It all started in Macon, Michigan on a Conventional Farm when the founder of our group, Jamie, was an apprentice farmer at 16. Learning about conventional farming the “hard way” made Jamie forget about farming for much of his professional life. In 2001, he began to explore the city of Detroit by bicycle, (www.bikedetroit.com). This led to the discovery of the Virgin Oak-Beech Forest at Palmer Park and the History of its land use. Further research included historical books written about Senator Thomas Palmer, Sponsor of the Farming Bill, Founder of the Department of Agriculture and Grand Master, 33rd degree, G.A.R, “Guardian of the Light”. These explorations introduced him to Detroit’s vast and sprawling Park System. The parks he visited were filled with wondrous natural beauty including 7 virgin forests, that no car window or sunken freeway system had ever allowed anyone to see, most of which were completely abandoned by a materialistic and bankrupt culture, wrought with Self-Absorption. Jamie toured each and every park, 643 in total back in 2009, spread out amongst the 143 square miles of Detroit. From there, we began to study, question, and invent a new way forward. How could we help the City of Detroit reinvent and revaluate itself from the ground up? How could or would Urban Agriculture/Modern Day Homesteading work for everyone with no “Race” or “Class” system excluded? How could we motivate like-minded young progressives to move to Detroit and help change and heal the land and the City from centuries of Pain, Racism, Abandonment, and Neglect?
In 2009, the curtain was drawn back, and corruption was fully exposed. Worldwide Media Coverage showed the Mayor of Detroit going to Prison and the ugliness of Detroit was made plain and clear for the World to see. The City of Detroit became the battle ground for the Idealists to confront Racism and the Entitlement that turned the “Paris of the Midwest” into plastic rot and spiritual decay. A new type of ‘Flag War’ ensued. Not only were the citizens and their families made to suffer from the 60 years of Differed Maintenance, but a war zone of decay. 200,000 abounded structures including 100,000 homes were foreclosed, forcing families out onto the street, fast food containers and single use plastic were piled high and scattered all over the ground. The city’s once magnificent parks looked like landfills. Senator Palmer’s once Log Cabin Farm was abandoned decades ago. Nobody cared as drugs, prostitution, and crime were the normal “Park Life” in Detroit in 2009. What we saw everywhere were the ones who suffered the most, the children. The children of no hope, surrounded by materialism, fossil fuel raged consumerism, and endless decay. Imprisoned by a culture of self-absorption, processed food, and ‘single use everything’. Essentially a fast-food-drive-through-society and nation stuffed full of “an excess of Red Meat and Potatoes, leading to a dumbed down materialistic society” (Dr. R. Steiner, 1924) Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture.
Jamie, co-workers, family, and closest friends decided to take a stand, practice, and prove out Dr. Steiner’s theories in plain sight. Availing ourselves up for the Trails by Hardship, practicing the ‘Great Work’ at the once Native American Hunting Ground, Log Cabin Farm turned abandoned and misused Palmer Park. We fixed and reopened the park in plain public view with our own resources, testing, recording, and scientifically proving Dr. Rudolph Steiner’s theories on Agriculture/Biodynamics. We redesigned a local-regenerative-sustainable-homestead-economy for our family and for the citizens of Detroit, Children, and Grandchildren! Instead of growing up as little mesmerized consumers, what if we could help grow strong kids (Trees) by infusing them with food that was as nutritional as possible, as nutrition and intelligence are inexplicably linked.
We started our journey formally in 2009 with Sgt. Erik Eide of the Detroit Mounted Police. After being led through the Racist and Corrupt Cronyism System of the Entitled Few, we made our way to the City’s Planning and Recreation Departments. Steered in many directions, we began our practice in Rouge Park, (the City’s Largest 1400 plus Acres). Next, “steered” to Owen Park on the Detroit River (the last original French Era Ribbon Farm to exist on either side) and finally we landed in Palmer Park. We established ROI Urban Farms to inspire, fix, and share the natural beauty of what was waiting to be re-discovered outside of the automobile and its unsustainable planet killing fossil fuel agenda. We re-imagined what sustainability and farming could be in a world that consumed little to no fossil fuel. To create our very own Permaculture, located right in the Heart of the inner city. We did this in the place we felt needed it the most.
We went into and not away from what was wrong. We chose to commit our lives to living and practicing our craft in Detroit, MI. The very same place where the Department of Agriculture, Urban Sprawl, shopping malls, and the Automobile Agenda started in the first place.
We were honored to recreate and bring the USDA NOP certification back to Senator Thomas Palmer’s Log Cabin Farm turned City Park (original sponsor of the Farming Bill, giving birth to the Department of Agriculture). The First Certified Biodynamic Farm and Biodynamic Compost Producer to be located in Detroit. We are humbled and honored to be the first and only Sun and Earth Certified Regenerative Organic Farm in Michigan (East of the West Coast) 2020-Present and the first Real Organic Certified Farm (2020 - 2022), to exist inside any city throughout the entire USA. Our farming practices have set new benchmarks in the forms of measurable weight and yields. We only grow in the Biodynamic compost that we create, allowing people of all colors the opportunity to consume fresh, living, elemental-enzyme-enhanced food, 365 days a year.
313-748-8971
ROI Biodynamic Benchmarks
State of Michigan, Ohio, and World Biodynamic Community
1st Sun and Earth certified Organic Vape-CART Processes (2023 - Present).
1st Sun and Earth Certified Regenerative Organic Homestead Farm & Compost Facility East of West Coast, (2020 - Present).
1st Real Organic Certified Farm to be located inside a major USA city, (2020 - 2022).
1st USDA NOP & Demeter Biodynamic Organic Certified Mead: Beet, Watermelon, Sweet Potato, Cucumber, and Carrot, (2018 - Present).
1st Demeter Certified Biodynamic Organic Farm in Ohio, Drummond Road, Toledo, OH., (2018 - 2021).
1st USDA NOP Demeter Certified Biodynamic Organic Mobil Farm, above ground hills, parking lots studies, (2016 - 2018).
1st Demeter Certified Biodynamic Farm in Detroit, Homestead Farms, Hamilton and Pontchartrain, (2015 - 2023).
1st USDA NOP & Demeter Certified Farm-City-Park, Palmer Park, (2015 - 2023).
USDA NOP & Demeter Certified Biodynamic Organic Compost operation, W. Chicago Facility, Detroit, MI., (2015 - May 17, 2023).
1st Demeter Certified Biodynamic Organic Cannabis, 1st in Michigan and 3rd Cannabis Certification in North America, (2015-May 17, 2023).
1st USDA NOP & Demeter Certified Biodynamic Organic Zero Add Medicinal Cannabis Compost, W. Chicago Facility, Detroit, MI. (2015-May 17, 2023).
1st Demeter Biodynamic Organic Certified CBD, RSO, and Cannabis Essential Oil: Cure for Cancer, (2015 - May 17, 2023).
1st Demeter Biodynamic Organic Certified Bio-Hash, Edible or Smokable Biodynamic Cannabis Concentrate, (2015 - May 17, 2023).
1st USDA NOP Demeter Biodynamic Organic Certified Truffles, Philosophers Stone, (2015 - May 17, 2023).