Deeply Rooted Produce Empowers Farmers and Increases Food Access in Michigan
In partnership with: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
When Dazmonique Carr founded Metro Detroit’s first zero-waste mobile grocery delivery service, Deeply Rooted Produce, in 2017, she was inspired by two unmet needs. First was the need for local farmers to have reliable income from selling produce locally. Second, Carr noticed customers’ need for quality local produce to be more accessible.
“I knew that farmers were tired and stretched thin,” she says. “Tired of ‘no guarantee’ sales after harvesting their beloved crops if they prioritized attending farmers markets each week. I also knew people that wanted local produce but couldn’t make it to the weekly markets.”
So, Carr established Deeply Rooted Produce, an integrative solution to what she saw as intertwined problems. It sources produce from local family farms and is operated by farmers of color, including Carr’s own 1-acre plot in east Detroit.
Similar to a community supported agriculture, or CSA, model but with low commitment, Deeply Rooted Produce boxes are paid for before produce is harvested, reducing waste and providing a more stable income for farmers instead of hours spent for inconsistent sales at farmers markets.
Meanwhile, the company’s nonprofit sister organization, Deeply Rooted Gardens Inc., supports beginner farmers of color with resources, technical assistance and farm labor.
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Increasing Access
Deeply Rooted Produce reaches consumers who most need it for reasons like lack of transportation, limited time, limited options or all of the above, especially mothers, children and the elderly.
“We found that in some parts of the Motor City and beyond, people are not so ‘motorous,’ and if they are, they are tired of the quality provided at the grocery stores,” Carr says.
Through delivery, supplying community events and charter schools, and hosting farm stands at local hubs like libraries and senior living facilities, Deeply Rooted Produce brings fresh, nutritious food to where the people are.
Oftentimes, produce purchased from grocery stores has many miles on it, which Carr mentions is a concern when it comes to staying fresh. Since it’s not local, and more time has passed since harvest, some of it may only stay fresh for a couple of days after purchase.
“In contrast, produce from Deeply Rooted Produce and our farm partners is harvested moments before delivery,” Carr says.
The result is tastier food and an increased amount of nutrients consumed. The business model addresses financial barriers, too.
“We have always wanted our services to be affordable for all,” Carr says.
That’s why Deeply Rooted Produce customers can pay with programs like Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), WIC Produce Connection, Senior Project Fresh and Double Up Food Bucks. The company has also partnered with Michigan Fitness Foundation to provide subsidies of 75% off produce boxes to EBT customers and low-income Detroiters.
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Stewarding Natural Resources
Deeply Rooted Produce works to connect people directly to good food but also to care for the planet. For example, Carr is committed to running a zero-waste business.
“We consider nature first in all the decisions made on the farm,” Carr says. “We make sure the food being grown has an end in mind before the seed is sown.”
Produce not sold within a week of harvest is prepared into a meal or converted into a product, such as fresh-made jam. Anything that cannot be eaten is composted, ultimately enriching the earth from which it grew.
For Carr, farming, connecting people to better food and caring for the environment are intertwined. For its part, Deeply Rooted Produce will keep innovating sustainable ways to foster a strong connection between Detroiters, the land and quality food.
“Agriculture is in Detroit’s roots and will not go away,” she says. “We must integrate nature into our individual lives. Everyone doesn’t have to have a garden or farm, but everyone must know a farmer. We must think of the things that we consume on a regular basis and realize how far we may be from their production, what ingredients are used and how they are raised.”
For more information about Deeply Rooted Produce’s mission, visit deeplyrootedproduce.com.
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