Deeply Rooted Produce Offering Fresh Options for Local Residents

Deeply Rooted Produce promotes itself as Detroit's' First Zero Waste Mobile Grocery Store. Established less than a decade ago, the market has both an online and physical presence in metro Detroit. Founder and Director of Operations Dazmonique Carr says her market is both a producer and distributor of fresh produce, utilizing a pop-up method at various locations throughout metro Detroit, including some farmers' markets. The goal is to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to residents who may be mobility-challenged or lacking access to a proper grocery store. She says many of her customers are senior citizens and lack access to a vehicle. "We make sure that food is accessible, so we just pop up to different areas in Detroit and metro Detroit. We also attend different farmers' market throughout the week and stock produce in wellness centers as well," she says. "What I've learned from the communities we serve is that a lot of them don't have a grocery store or farm stand within walking distance, or the quality of the produce that is provided at the grocery store they have access to is not worth the walk or is too expensive."

Home base for Deeply Rooted Produce is the east side of Detroit, where on 2.5 acres of land, Carr and a handful of volunteers work a garden which produces tomatoes, peppers, green beans and more, while also partnering with local growers to distribute their harvest to eager buyers. Promoting local farmers promotes the local economy, Carr says, adding that sustaining a local economy and building community are two or her organization's goals.

This summer, Deeply Rooted Produce's mobile market can be found in River Rouge at the public library on Tuesdays from 1 to 2 p.m. and the Palmer Park Farmers' Market on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Carr also partners with the health food store Pillar and Pride, located in Detroit, providing fresh produce for customers there. On a recent Tuesday afternoon, Carr's pop-up produce stand in River Rouge featured squash, potatoes, cucumbers, onions, a variety of peppers, snap peas, bananas, and cabbage. Deeply Rooted Produce's mobile market accepts Senior Project Fresh, SNAP/EBT, Double Up Food Bucks, cash, and credit cards.

Customers can order produce, dairy, and meat items online for delivery on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Carr says the online shopping method is hugely popular during the winter months.

A graduate of Wayne State University, Carr says she derives satisfaction when families realize there is an option available for obtaining fresh fruits and vegetables and it is affordable via SNAP or another subsidized food program they may be enrolled in. She says as a student studying sports and nutrition, she experienced firsthand a lack of fresh, healthy food such a fruits and vegetables. She volunteered with a number of organizations in Detroit that support families in need of food and nutritional guidance, sharing what she had learned in school with the community, eventually establishing Deeply Rooted Produce.

"We're increasing access, we're increasing the amount of people that are consuming fruits and vegetables, and we're just making people happier because they have access to great-tasting food," she says. "I learn more about myself every single day, how I would like to be a greater steward of this earth and a better person."

To find out more about Deeply Rooted Produce, to find a pop-up location, or to volunteer, go to http://www.deeplyrootedproduce.com or stop by her farm stand when she's in your neighborhood.