This Michigan project celebrates the rich history of community farmers and gardeners

Ypsi Farmers & Gardeners Oral History Project asks farmers and gardeners in Ypsilanti , Michigan , to share their stories.

Omer Jean Dixon Winborn still remembers the tomatoes and greens from her father’s garden.

The project launched in 2023 after Finn Bell , an assistant professor of human services at the University of Michigan-Dearborn , wanted to give back to the community.

Growing food is a way for a community to “literally regain sovereignty, to regain some control and freedom over themselves, their bodies, their families, their communities, Finn Bell said.

Ypsi is a microcosm of everywhere else in the U.S. , he said.

Bell also learned that small-scale food growers are increasingly important for building climate resilience, so that if one part of the food system fails, the entire system does not collapse.

The elders interviewed have found the process healing because they are not just telling history for its own sake.

Omer Jean Dixon Winborn grew up with handmade quilts and heirloom roses on the front porch of her grandparents’ home in Barnesville , Georgia .

Lee is working on a book that collects stories of Black farmers and growers across the country.

“ Beauty is a quality of life issue , and it is no less important to someone’s mental, physical, spiritual health than fresh food or water,” Lee said.