Join The Brightmoor Farmstead Incubator Project

Applications due by February 20, 2026

We are excited to announce that applications are now open for important opportunities to help shape the Brightmoor Farmstead Incubator Project:

  1. Brightmoor Farmstead Incubator Project (BFIP) Governance Committee – Contribute to the growth and governance of BFIP, supporting local producers and community-led initiatives.

  2. BFIP Education & Advocacy Subcommittee – Rolling applications; support BFIP civic and community engagement efforts.

  3. BFIP Producers Cooperative Subcommittee – Rolling applications; help guide and support the development of a Black and Indigenous producers cooperative.

APPLY NOW

BFIP Governance Commitee
Producers Cooperative Subcommittee (BFIP)

We welcome applications from all who are passionate about supporting local producers, equity-focused community development, and the Brightmoor neighborhood. Your skills and perspective can make a real difference.

Education & Advocacy Subcommittee (BFIP)

Brightmoor Farmstead Incubator Project

The Brightmoor Farmstead Incubator Project is an initiative of Brightmoor Artisans Collective (BAC) designed to support and empower BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) residents in the Brightmoor area. Our goal is to promote food system equity and economic development in our neighborhood by assisting BIPOC residents in establishing an agricultural Community Land Trust and Producers Cooperative comprised of local BIPOC farmers.

Brightmoor Is Impacted by Food Apartheid

Did you know that almost half of Brightmoor is home to food desert census tracts? This reality means that many community members face limited access to fresh, affordable, nutritious food. As a majority BIPOC community, this lack of food access mirrors food apartheid throughout the city of Detroit.

At BAC, we are committed to supporting equitable ownership of food production in Brightmoor. By transforming vacant city land into urban farmsteads, we can enhance local access to fresh, healthy food, benefiting everyone in the area.

A Brief History of Land Use In Brightmoor

Brightmoor was established in the early 1920s as a modest, planned community of affordable single-family homes built for workers drawn to Detroit’s growing automobile industry, many of whom migrated from the American South in search of stable employment and a place to put down roots.

For much of its history, Brightmoor evolved without a comprehensive, city-led strategic neighborhood plan that articulated long-term goals for land use and resident-driven development. While community groups and local leaders shaped informal visions over the decades — including neighborhood-generated land use work such as the Restore the ’Moor process in the 2010s — a formal City of Detroit Brightmoor Neighborhood Framework Plan did not begin until early 2023, with a draft and community engagement phase extending into 2025.

In the absence of a sustained strategic plan and with chronic disinvestment, development in Brightmoor has often reflected the priorities of private interests rather than the voices of its residents. Compounding this imbalance, a significant portion of land in the neighborhood is currently held by the Detroit Land Bank Authority after years of abandonment and tax foreclosure.

The Brightmoor Farmstead Incubator Project was borne out of this history. It is rooted in the community’s own choices about how land should serve Brightmoor residents — especially historically marginalized Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) farmers and food producers — rather than outside market forces.

About The BFIP

The Brightmoor Farmstead Incubator Project supports community-elected farmers, neighbors, and nonprofit partners in co-designing a future for land use that reflects what residents have identified as priorities: urban agriculture, food business development, and shared economic opportunity.

Working collaboratively, these community stakeholders are incubating a BIPOC Producers Cooperative of Brightmoor residents and establishing a Community Land Trust*. This structure is intended to create long-term, secure access to land for farming and food enterprises that benefit both cooperative members and the broader neighborhood. The cooperative model ensures that ownership and decision-making stay with the people who live and work in Brightmoor, helping to anchor wealth, stewardship, and food production locally rather than leaving these decisions to outside developers or short-term investors.

* The Brightmoor Farmstead Incubator Project is to establish a land trust to be held by a BIPOC-owned Producers Cooperative; Members of the Cooperative will share ownership through the trust. If you are a BIPOC resident interested in private land ownership for urban agriculture, we encourage you to apply for the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund. When purchasing lots from the DLBA, BIPOC farmers may also request purchase endorsement from Brightmoor Artisans Collective, a DLBA Community Partner.

Do you already have plans for a lot in Brightmoor?

We’d love to hear about it!

This project is in the planning stages. Our current project area map features qualifying clusters of city owned lots that could be 1 of 25 potential farmsteads highlighted in GREY. Lots highlighted in PINK have been removed from consideration. Lots colored YELLOW indicate a removal request has been submitted and is under review.

CONTACT US

LOT REMOVAL REQUESTS

Lot removal requests are encouraged as part of the community feedback process.

Overall, the project goal is 25 acres of scattered farm sites. Each site on the map is a cluster of city owned vacant lots that are 1/2 an acre to an acre in size. For reference, 1 acre of land is around 9-12 residential lots.

The collection of sites under review on the project map are not all intended to be added to the Community Land Trust; we have currently capped our project at 25 farm sites. The map displayed shows almost 300 potential sites, a maximum of 25 that may be added to the Community Land Trust. Your community input will help us determine the areas of vacant land in Brightmoor that would be best suited to the project.

All lot removal requests are reviewed by the Governance Committee. Pending requests on the map list the parties that submitted the request for community reference and to encourage further transparent conversation around land use in the Brightmoor area. Submission of a request does not automatically ensure that the lots will be removed from consideration.

The purpose of the contact form is to facilitate community feedback on the potential project sites. Removal requests from parties that do not currently reside in the project area will not be considered.

When submitting your request, please let us know the following:

  • Do you reside in the Brightmoor project area (Telegraph to Evergreen, McNichols to Outer Drive)? Please provide your residential address (this information will not be made public and is for verification purposes only).

  • In the case that the lot is adjacent to your property, have you already submitted a request to purchase the lot from the DLBA? If so, what is the status of your request?

  • Do you, your block club or organization have other use already planned for the site? Please note that while general blight clean up is valued, the committee is specifically interested in intended future use of the vacant land and how it will benefit the community. Let us know your vision!

  • Have you been actively caring for the site and for how long?

  • Are there other locations on the project area map that you would prefer the project utilize? Why?

To learn more about the purchasing process for neighborhood lots from the Detroit Land Bank Authority, please visit the related DLBA page:

  • Side Lot Sales — For residents interested in purchasing an adjacent vacant lot. Adjacent residents have first right of purchase for 6 months after the property is offered for sale.

  • DLBA Neighborhood Lot Sales — For residents in a 500 foot radius of desired lot. Local residents have second right of purchase 6 months after the property is offered for sale. This right is in effect for 6 months after you receive the sales preference.

  • DLBA Auction Sales — DLBA policy is to provide adjacent and local residents first right of purchase for the year after a property is offered for sale. If you are not an adjacent neighbor or residing within 500 feet of the lot, you will be last in line for purchasing rights. Currently available lots open for public purchase are on the DLBA auction site.

Project Leadership

The Governance Committee

Our project is driven by a Governance Committee elected by the community. This ensures that the policies and practices we implement genuinely reflect the needs and aspirations of the community. Annual nominations open in November and applications will be accepted through February. Annual elections take place in March; voting begins March 1st and closes March 31st. Nominees must receive an approval vote of 2/3 or more to be elected and will serve a term of 2 years with the option to serve a maximum of 5 terms.

Education and Advocacy Subcommittee*

The Governance Committee has established a vital subcommittee to promote the project’s mission and support farmer participants in their endeavors. The Education and Advocacy Subcommittee is responsible for community workshops & educational resources related to the project as well as community outreach efforts.

The Producers Cooperative Subcommittee**

A key strategy of the project is to incubate a producers cooperative of BIPOC farmers in the project. This initiative allows local farmers to collaborate, share resources, and advocate for their needs. By uniting, they can access larger markets and amplify their collective voice.

As part of Brightmoor Artisans’s Incubation efforts and under the leadership of the BFIP Governance Committee, The Producers Cooperative Subcommittee is dedicated to developing a business model that is owned and governed by its members. Farmer member-owners will collaboratively manage the land trust and resulting cooperative business, benefiting from shared knowledge and resources. Farmers interested in becoming members of the Producers Cooperative are strongly encouraged to apply for the Governance Committee in order to have a vote in project development decisions.

**Subcommittees are working groups that welcome all equity focused helpers; subcommittees are not project voting bodies and applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Meet the

Governance Committee

BFIP Subcommittee Applications

(rolling basis)

BFIP Advocacy and Education Subcommittee
BFIP Producers Cooperative Subcommittee

Have a question about the Brightmoor Farmstead Incubator Project?

Contact Us at brightmoorartisans@gmail.com