neglect, find a powerful form of expression and control over their lives and environment.
Peter’s movement is leveraging a rich yet underrecognized legacy of Black horticulture expertise, challenging the stereotype that urban communities lack the green thumbs or know-how. Each garden plot and GroShed serves as a testament to resilience and innovation, with every plant sown echoing the community’s deep-rooted connection to the land and their ancestors wisdom. This isn’t just about horticulture; it’s about cultural heritage, community, a bridge connecting past generations who tilled the soil for sustenance to a modern movement for food sovereignty and social justice.
“I started a number of years ago putting in place opportunities and extra support where veterans can go into farming,” said Senator Debbie Stabenow and chair of the agriculture, nutrition and forestry committee in Washington D.C. “We now have veteran organizations and veteran farmers around the country with the largest group in Michigan.”
Absolutely, agriculture transcends the rural boundaries we often confine it to; it’s very much a vibrant part of urban landscapes as well. Urban agriculture is about more than just growing food; it’s about building community, fostering sustainability, and ensuring access to healthy, affordable meals. Echoing this sentiment, Senator Debbie Stabenow said, “This is about providing healthy food in a sustainable way right here in our urban communities.”
This movement reshapes the concept of what it means to be a community. It’s a collective effort where city dwellers reconnect with their food sources and with each other, breaking down the isolation that urban environments can sometimes foster. Urban agriculture initiatives make it possible for fresh produce to travel just a few yards from soil to table, drastically reducing food miles and providing a stark contrast to the impersonal nature of mass food production.
Moreover, these initiatives are a testament to the adaptability and ingenuity of urban communities. Each space cultivated is a step towards a more sustainable urban existence, proving that the heart of agriculture isn’t found solely in wide-open spaces but wherever there are people willing to plant the seeds of change.
“The Greenboots community displays the real work,” Davis said. “You guys are the heroes and deserve the brightest light to be on you all. They are on the ground doing the work, it is people that are in the trenches that really keep the game going. So, thank you for your work.”
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