January 31, 2025
Grant Funding
Seed Award Spotlight: Detroit Hives
Founded on the principles of conservation, education, and revitalization, Detroit Hives is turning vacant city
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In our “Seed Award Spotlight” series, we asked the Fall 2024 Seed Award winners about their experience as a food or farm entrepreneur, including the passion behind their business, and their vision for positive change in their community. This January, 18 Seed Award winners were chosen to receive seed funding totaling almost $250,000. These grants represent not just a financial investment, but an acknowledgment of the vital role farms and food distributors play in advancing Michigan’s food value chain.
One standout recipient is Detroit Hives, a unique urban bee farm making waves in Detroit, Michigan. Founded on the principles of conservation, education, and revitalization, Detroit Hives transforms vacant city lots into vibrant bee farms that not only provide safe havens for crucial pollinators in our ecosystem but serve as educational hubs to demystify bees and promote their importance to a broad audience.
Keep reading to learn more about Detroit Hives and how their dynamic approach to urban agriculture is making a powerful impact on the environment and the community in Detroit.
Name: Nicole Lindsey
Business: Detroit Hives
What does being selected as a Seed Award winner mean to you personally, and how does it reflect on the journey of your business so far?
Personally, being selected as a Michigan Good Food Fund Seed Award winner is a significant milestone for me. It signifies achievement and recognition of innovative work supporting both people and pollinators. This award highlights our contributions to local food systems, environmental stewardship, and community revitalization in Detroit.
The recognition reflects Detroit Hives’ journey from its inception as a grassroots initiative to becoming a leading example of urban sustainability. It validates our mission to educate the community about the importance of pollinators, foster environmental responsibility, and create economic opportunities in Detroit. The award also underscores our commitment to addressing food security by supporting pollinators, which are essential to local agriculture and food production.
In essence, this honor celebrates Detroit Hives’ dedication to creating a greener, healthier, and more sustainable Detroit, while inspiring others to see the potential in transforming urban spaces for the betterment of the community.
In what ways will the Seed Award funding support your immediate and long-term business goals?
The Michigan Good Food Seed Award funding provides vital support to Detroit Hives, enabling the organization to achieve both its immediate and long-term business goals. In the short term, the funding helps expand urban beekeeping operations, enhance community outreach programs, and increase access to locally sourced honey and pollinator education. This directly supports the mission to transform vacant lots into thriving bee farms and raise awareness about the importance of pollinators in urban ecosystems. Over the long term, the award empowers Detroit Hives to scale its impact, foster environmental sustainability, and create economic opportunities within the community by positioning itself as a leader in urban agriculture and environmental stewardship.
Can you share your vision for the positive changes this award will enable you to make in your business and the broader community?
Pollution, blight, and abandonment are linked to higher rates of chronic mental and physical health conditions, especially among people of color. According to Detroit Future City, Detroit has 24 square miles of vacant land that has yet to be returned to productive use. These include commercial properties that may have contaminated the air, water, soil, and nearby natural habitats when in operation and small residential lots that eventually became overgrown with grass or shrubbery, making them prime spots for illegal dumping and other unsavory activity. Much of this property is in neighborhoods predominated by Black people with low income.
Detroit Hives is addressing disparities within marginalized communities by using pollinator habitats to reactivate vacant properties and facilitate food security, positive health outcomes, and environmental justice. A pollinator is an insect, bird, small animal, or anything that moves pollen to aid in fertilizing plants. The National Park Service says one out of every three bites of food exists because of pollinators’ efforts, including many fruits, vegetables, and seeds. Establishing pollinator gardens and apiaries can increase residents’ access to fresh food in sections of Detroit lacking produce sources as well as stabilize soil, clean air, supply oxygen, and support wildlife. Additionally, honey bees produce honey, which has been proven to boost immune systems, provide antioxidants, and act as an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agent. It also assists with coughs, colds, and diabetes management.
With support from the Michigan Good Food Fund, Detroit Hives is poised to continue its ongoing mission to improve underserved communities for both people and pollinators by transforming blighted vacant lots into thriving green spaces, while also working to address food insecurity, food safety, and economic mobility.
What led you to start your business? What motivates you to do what you do?Reactivating lots in strategic locations is central to Detroit Hives’ mission and organizational development because it brings together community members across different neighborhoods in innovative ways to beautify, sustain, and improve the overall health and quality of life of their neighborhoods. The project is also a direct outgrowth of Detroit Hives’ highly personal origin story. Cofounder Tim Jackson was dealing with a persistent health problem and turned to raw honey as a remedy. He and fellow co-founder, Nicole Lindsey, became intrigued by the substance’s healing qualities and set out to learn more. Both native Detroiters, they were convinced that bees and honey could play a significant role in revitalizing the city’s decimated neighborhoods and sought to educate others about the importance of pollinators, local raw honey and their impact within our local ecosystems.
Want to try wildflower honey from Detroit Hives? Visit their website to find their Detroit location or view online ordering options. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
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