17th Annual Tour of Detroit Urban Gardens & Farms 

All tours are FULL. However, there are often last minute cancelations and no shows. If you did not pre-register, we encourage to come to check-in at 5pm and put your name on the wait list. Any seats that become available will be filled first come, first serve from the wait list. 

Say nice things about Detroit! A bankrupt city? A food desert? One giant farm? Ignore all you’ve heard and join us for the 17th Annual Tour of Urban Gardens and Farms to learn how Detroit’s urban agriculture community is addressing challenges facing the city. The work of urban gardeners and farmers has been growing exponentially as gardens continue to thrive in backyards, on church and school grounds, and in the marketplace with an increasing amount of dollars exchanged between urban growers, consumers, and local food entrepreneurs. These gardens are also growing beyond their harvest, utilizing Detroit’s unique assets to re-localize the food economy and change local political, social and economic landscapes.

On August 6th, guests will travel by bus and bike routes to visit a sampling of the city’s urban gardens, farms, and other innovative agriculture projects and businesses. Tours will leave from Eastern Market Shed 3, located on Russell Street between Adelaide and Division Streets in Detroit. Sign-in begins at 5:00pm and tours will leave at 6:00pm sharp. After the tour, a reception featuring locally-grown food and refreshments prepared by local chefs will provide guests with a taste of Detroits delicious food system. Back by popular demand, the reception will feature a Good Food Bazaar, where guests can learn about opportunities to plug into Detroit’s food community from starting a community garden or launching a new food business to purchasing handmade artisanal food from local food entrepreneurs.

All buses are air-conditioned and have restrooms on board.

Bike tours require you to bring your own bicycle and all participants must wear a helmet. The bike corral will be monitored pre-tour but you are responsible for locking and safety of your bicycle. 

Tour Routes

Bus Route 1: North - This tour, featuring a lot of new gardens, is sure to impress with the diversity of gardens and farms. Heading up I-75, we’ll sweep through Hamtramck to see Hamtown Farm and then head up to the northeast for stops at Farwell Field, Buffalo Street Market Garden, and the IMPACT senior garden at St. John Conner Creek Village.

Bus Route 2: Westside - We’ll meander through the bountiful Brightmoor neighborhood, including a stop to hear from the youth at Lamphere Community Garden. En route, we’ll visit City Temple Community Garden and Orchard Street Garden, bursts of fresh food and flowers along Grand River!

Bus Route 3: Eastside - We’ll take to the lower Eastside on this tour to visit Feedom Freedom, Vedic Village, Three Sisters, and Faith Farm. These great gardens see open space as true opportunities to transform vacant lots into thriving community spaces.

Bike Route 1: North End (approx. 10 miles roundtrip) - Get your water bottle ready for this loop to the North End. Although this is the longest route, it will be worth the pedaling as we see an abundance of gardens in the neighborhood, including Oakland Avenue Market Garden and Central Detroit Christian’s Community Garden and Farm and Fishery Project. We'll also hear from Detroit Black Community Food Security Network about their plans for the new Food Co-op in the neighborhood.

Bike Route 2: Downtown (approx. 7 miles roundtrip) - Strap on your helmet as we head Downtown to visit an array of great gardens including Lafayette Greens, Plum Street Market Garden, Frederick Douglass School, Labrosse Farm, and Fresh Cut Detroit flower farm. This tour will highlight some of the entrepreneurial efforts of small businesses in the city, including Detroit Grown and Made, where  Food Lab Detroit’s entrepreneurs are making limited run products with  Grown in Detroit produce.

Bike Route 3: Eastside (approx. 7 miles roundtrip) - Although this is the shortest route, there is no shortage of great gardens to see. With a little help from the Eastside Riders, we’ll stop at Earthworks Urban Farm, Genesis Hope’s Garden and Farmers’ Market, and then pedal through the famed Farnsworth Neighborhood for a few garden visits there!

Registration opens Friday, July 11th and early registration is strongly recommended.

When registering, be prepared to provide contact information for all attendees and to choose which bike or bus tour you would like to attend. Descriptions of the tour routes are above. For parties larger than six please call 313-757-2635. The fee for the tour, payable in advance or at the door, is a sliding scale $5-$75 to offset tour costs and help grow Detroits agriculture movement.

Register Now!