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A Season for Reflection and Gratitude

November 26, 2024

Dear Friends,



As we gather this week to share meals and stories with loved ones, let us take a moment to reflect not only on the food before us but also on the systems, labor, and land that make it possible. Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude, but it also invites us to consider the deep and complex history of the land we occupy and the people—past and present—who have stewarded it.


At Growing Hope, we see food as more than sustenance; it is a bridge to sovereignty, justice, and community resilience. The dishes we prepare and enjoy this week symbolize the labor of farmers, growers, and harvesters across the country. It is their work—and the rich cultural and agricultural traditions they uphold—that nourish not just our bodies but our communities.


This season, I am especially grateful for your partnership in our shared pursuit of food sovereignty. Together, we are building a future where farmland thrives, local producers are celebrated, and everyone has equitable access to fresh, culturally relevant food. This work challenges the systems that have historically excluded too many, especially Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, from having autonomy over their food and land.


As you prepare and share meals, may the food on your table remind you of our most deeply held values: nurturing family, building community, and standing in solidarity with those working to create a just and equitable food system.

From all of us at Growing Hope, I wish you a season of reflection, gratitude, and bountiful connection. Thank you for being part of this journey.


With gratitude and hope,

Julius Buzzard
Executive Director
Growing Hope


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Sweet Greetings Community, As we enter into Black History Month, I invite you to lean in as we reflect on the stories of makers—artists, bakers, herbalists, and creators—we honor the ingenuity that blooms from soil and spirit alike. Sean, Bupé, Nashia, and Eric are carrying forward a legacy of resilience and resistance through their craft. They remind us that making is more than production; it is storytelling, ancestral memory, and an act of defiance in a world that seeks to homogenize and commodify. Investing in our local food system means investing in the people who shape it. From the farmers who steward the land to the artisans who transform raw ingredients into nourishment, we are weaving a web of interdependence that can withstand the storms of uncertainty. At this moment, when federal funding hangs in precarious balance, and communities are left to navigate the shifting tides of policy and politics, we must deepen our commitments to one another on our journey to realize self-determination. We see the cracks in the system, and we also see the light that pours through. The growing movement for reparations and land return is gaining momentum. Across the country, Black food businesses and land stewards are reclaiming space and sovereignty—from cooperatively owned grocery stores to community-run urban farms. Here in Washtenaw County, Black entrepreneurs are creating thriving food businesses despite systemic barriers. The Growing Hope Incubator Kitchen provides a space where small businesses (many of whom are Black-owned) can thrive and where each owner can freely pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. Meanwhile, the Reparations Council is laying the groundwork for justice, ensuring Black food businesses and land stewards have the resources to thrive. We work diligently to meet our community's growing need for this support. These are not isolated efforts; they are part of a collective reckoning, a return-to-right relationship with land, food, and people. I invite you to lean in, whether it is through listening, learning, advocating, donating, or any other means. Because it is about food. It is about land. It is about representation, justice, and sovereignty. It is about us—standing in the fullness of our power and ensuring that everyone has the right to grow, create, and be nourished. In solidarity and abundance, Julius Buzzard P.S. Sign up today to join the conversation with each of these makers.
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