FARMSTAND and VEGGIE UPICK The days are short and the ground is frozen, so we are closed for the 2024 season. We expect to have asparagus starting in May and strawberries in June 2025. Sign up for our newsletter (link at the bottom of the page) to get updates from Slow Farm.
Read about Slow Farm here: Slow Farm: Growing Healthy Food and Justice in the Food System Crazy Wisdom Issue #87, September 2024
Our Values and Practices
Slow Farm is a woman-owned biodiverse and USDA certified organic U-Pick and CSA farm with an on-site farmstand 3 miles north of Ann Arbor, Michigan. We provide our community in Southeast Michigan with heirloom produce, flowers, and a hands-on experience of socially and ecologically-minded growing. We prioritize these values and practices:
(Bio)diversity
Biodiverse agriculture yields nutrient-dense produce while also fostering food sovereignty and ecosystemic health. That’s why we aim to support biodiversity in all its forms by:
1) Using no-till practices and avoiding harmful pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers
2) Cultivating a wide variety of heirloom vegetables, flowers, and herbs to attract biodiversity and preserve the genetic diversity of our crops
3) Honoring and lifting up the diversity of our staff, volunteers, and visitors
Health
Ecologically-grown and nutritious produce is vital to both physical and mental health, but that link has been neglected. We hope to revitalize this connection between food, the environment, and public health by:
1) Increasing the accessibility of our local, organic produce by accepting SNAP, EBT, and DUFB and having a self-serve farmstand for after-work hours
2) Providing hands-on agroecology and nutrition education through our U-Pick operation
Discovery
Gentle discovery of the world around us builds informed, motivated, and caring stewardship of our lands and our communities. We strive to hold a space for such discovery to occur by:
1) Having our U-Pick and farmstand be our main point of sales so that customers are invited to immerse themselves in the sensory experience of biodiverse growing
2) Offering heirloom varieties that are not available in the conventional grocery store or even at farmers markets
3) Training our staff and volunteers to be farmers and educators so that our visitors feel empowered and supported
Belonging
A food system that cultivates a sense of belonging to place and to community, for both growers and consumers alike is a just and sustainable food system. We aim to model what such a system looks like by:
1) Practicing care towards ourselves as farmers and ensuring that we are compensated fairly
2) Approaching the farm as a community gathering space and working to make that space more accessible to people of different backgrounds
3) Recognizing that many of us grew up disconnected from our food, as well as the natural world, and offering our farm as a (re)introduction to the joy and hope of ecological growing