After two years of splitting time between the borrowed land in Detroit and the plot in Pontiac, financial backing from Steward allowed the Fisheye Farms team to purchase nine vacant properties in the Core City. These adjacent lots combine to form a .89 acre farm which serves as Fisheye’s main production site. The newly acquired land provides additional growing space so Andy and Amy can keep up with restaurant demand. The loan also supported the construction of a washing, packing, and shipping area, as well as the establishment of utilities like plumbing and electricity, and a new hoophouse.
What's Next?
Through consultation with Steward, as of 2019, Fisheye Farms is fully focused on supplying Detroit restaurants—a market large enough to sustain their new efforts. The additional acreage is being cultivated and planted in the style of permaculture design, with the crops that require the most attention at the closest sites, while the Pontiac site is dedicated to low-maintenance garlic production. Andy is committed to developing and maturing the various farm sites by planting perennials, trees, berries, and flowers to improve farm biodiversity and yield. Currently, Fisheye Farms is investing in insect netting to reduce pest pressure without the use of insecticides.
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