Indoor farm in Detroit grows greens year-round from seed to harvest
(CBS DETROIT) - Fresh produce can be hard to come by, but a local farm in Detroit is making this more accessible.
On the corner of Mt. Elliott and Lafayette sits Planted Detroit.
"A farm, but not one that you may be familiar with," said Megan Burritt, leader of business development.
Burritt says Planted Detroit is a hub that houses freshly grown greens.
"We are what we call a controlled environment agriculture farm," she said.
Three hundred and sixty-five days a year, produce for salads, like greens, micro greens and herbs are grown indoors from seed to harvest using special lights and a nutrient-dense water solution.
"Because of how clean we grow the greens, they last a really long time in your fridge. So, the salads actually last 9 days, but we see them as good as two to three weeks long in your fridge which is pretty incredible," Burritt said.
Since Planted Detroit started in 2018, it now has nearly 1,500 customers. Cat Shapiro-Warneck has been loyal from the beginning.
"Beyond it being sustainable and being grown here, it's supporting another local business who truly, their roots are driven in making the city a better place," said Shapiro-Warneck.
Shapiro-Warneck is a chef and owns her own business called Thyme & Honey. She gets a lot of her greens from Planted Detroit.
"I love being able to add different touches to different dishes with the variety that they have. So, sometimes I feel like using a basic salad mix, sometimes I want to use baby cilantro, or Sorrell or whatever it is," she stated.
Even flowers you can eat! Yes, they are grown at the farm, too.
"Food and flowers is a big deal so to be able to add those personal, pretty touches is really nice," she said.
Shapiro-Warneck's go-to though is dill.
"Definitely, I'd say my favorite herb is dill. Anybody that knows me in Planted knows that we are BFFs, we go hand in hand," she said
She even inspired the company to create the salad called the "New Center Salad."
"Only available through the summer and it does highlight dill and McClure's pickles which are also a Detroit staple," Shapiro-Warneck said.
Compared to your average grocery store, at Planted Detroit, they pride themselves on creating produce that's not only fresh and flavorful but safe.
Burritt says the company's overall goal is to improve the food system in the city and southeast Michigan by not only serving food-access-constrained individuals but also by being a positive food source and food system of the future.
"We see how much agriculture is compromised by climate change and different things that are happening in the economy and we want to be a stable source of healthy, delicious food for Detroiters forever," she said.
Planted Detroit is the ultimate farm-to-table experience.
"There's clearly demand for a nutritious salad that also tastes really great," said Burritt.
Currently, Planted Detroit is building a second farm dedicated to growing edible flowers and research development.
The company hopes to expand even more in the next few years.
Burritt says you can buy salads online. They are also available at farmers markets across the area including Eastern Market, Rivertown Market as well as other Meijer stores, all of the Plum Markets and Henry Ford Health Systems.
The company also offers tours for anyone in the community.