Picture steamy greenhouses full of hopeful seeds, rows of vibrant young lettuce sprouting from rich soil. Now zoom out to see that you are not in the deep country, you are looking at Brother Nature Farms in the middle of downtown Detroit. Though I only spoke with Greg Willerer, owner of Brother Nature farms, on the phone, I could sense his deep passion for his city and for the Earth. He was happy to take time out of his day (even with a baby on the way) to give me an in depth description of his experience as a farmer in Detroit, and more importantly, as a person that composts.
Overall, he stressed a "diversity of elements" when composting. This can be achieved by adding a variety of ingredients. Willerer compares making compost to making soup. Just as a good soup has many vegetables, spices, and flavors, a nutrient rich compost must be heterogeneous. "For every 2 ft of compost we put a bucket of ash". The ash adds carbon as well as high levels of potassium and calcium. Coffee grounds are also high in carbon. The variety leads to a high concentration of trace minerals in the finished product, these minerals are necessary for healthy plant growth. It is especially important in urban areas where much of the soil contains remnants of infrastructure or toxins. Another requirement for both residential and urban composting is stench control. To handle this, Willerer uses "lots of leaves", or to be more precise, 60-70% of the pile is leaves.
Willerer's efforts in urban farming and composting are impacting the future, and present, of Detroit. Gardens and farms are flourishing on the abundance of available land, these farms will shape the layout of future Detroit. As of now, Brother Nature and the other farms are providing a vital fresh food source for the residents of Detroit.
Overall, he stressed a "diversity of elements" when composting. This can be achieved by adding a variety of ingredients. Willerer compares making compost to making soup. Just as a good soup has many vegetables, spices, and flavors, a nutrient rich compost must be heterogeneous. "For every 2 ft of compost we put a bucket of ash". The ash adds carbon as well as high levels of potassium and calcium. Coffee grounds are also high in carbon. The variety leads to a high concentration of trace minerals in the finished product, these minerals are necessary for healthy plant growth. It is especially important in urban areas where much of the soil contains remnants of infrastructure or toxins. Another requirement for both residential and urban composting is stench control. To handle this, Willerer uses "lots of leaves", or to be more precise, 60-70% of the pile is leaves.
Willerer's efforts in urban farming and composting are impacting the future, and present, of Detroit. Gardens and farms are flourishing on the abundance of available land, these farms will shape the layout of future Detroit. As of now, Brother Nature and the other farms are providing a vital fresh food source for the residents of Detroit.
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