A Just Food System Is Not Given--It's Grown

Hello, good people! As we crossed the threshold into this new year, I found myself holding two truths at once. The first is grief and exhaustion from a year marked by chaos, confusion, and compounding pressures on food assistance, health care, housing, and the basic dignity of our neighbors. The second is the deep knowing that we have always survived moments like this by turning toward one another. This is not a soft optimism. It is a practiced one. We are bracing for hunger and need at levels we may not have seen before. And yet, history and our own lived experience here in Ypsilanti tell us that when systems fail, community does not disappear. Together, we’re showing up with care, skill, and imagination. That is the soil from which Growing Hope was built, and it is the ground we are still tending. In 2026, we remain committed to building a food system rooted in justice, dignity, and self-determination. Here’s a peek at what some of those steps look like for us in the coming season: Building Generational Health. We are doubling down on youth leadership, working alongside teens who are already shaping the future of our food system. This year, we’re deepening partnerships that model what farm-to-school can be when it’s relational, local, and led with intention. Investing in a Community of Growers. Our Produce Cart continues to evolve into a shared ecosystem, stocked not only by Growing Hope but also by local farmers, gardeners, and home growers alike. Alongside building depth within our Home Vegetable Garden support, we are making our farm spaces more accessible and inviting. Our hope is that our farm is a place where neighbors can come to harvest, learn, and experience food sovereignty for themselves. Food Is a Human Right. You’ll hear us saying this more clearly and more often in the coming season. We’re committing to deeper education, base-building, and collective imagination around what it means to move food as a human right from value to policy to reality here in our community. A Year-Round Farmers Market in Ypsilanti. For the first time ever, the Ypsilanti Farmers Market is running downtown year-round. We’re excited to host the winter market through April and keep this vital community space alive in every season. Farmers markets are sites of care, culture, and connection, and we’re thrilled to keep those connections rolling year-round. Cooking Up Futures: The Accelerator Kitchen. I’m thrilled to publicly share Cooking Up Futures, our accelerator kitchen project, slated to break ground this month! This project will renovate the welcome center (16 S. Washington) into a kitchen that will serve as connective tissue across the Ypsilanti Farmers MarketPlace campus, linking growers, makers, and neighbors in a living, local food economy. At the heart of our theory of change is a simple truth: when we invest in the whole food system, from seed to belly, we generate lasting vibrancy, equity, and opportunity downtown and beyond. If you’d like to learn more or explore ways to support this work directly, I invite you to reach out to me. As I look forward to 2026, holding our team and our community clearly in view, I’m holding tightly to the fact that we persevere not because conditions are easy, but because community is strong. Thank you for being part of this work and helping to uncover the food system we all believe in, need, and deserve. In solidarity and hope, Julius P.S. Join me for Food Literacy for All this semester. This Tuesday evening course is open to the public, virtual, and will feature a number of phenomenal food systems advocates over the next few months.

Beloved Community, As the seasons turn and the last leaves let go, I’m thinking about how much of this work depends on people who choose to show up. Food sovereignty is held together by the steady, everyday commitments of folks who believe their time can help build a more just and nourished community. Our volunteers carry our community with a kind of grounded generosity that can’t be measured but can absolutely be felt. You welcomed neighbors, supported vendors, helped distribute SNAP Gap tokens, handled surprises with grace, and made the market a place where people felt a sense of belonging. That is a rare and powerful contribution. Among these dedicated volunteers, we’re honored to recognize Matthew Bacon as our Volunteer of the Year . Matthew came to southeast Michigan without long-standing ties, yet quickly became one of the anchors of our market season. His presence was consistent, thoughtful, and rooted in genuine care for the mission. In his own words: “I chose to volunteer with Growing Hope at the Ypsilanti Farmers Market because Growing Hope’s mission greatly appealed to me, and I wanted to support the cause. What stood out to me and drew me in was the mission’s emphasis on access to nourishing food and community empowerment. I enjoyed learning about the ways the mission is carried out through the urban farm, incubator kitchen, and community outreach. I loved seeing it come full circle, bringing people together at the farmers market and other community events. As a newcomer to Southeast Michigan with no prior connections to the area, volunteering at the market has been a great way to meet and connect with people in the community. Thank you to Growing Hope for the opportunity to get involved this summer and fall, and I look forward to continuing to do so in the future!” Matthew reflects exactly what strengthens the fabric of this work: folks who arrive with open eyes, steady hands, and a willingness to weave themselves into the community’s story. We’re profoundly grateful. As we move into winter, the Ypsi SNAP Gap continues to play a critical role in expanding food access with dignity. Through the end of November, shoppers impacted by SNAP cuts and the government shutdown could receive $40 in SNAP Gap tokens each market week. Beginning in December, that shifts to twenty dollars per week so we can sustain our community through the end of the year. Tokens can be used at both Ypsilanti Farmers Markets and Old City Acres Farm Stand on Emerick Street. They’re valid on all food, fresh, prepared, hot, and remain usable through March 2026. Programs like SNAP Gap thrive because volunteers, donors, and neighbors insist on a community where everyone eats well. People like Matthew, and so many of you, turn that vision into something real and tangible. Thank you for walking alongside us, for carving out time from full lives, and for fueling the kind of food system that honors each person’s dignity. The season may be winding down, but the work continues, rooted in your care. In solidarity, Julius P.S. If you’re looking for a tangible way to strengthen food access this winter, consider making a monthly gift or signing up for a volunteer .