Urban homesteading in Detroit

Can Detroit re-imagine and design itself as the future of America's former industrial cities? There are some encouraging -- even inspiring -- developments happening in the Motor City that suggest something like that just might be happening. It's a story that has heretofore gone pretty much unreported by our major media outlets.

So thanks to Tree Media for documenting Detroit's ambitious urban agriculture experiment. Check out their trailer for "Urban Roots".

By the way, Tree Media is an experiment in its own right - exploring the use of video to promote social change. Their mission:

Stories have the power to change the world: they shape our thinking, drive culture, and create our lives. Tree Media is a production company with a mission to use stories and media to help encourage an open society based on wisdom and informed, positive action.

Tree Media has been working for more than 14 years on projects that examine conscious-ness, global transformation, conflict resolution, care & sustainability, the environment, and human development.

Urban Roots

Tree Media

May 2011

As summer begins, Tree has completed our next feature-length documentary (after The 11th Hour) called Urban Roots, about the urban farming revolution in Detroit. While Urban Roots is a film about urban farming, it goes way beyond farming and Detroit to discuss the realities of post-industrial collapse, food deserts, food justice, and community rights. The film shows the shocking state of Detroit as a given and focuses on the farms and community that have risen up to meet the challenges that they face. The result is truly remarkable; the humanity, tremendously moving.

We support the movement to build a healthy, sustainable food system and so Tree is giving a portion of proceeds from this film to putting farms in schools. Join us, watch the film and help build a sustainable future. - Leila Conners & Mathew Schmid.