jøn kent, June 15th, 2024

jøn kent, June 15th, 2024

In this interview, jøn kent discusses his urban farm, and how it has responded to the effects of climate change and other environmental issues on Detroit. He also discusses the impact of flooding and Covid-19 on Jefferson Chalmers.

Detroit Historical Society

Detroit Historical Society

en-US

jøn kent

jøn kent lived in the Six Mile and Hoover neighborhood until the age of 12, when he moved to Santa Monica. While at college, he became involved in environmental justice organizing along with fellow student Parker Jean. He moved to the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood of Detroit in 2019, and co-founded Sanctuary Farms in 2021.

Doris Lanzkron-Tamarazo

6/15/2024

32:26

Doris Lanzkron-Tamarazo: Doris Lanzkron-Tamarazo. It's June 15th, 2024, and I'm here in Detroit with, please say your name.

jøn kent: jøn kent.

DLT: And can you please spell your name?

JK: That is j o n k e n t.

DLT: Do you live in the city of Detroit?

JK: I happily do. I'm in Jefferson Chalmers.

DLT: How long have you lived in that neighborhood?

JK: I've lived in that neighborhood since 2019. June, to be exact.

DLT: Have you lived in other neighborhoods in Detroit?

JK: Yes, I have I. Oh, hold on, I'm going to adjust my seat. [Laughter] So, I've lived in other neighborhoods. One other neighborhood, my childhood neighborhood, which is Von Steuben on the Google Maps. [Laughter] But, how I grew up, we just called it Six Mile and Hoover.

DLT: And how long did you live in those neighborhoods?

JK: I lived in that neighborhood from zero to about 12.

DLT: Okay. Do you work in the city of Detroit?

JK: I do.

DLT: What career are you in?

JK: I'm a community developer.

DLT: And what does that work look like?

JK: Well, that work looks like through, having stewarded and co-founded a farm and composting operation. What we want to do is really center people to have access to fresh food and nature. And hopefully that can spurs some development in terms of, you know, housing.

DLT: What's the name of your farm?

JK: Sanctuary Farms.

DLT: How did that get started?

JK: Midlife crisis. Actually, quarter life. I'm not yet 50. Well, it came out of the idea that me and Parker [Jean], the other co-founder, wanted to be of help. Particularly as it relates to, you know, the ecology. Because a lot of careers usually, some ways are completely detached, or are extracting a lot and not really giving back to the environment. Coupled with the fact that one has kind of not a lot of autonomy in their own career and not even making a sufficient amount of money to live a quality life. So we want to do something where we can give back to the environment and put food on the table. So we went the literal route. We started a farm.

DLT: And were you in a different career before then?

JK: Yes. Yes. I, like many people, was a student for quite some time. I'm still a student now, actually, I'm getting my masters at U of M. But my earliest career was acting professionally for many years, and then I was a substitute teacher. And just, you know, finding little hustles along the way. But, you know, acting has definitely been my, one of the things that have given me a passion and a reason to, you know, keep going. And I wanted to have another career like that. And I'm grateful to now have Sanctuary Farms.

DLT: And what year did you found Sanctuary Farms?

JK: 2021. That's usually when we say we started, because that's when we bought our first four parcels here. But we were working on it and thinking about this idea back in 2020, early 2020.

DLT: And what did those those early days look like?

JK: Those early days look like tossing around a lot of ideas. Figuring out what could really be useful. And what is something that we could sustain. So it was it was a lot of just, you know, existential conversations. [Laughter] Like, you know, what's our purpose? And, you know, what's life about? Yeah.

DLT: Would you say your farm is affected by climate change?

JK: Most definitely.

DLT: And how so?

JK: We're noticing it, as we speak. It's getting hotter. Right now, we're on the precipice of, you know, 80 to 90 degree weather. The news is reporting that soon it's looking like we'll have a heat wave come through the city. I'm really grateful that we chose a time where it's not unbearable. I was very afraid of that. I was thinking we may need to come here around like, 8 or 9, but it's, it's a good, I would say it feels like a nice high 70s, even though I believe we're technically in the 80s. That being said, you know, our farmers are coming here a lot earlier. Because they don't want to be, you know, drenched in sweat as they work. So. Yeah.

DLT: And besides coming earlier in the morning, what are some other ways that you're preparing or reacting to the change in temperatures?

JK: Well, we want to be able to make use of it by having some solar panels and, you know, kind of collecting energy, since it's going to be flowing through the sun, being on optimal heat. We're also— So, a lot of the things that we would like to do, we have to be very cognizant of if that is in the realm of what we can get approved to do through BSEED and other, you know, planning regulatory bodies. So we'd love to be able to kind of put in a pond to not only collect water, but have it be a great way for if there's excess to go into that pond. As cool and necessary as that is, it is a headache when you think planning-wise and what that would entail. So, we've had to be very slow and calculated on what we can do. So right now, it's very much the focal point of focusing on the solar energy installation.

DLT: And are there any particular organizations or companies that you were planning to get solar panels from?

JK: Yeah, we're looking at Family 1st Solar. Hope I'm getting that whole name right, but it's a great organization, black-owned young company that has been doing some great solar panel installations around the city of Detroit. I believe they've worked at, Avalon Village, the Joy Project and others.

DLT: And what are some of the considerations that go into getting these solar panels for your farm?

JK: Well, we live in an environment where money is still very present. So, you know, budget concerns or I should say, being aware of the financial constraints that we have. So thankfully we've been able to get a grant, so, we're able to not have to worry about it. But then within the grant, it's not a blank check. So we have to work within the constraints of how much we're offered. And, from there, you know, we were kind of thinking about, okay, how much energy do we see ourselves using?
And, we want to start hosting events here. You know, have this place be a place where people can come and fellowship and, you know, have a DJ. Eat, drink and be merry. So. Meanwhile, having a farm as well. So it's like with an irrigation pump running and speakers going on and people charging up their DJ set booths and turntables and maybe some other, need electricity. How many panels would be sufficient for that? So, that's what the Family 1st Solar folks are working on to figure that calculations out, and will be getting back to us on.

DLT: And where is the grant from?

JK: Oh, my God, I don't know. [Laughter] So, there's I don't know, unfortunately.

DLT: And you mentioned earlier an organization called BSEED, was it?

JK: Yeah. BSEED is Building Safety Environment Engineering Department. The Engineering and Environment may be switched. Dyslexia is real. But that is the acronym for BSEED.

DLT: And what do they do? Regarding your farm.

JK: So, they're a regulatory planning body. So when you are building anything or, you know, plan to bring some type of structure, you usually have to go through kind of a permitting process and get approval for that. So they can look over your plans and make sure that it is well within the cold and make sure it's not going to be hazardous to the environment and, you know, other community members.

DLT: And do you feel that combating or alleviating climate change is an important part of your work?

JK: Of course, it's paramount. Noticing that, you know, we're in an area, as I mentioned, that's getting a lot of heat waves coming our way. We've experienced flooding not too long ago and likely to experience flooding again, amidst the lack of quality food in the area. This area is a food apartheid, unlike most areas in Detroit. We're grateful to be doing something where we're actually helping replenish the soil because also, soil quality around the world is diminishing.
So we're focusing on not only cleaning up the environment and providing beautiful spaces for people. But also trying to diminish the harsh effects of climate change. Well, we're one farm. And, you know, as much as I'd like to say we're having a tremendous impact. I do think we're having that impact on a local level. But there's a lot more that needs to go on, on a global level. End especially the U.S., you know, because our output of methane and carbon emissions is it's just incomparable to other countries around the world.

DLT: Can you talk a little bit more about the impacts of flooding on this area?

JK: Yes. I want to say it was 2021—if not, ‘22—that Jefferson Chalmers experienced a rainfall that the sewers were not able to keep up with, if you will. And that came into people’s garages—not garages, basements and, you know, flooded their homes and it flooded the streets and it even totaled certain cars. And this is a community that's already facing a lot of divestment and a lot of people are, you know, living either below the poverty line or right on it. So having that really put people in a very precarious and vulnerable situation. So, we didn't have, the farm wasn't affected. We were just starting. And I don't think we would have been affected by it even if we had the farm and were set up at that time, because of where we were. But, I mean, that's just a blessing.
Still, those who were affected are many people that are patrons of Sanctuary Farms and community members yet and still. So, I spent a lot of my time, you know, helping people, you know, like Mama Myrtle. Cleaned out, you know, basements that, you know, were full of memorabilia and, you know, needed items that were now, you know, unsalvageable. So. It affected a lot of people. It affected a lot of people. And, you know, to get flooding insurance in that area is so expensive. On the EPA's flooding map, which is what a lot of insurance companies go by, you know, they're like, in the water. And thusly making it to where it is not even feasible to get insurance because it's, you can't afford it, you know.
So it's a really jacked-up situation that needs to change and there needs to be a lot of engineering that goes on and pushing back that water, through— Goodness, I'm no civil engineer here. [Laughter] But, just kind of wall water barriers. And it can be done. You know, I just came from Rotterdam, and it's just like that whole country is in water, [Laughter] you know? Yeah, they figured it out, but somehow we're having difficulty over here, so. Yeah. Anyway, that was a long winded question. Answer

DLT: Why do you think we have more difficulty than other places?

JK: I think we have difficulty in terms of— Well, I'm just going to be frank, I do think Blackness is not prioritized. And what I mean by that is, usually within a lot of Black areas the car insurance is the highest, the home insurance is the highest. Life insurance, health insurance is the highest. And that's because of, whiteness is attached to property. And being that there's still so many—what's the word I'm looking for?—systemic racism in the country, it has made it very difficult for people to have a quality of life, because they can't afford it. And I think that's one of the kind of the biggest things about capitalism: it's built on disenfranchising. I mean, inevitably, in order to have money, someone has to go without. So the resources aren't equitable. So I think that's where a lot of the struggle comes in.

DLT: And do you think that systemic racism has an impact on how Detroit is affected by other environmental issues?

JK: Oh, disproportionately. Detroit is the third Blackest city per capita in the United States. And if we look at how that correlates with, you know, environmental impacts, it's very telling. Detroit is number one in terms of asthma, in the country. Detroit, if you look at the EPA environment, deals with 11, I think, heart-related illnesses, from high blood pressure to diabetes, and the gamut goes on. We're also dealing with a plethora of brownfields. It's endless. It's truly endless.
And we would not see those certain things happen with and within areas that are not only white, but also have access to power, wealth. Because, I mean, if you go down to a place like West Virginia, right? Those are very heavily white populated areas, and they're dealing with a lot of environmental concerns as well. You would think their whiteness would help them, but because they don't have access to power, capital, they too have to face the same things that Black people experience. So it's a real confluence between, you know, money, power and race, you know, and you see that play out very differently within the states.

DLT: And you mentioned something called brownfields? What's that?

JK: Brownfields are contaminated areas that usually had some type of industrial activity on it. I do believe it could be considered brownfields area just by, you know, natural circumstances. There's some, there's just metals in the ground, right? So there's some areas that are just kind of natural brownfields. But as it relates to Detroit, it's mostly because of the industry that has been so heavy here.

DLT: And besides anything you've already mentioned, what services does your farm offer for the community to combat or alleviate climate change?

JK: We're building up capacity, but one of the biggest things that we're focused on is being able to get people food, right, in crisis. Like most organizations that are dealing with, you know, lack of funding, it’s capacity-building. So we want to be able to get to a place where we have an indoor situation where we can kind of, store some of this food through cold storage. And if there—when unfortunately, there is a heatwave, people can know that we are a place to come to get, excuse me, food.
And also, as it relates to soil, we're helping with, through the creation of our compost, quality soil where people can use to grow. And also, it's great for a green stormwater infrastructure. That means that the soil is able to soak in a lot of the water, retain it, rather than a lot of the clay soil that we have naturally in Detroit that is really hydrophobic. It doesn't allow for water to seep through. So that's the, you get kind of like ponds. And then inevitably with enough water that goes into the sewer and it kind of overpowers what the sewage infrastructure can intake.
So if we had more land that had quality soil and really good native plants that have very strong roots, can soak up a lot of that water, and we wouldn't have to deal with a lot of the flooding. And that's also part of the nature sanctuary, which I didn't mention earlier, that we're working to pursue to go all the way down the block where we, you know, grow, you know, beautiful native plants that is curated for folks to be able to experience and, you know, have those very strong roots that, you know, there's a big rain, can soak up a lot of that. Yeah.

DLT: And your website mentions that your farm uses permaculture and no-till methods for sustainability. Can you talk a little bit more about, you know, what that means, what that looks like?

JK: Yeah, permaculture is a big word that essentially means no-till, meaning that, you know, we're not breaking up the soil and breaking up a lot of roots to then put new seeds down for growth. And that also speaks to the fact that we're also not using any pesticides to grow our food. Everything is 100% organic and natural. And we take a lot of pride in that. There's also another thing to mention too, in the process of, you know, growing native plants and making compost, this is also cleaning up the air.
And as I mentioned before, you know, Detroit is the number one city for asthma and still has a lot of industry in the air. We're actually really close to the Stellantis plant that has had many complaints on the amount of VOCs, which means that volatile organic compounds that is pushed out in the air. And, you know, the EPAs fined them numerous times, I think, in the tens of thousands. But for a billion-dollar business, I mean, that's nothing. So, this is the work that we have to combat.

DLT: What's the impacts of VOCs on residents of the city?

JK: Very harmful for one's respiratory system. I can't get into the effects that, as well as a doctor. But I can tell you, with having to inhale that, time and time again, definitely shortens your lifespan.

DLT: And in addition to the services you offer to combat or alleviate climate change, does your farm also attempt to educate people about it and other environmental issues?

JK: We do. We do. We've held and hold workshops on the importance of having and growing native plants. For volunteer days, we're also sure to tell people about why permaculture and the no-till system is so needed. Why having access to fresh food and, what does it mean to push ush for and create food sovereign spaces. And what food sovereign means is It is owned by people in the community. And folks in community are able to have access to the food.
I don't think we're quite there. Yes, we do own the land. But we don't have the capacity to fill and to feed all of the folks in Riverbend. We are working towards that, and that is a goal. And I do think it will take more than just our farm to do that as well. There would need to be more farms in Riverbend. But as an urban planner. One of the things I'm really adamant about is there needs to be a thought process of food production within cities rather than the constant shipment in of food. Especially as cities are increasing and in terms of population, and the population is increasing, we need to be cognizant of where in the city, can food production happen? As well as, you know, access to nature.

DLT: And what has been the reaction to the community, from your perspective, to these educational efforts?

JK: It's been a slow burn. I think a lot of our community members are older. And they remember a time where these blocks were filled. These blocks all had houses on them. And we are on a completely abandoned block now, which we only have three homes on this block now after they just demolished three other homes. And when we came here, it was just those six homes. So we're living in a different time now. Detroit for many years had a decreasing population. Now I want to say maybe about two months ago, it's boost up by like 20, 30,000 people. But we're still right under 700,000 people for a city that is so big. You can fit Boston, the island of Manhattan and San Francisco inside of Detroit.

DLT: Wow.

JK: So, you know, there's a lot of reworking that has to do and really reimagining of, like, what does a city look like? But bringing it back to residents, I think they are slowly starting to see that this is something that is needed, and is of benefit.

DLT: And, thinking about imagining what cities are going to look like now. What would be something you would want the City of Detroit to do to support your efforts in terms of infrastructure, any programs, anything like that?

JK: Well, I am happy that we have a director of agriculture, and the first director of agriculture has now become the director of sustainability. So, I'm very confident that Tepfirah [Rushdan], who is now the director of sustainability, and Patrice [Brown], who is now the director of agriculture, are very clear and supportive of the work of food sovereignty and environmental justice. So that is very big.
What I would like to see is real sustainable advocates as it relates to our city council members and the mayor. I do believe that they are doing their best from, you know, their understanding? But I do think there can be more, right? And, you know, I don't envy their role. [Laughter] They have to do, they have to do everything, you know. Well, relatively, right? By everything, I mean, they have to be thinking about a lot of, alot of impact areas, from social to environmental to economical. All of it.
But getting back to sustainability, I think the Green Task Force should be a commission. The Green Task Force currently sits under [Scott] Benson, and I think the Green Task Force should be able to have its own budget and own priorities and kind of have some autonomy, away from a particular council person and give advice to all council members. I think sustainability should not be seen as a niche area in the city. I think sustainability needs to be seen very holistically in terms of its importance. Not just as it relates to the environment, but as it relates to health, as it relates to, you know, finance, as it relates to policy.
So I think we need to broaden our understanding of sustainability. I think the Reparations Task Force should also be a commission rather than a task force. I think there should be a real reckoning of why there was a lot of divestment in this city. And, you know, really reckoning and grappling with the history of systemic racism. And why a city that was once the most richest city in the world became, filed for bankruptcy, you know, that this just didn't come out of nowhere. Yeah, that's just some of it. [Laughter]

DLT: And what, if anything, would you say to someone who doesn't believe that climate change is real or an issue?

JK: Go outside. I don't know what else to say. [Laughter] You know, read the news. But then again, I don't know where you're getting the news. Yeah, I, it may not be happening where you are. But look at other places in the world. Because for one, Michigan is seen as a climate refuge. So, what will be happening here will be less impactful as it will be and let's say, Florida or Arizona. So,I think we have to look outside of our own boxes and just pay attention, you know? Yeah.

DLT: And, looking briefly to another environmental issue. Can you share some thoughts on how this community was affected by Covid-19?

JK: Yeah. The five-letter word: Covid. As I mentioned before, our community is dealing with a lot of health effects already, right? So when Covid came through, that was the last straw for a lot of people. It took a lot of people out. If you're already dealing with, you know, heart-related or respiratory illnesses, it was very difficult. It was very difficult. One of the biggest things outside of the many lives that it took was I do think it disenfranchised people more. How our environment is planned already, in terms of getting in your car and driving anywhere, it makes it very undesirable for people to walk around.
And then when Covid happened, it really kind of, you know, put the nail in the coffin, if you will, to just get in your car, go to work, go home, and that's it. So, Covid not only took many lives, but it also separated a lot of communities. It also made it a very divisive situation for a lot of people. You know, it was either, for some people, you know, I don't want the shot, and some people, yes, the shot was very necessary. So. I think at the end of the day, it's in some ways made people less amicable and less civil.

DLT: And was there anything else you wanted to discuss that none of my questions brought up?

JK: I do want to, also emphasize the fact that for some, Covid was very helpful, and it made people get into those things that they didn't necessarily have the time for. And it brought to my attention that there could be a need—oh, here's something political—for you UBI, you know, universal basic income. You know, as we're looking that we may have the first trillionaire within 5 to 10 years, I think we're at a space where we can do some more social benefits for folks. And I don't know about you, having, you know that money allowed me to not have to stress out about rent. And out of that came this farm. So, yeah.

DLT: All right. That was all the questions I had for you today. Thank you so much for your time.

JK: Thank you. Take care.