MAY 8, 2012 -- Last month, an exciting new local business has arrived in Southwest Detroit. Detroit Farm & Garden Supply (DFG) features garden and farming products for anyone from the neophyte urban gardener to the technically savvy urban farmer.
Jeff Klein, who has owned a landscaping business for 13 years and lived in Detroit for two more, started the business. Some of his more notable work includes landscaping Detroit's first green alley and Jerome Ferretti's "Monumental Kitty." DFG is located in a former Detroit Police Precinct #3 building on Vernor Street in between Corktown and southwest Detroit’s Mexicantown neighborhoods.
The mission of Farm and Garden is “to provide quality gardening, farming and landscape resources to Detroit’s communities. DFG hopes to enable local economies, urban agriculture, food sovereignty and beauty in Detroit’s neighborhoods through material resources, educational opportunities and community networks.” Well, let’s go!
Owner Jeff Klein explains that he wants the store to be more than a farm and garden supply. In fact, he envisions it as part of the community fabric. It goes beyond products on the shelves. It’s special programs for youth, community outreach and classes that include brick paving and how to actually use the products at DFG.
And like most small business owners, the power of customer service is not lost on Klein. “Typical sales here are 10 to 20 minutes, with a conversation about the product and sharing experiences and tips,” explains Klein. The landscaping supplies are “a major component of the community in Southwest, with many skilled people in need of a local place to buy product.” Along with many basic tools and soils, there are also interesting and surprising products available. There is an area with feed, not only for chickens but for goats, horses and rabbits. They have various fertilizers, such as bone, blood and alfalfa meal as well as manure. The store also has a broad array of heirloom and organic seeds for plants and vegetables. Finally, the front area features great local kitchen industry products from the city. This week, they will be creating a special seedling soil for starting plants indoors and includes minerals and other essentials to get your seeds going.
For more information, visit Detroit Farm & Garden Supply's official website, official Facebook page or give them a ring at 313-655-2344. ~ANGENETTE VAN LIEU-MUÑOS
