The Metro: Is local food safer? A Detroit farmer weighs in
As the cyclospora outbreak rattles confidence in the grocery aisle, a Detroit grower with a background in infectious disease argues for shortening the distance between soil and plate — and is honest about what that shift can’t fix.
Amanda Brezzell co-founded Fennigan's Farms in Detroit, building what they call resiliency hubs — local food systems designed with the same thinking used in disaster recovery.
The cyclospora outbreak has highlighted just how hard it is to trace a bag of lettuce through a supply chain that can stretch thousands of miles. Here’s a smaller question: what if your lettuce came from down the block?
Amanda Brezzell grows food on Detroit’s west side, on land where houses used to stand. They co-founded a farm and design studio called Fennigan’s, where fresh veggies and fruit sit on a folding table under a sign that reads “Free Produce.”
Brezzell came to that table by an unusual route: before growing sunflowers and tomatoes, they studied dangerous pathogens and emerging disease at Georgetown, so Brezzell can speak to the parasite and the pea patch in the same breath.
Brezzell joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss what it means to support local produce, especially as supply chains and food safety come under scrutiny.
Hear the full conversation using the media player above.
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