Article

When We Fight, We Win

October 2, 2024

Beloved community,



For so many reasons, autumn is my favorite season, and I hope you’ve enjoyed its first glimpse. The slow unfolding of this crimson season, paired with the crisp breeze and leaves crunching beneath our feet, reminds us of and invites us into Earth’s cycle of resilience through rest.


Our regional community of growers is experiencing nothing short of heartbreak as Earth turns us toward a season of rest. 

Despite their many contributions to the local community, our comrades at Detroit Farm & Cider face ongoing challenges from the city, including unfair zoning disputes and bureaucratic hurdles that threaten their operations.


Until last month, Leandra King (aka Farmer Lee) had been threatened with jail time for keeping farm animals on her property. Now, the City of Detroit is illegally trying to seize the farm in a civil case! 


The city has petitioned for an emergency injunction to seize Detroit Farm & Cider, alleging that the farm poses an irreparable danger to public health, safety, and welfare, claiming it is a public nuisance and environmental threat. However, these claims are strongly refuted, as the farm is fully licensed and permitted, with letters of support from surrounding neighbors and businesses. The city’s actions would result in the demolition of the farm, forcing the King family from their home and destroying the nation’s first Black-owned cider mill.

These actions are part of a broader pattern of systemic barriers that disproportionately impact Black farmers and undermine community-driven food sovereignty efforts. 


This battle is not just about one farm but about protecting land access, autonomy, and the right to define food systems free from institutional oppression. As Detroit Farm & Cider fights to survive, it reflects the broader global movement for food sovereignty, where marginalized communities strive to reclaim their right to grow, distribute, and access fresh, healthy food.

This is a shared fight for justice, resilience, and community control over our food systems in Ypsilanti and beyond.

In Solidarity,

 

Julius

P.S. Support Farmer Lee’s family as they fight to keep their land and legacy, join the movement, and stand with Farmer Lee! Donate to fight with Farmer Lee! 


share this

Related Articles

Related Articles

By Julius Buzzard March 25, 2025
A Conversation with Farmer Megan Lowlor Korovesis
By Julius Buzzard March 3, 2025
The Saturday Ypsilanti Farmers Market is moving downtown!
A poster for the black history month maker series
By Julius Buzzard February 3, 2025
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.
ALL ARTICLES

STAY UP TO DATE

GET PATH'S LATEST

Receive bi-weekly updates from the church, and get a heads up on upcoming events.

Contact Us

A close up of a man wearing a beanie and a grey shirt
A black and white logo that says `` beloved believe ''
A woman is sitting on the ground playing a guitar.
Share by: