Authentically Detroit
Authentically Detroit is the leading podcast in the city for candid conversations, exchanging progressive ideas, and centering resident perspectives on current events.
Hosted by Donna Givens Davidson and Orlando P. Bailey.
Produced by Sarah Johnson and Engineered by Griffin Hutchings.
Check us out on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @AuthenticallyDetroit!
Authentically Detroit
Wages, Greens, and Grit with Ederique Goudia and Imani Foster
This week, Orlando sat down with Ederique Goudia of In The Business of Food and Imani Foster of In The Mix Detroit to discuss Detroit’s food system and their organizing efforts throughout the city!
Ederique “E” Goudia is a native of Louisiana who brings a bit of Creole flavor and southern hospitality to Detroit, Michigan! With over twenty years of experience in the restaurant industry, she founded In the Business of Food, a foodservice-based consulting agency for women and POC-owned food businesses. She also co-created Taste the Diaspora Detroit, a food agency focused on celebrating foods of the African diaspora while helping to strengthen the Black food system in Detroit.
Imani Foster is Chief Operating Officer of In The Mix Detroit, a collective of Black farmers and gardeners making a huge sustainability impact in Detroit. Essentially, In the Mix helps farmers bring their fresh food to market; providing resources like gardening supplies, educational workshops and an inviting community that welcomes newcomers.
Happy Hour in the Market brings it all together: buyers and chefs step onto farms, tour beds, see price lists, and build relationships over music and mocktails. With roughly 3,000 farms and gardens and 1,900 licensed food businesses in Detroit, the opportunity is massive.
Join us for Happy Hour in the Market on October 20th at the Stoudemire inside Eastside Community Network for music, community, and a live Authentically Detroit show. Plus, make sure to stop by Shed 5 on Saturday and mention the show for $2 off a two-pound mirepoix.
For more information on Happy Hour in the Market, click here!
Detroit By The Numbers With Alex B. Hill:
- 100% Pay gap between Detroit jobs (commuters) and Detroiters with jobs.
- 48,823 DPSCD student enrollment is up! This same time in 2024: 48,386 and 2023: 47,401.
- 44 Units of unsubsidized market-rate housing built in 2025.
- 20 Detroit is bordered by 20 other municipalities including two fully surrounded by the city, and one international city.
Up next, Authentically Detroit welcomes Chef Edric Godey of In the Business of Food and Miss Imani Foster of In the Mix Detroit to discuss Detroit's food system and their organizing efforts throughout the city. But first, our new segment with Alex B. Hill of Detroit Geography, Detroit by the Numbers. Keep it locked. Authentically Detroit starts after these messages. Interested in renting space for corporate events, meetings, conferences, social events, or resource fairs, the MASH Detroit Small Business Hub is a 6,000 square feet space available for members, residents, and businesses and organizations. To learn more about rental options at MASH Detroit, contact Nicole Perry at nperry at ecnetroit.org or 313-331-3485. Hey y'all, it's Orlando. We just want to let you know that the views and opinions expressed during this podcast episode are those of the co-hosts and guests and not their sponsoring institutions. Now, let's start the show. Welcome to another episode of Authentically Detroit broadcasting live from Detroit's East Side at the Stodemeyer inside of the East Side Community Network Headquarters. I happen to be Orlando Bailey. Donna is off today, but I want to thank you for listening in and supporting our efforts to build a platform of authentic voices for real people in the city of Detroit. We want you to like, rate, and subscribe to our podcast on all platforms. Once again, Donna is out, but I'm very happy to be joined by Chef E and Missy Mani Foster to talk about the food system in Detroit and they're organizing efforts. They got a really cool event coming up next month, and I can't wait to talk to them about it. We also have Alex B. Hill of Detroit Geography on the line for our new monthly segment, Detroit by the Numbers, which is very quickly becoming one of my favorite features on Authentically Detroit. Edric, Alex, and Imani, welcome to Authentically Detroit.
SPEAKER_04:Thank you.
SPEAKER_03:Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I am happy to have all of you. It's a doozy outside. So we're close to fall, right? October. We're actually in fall, right? When does fall? Yeah, fall happened. Yeah, we're in the we're it's officially autumn.
SPEAKER_00:It is.
SPEAKER_03:It's officially autumn. But it's 80 degrees outside today. I love it. Are you enjoying it?
SPEAKER_04:Yes. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03:Are you enjoying the weather?
SPEAKER_04:I really am.
SPEAKER_03:You know, one of my staff, she's in a climate spiral because she's like, it's not supposed to be like this in October. It's not. Yeah, so but while we while we still have the planet, we're gonna just, you know, put our heads in the sand and be like, okay, we'll take a nice day.
SPEAKER_00:The world is on fire.
SPEAKER_03:Literally.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Literally. Alex B. Hill, how are you?
SPEAKER_01:I'm good. Yeah, I was uh having cider and donuts at a harvest festival. It was 83 degrees. 83 degrees.
SPEAKER_03:I know you feel right. I know. I don't want to go to the cider mill and it's 80-something degrees. It's unbearable. You're supposed to go to the cider mill when it's like in the 60s and 70s, so you can walk around. Yeah, sweater, you know, ball colors. Alex, I hear you're coming to us live from a minivan outside of the kids' schools. That's right. Well, you sound like the mobile office. Yeah, the mobile office. You sound like you're in the studio. You actually sound really, really good. And so, in lieu of today's hot takes, we're gonna bring you Detroit by the numbers with Alex B. Hill. All right, so uh Detroit by the numbers is where we highlight significant data and numbers from the past month for Detroiters. So Alex is here. Uh, he's the newly minted chairperson of the city's Go Data Commission. So, the Go Data Commissioners are a diverse group of stakeholders, including data experts, community leaders, and representatives from various sectors. They are dedicated to ensuring that the city's open data initiatives serve the needs of all residents and promote informed decision making. Sometimes there are numbers and data points in the news, but it's hard to know the context behind them. So let's get into it, Alice, and congratulations on your new appointment. Thank you. Thank you so much. So, what numbers do you have for us this month?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, first number is 100%. Um, and I wish that was a good 100%.
SPEAKER_03:Um typically 100% means it's like, yeah, I got an A, an A plus.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Right. But that's unfortunately the pay gap uh between uh commuters who hold jobs in Detroit and Detroiters with jobs. Uh and I don't think this is a new a new stat. Like I think we've heard it on and off over the years. Uh, but this was highlighted in the recent City of Detroit uh University Economic Analysis Partnership, uh where they tracked it from 2010 to 2020. Um and I guess the add-on stat there is commuters hold 75% of all jobs in Detroit.
SPEAKER_03:Did we did Detroit Future City not give us that particular stat, the 75% of all jobs in Detroit? I don't remember that stat, but 75% of the jobs in Detroit are held by commuter commuters. And the pay gap between the commuters and Detroiters with the commuters and communiters, what am I saying? And the Detroiters with jobs is at 100%.
SPEAKER_01:Right. So commuters are making double.
SPEAKER_03:Commuters are making double.
SPEAKER_01:So average uh average wage uh for jobs located in Detroit is about a hundred thousand dollars. Uh, and jobs held by Detroit residents uh average wage is about fifty-three thousand.
SPEAKER_03:Oh jeez. And these commuters are taking the money that they make in Detroit back to the communities where they live and boosting those economies instead of ours. Right. Wow, that's a stark number. That's a stark number. Anybody doing anything about it? Any efforts to curb this? What do you know?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I think there's there's a handful of uh of efforts around uh kind of upscaling uh and and bringing in uh uh some of those new trainings like the Apple Developer Academy. Um I mean, I think Black Saturdays is a great example of who just had their digital uh summit.
SPEAKER_03:Yep.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_03:Reactions to this number.
SPEAKER_00:Very shocking.
SPEAKER_03:It's shocking. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um yeah. I I didn't realize that um it was that great of a gap.
SPEAKER_03:100%. Yeah. They're literally making double. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:How does that happen?
SPEAKER_03:Well, Miss Imani, that's that's that's a great question.
SPEAKER_04:And what like what positions are we hold uh I'm just so confused right now. But how does that happen? And what positions are are being held by the commuters and what positions are being held by the people who live in in the city?
SPEAKER_03:I mean, I can speculate, Alex. Uh, before I speculate, do you have any uh inclination of what might be going on there?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, no, I I think you know, you're thinking exactly in the right direction. It's um it's kind of low, low-wage jobs that are mostly held by Detroit residents, um, and then some of those more white-collar professional jobs that are are being held by commuters. At all the corporations that are based here in the city of Detroit.
SPEAKER_03:Alex, give me some good news. Do you have another number for us?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, oh my goodness. The next one is a good number. Sometimes I get worried that all the numbers are bad, but uh next one is 48,823. Uh and the the takeaway there is that DPS C D student enrollment is up. Wow, student enrollment is up at Detroit Public Schools Community District.
SPEAKER_03:That's great.
SPEAKER_01:That is beautiful. All right. So so compared to last year, uh it's up about 437 students. Um and that's um that's even that's even up uh from the the year previous to that. So it's a good trend. Um and hopefully, hopefully we see that continue going up.
SPEAKER_03:Here, Dr. VD said, as of day 11, we are trending 437 students more than last year and 1,422 more students as compared to two years ago, said the superintendent of the Detroit Public School Community District, Nikolai Vitti. So the total enrollment is at 52,505 K-12 students are enrolled in DPSCD. Um, and in 2024, that number was 53,044 uh students. And so enrollment is up. That's a good thing.
SPEAKER_04:That's an amazing thing. Well, how many have they increased the educators, the teachers?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:So so you may have increased the numbers. However, if I have 50 students in my classroom, Johnny still can't read because he can't get the attention.
SPEAKER_03:Missimani asking questions that need to be asked.
SPEAKER_01:I love it. No, and that's um, you know, this was some great reporting uh by Michael Walker at Bridge Detroit.
SPEAKER_03:Um shout out to Micah.
SPEAKER_01:Previous stat, shout out to Axios Detroit. Um, but uh in the article, they also note that um the school district is looking at increasing uh the amount of paraprofessionals that they're able to get in classrooms uh to kind of take on that load and and and fill that gap when enrollment's going up. But uh, you know, how's the district able to kind of take on that capacity?
SPEAKER_03:All right.
SPEAKER_01:Next up, what's the next number? Uh next yeah, next number we've got for this month is 44. Um Okay. And this comes from some uh reporting by Aaron Mondry at Outlier. Where? Um at Outlier Media. Where? Where Alex?
SPEAKER_03:Where is the reporting done? At Outlier Media, you said by Aaron Mondry. Proceed, one of the most premier hyperlocal nonprofit news outlets here in the city of Detroit. Go ahead, Aaron. Uh Alex.
SPEAKER_01:Right. So he's he's looking at uh at units of unsubsidized market rate housing that have been built in this current year. Um that's a that's a low number. Um, you know, the Detroit has had a bit of a uh a building boom, um, but less so this year. And you know, uh we've seen some apartment buildings downtown going into receivership and foreclosure, property insurance is way up. Um the cost of it, uh loans and financing still expensive, construction costs are still really high. Um so there's a lot of concern that the property tax rates are still some of the highest in the country.
SPEAKER_03:So do we think that uh because of how expensive it is right now to construct and build, that a lot of these developers are gonna try to uh get back in the black on their performance by raising rents?
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely, that's the fear. Um and because you know we we have kind of a long, long issue with uh tax foreclosure in the city uh for residential homes, but now um we're looking at landlord foreclosure and what that's gonna do to Detroit's rental market.
SPEAKER_03:I remember that article. It was a really it was a really stark article. Um and just sort of, you know, this conversation that we were even having in the newsroom around like what can be done, right? Uh landlords are having a hard time, right? With the cost being so high. Renters, of course, are having a hard time and can't pay rent, and the landlords need them to pay rent. So I think what the article did, Alex, uh if I can opine, is that I think it humanized landlords a little bit more. Um, because I think we have a certain kind of perception when we talk about landlords in the city. Like they're all bad and they're just horrible people uh who's out to get you. Uh, this article really um lifted the veil behind the numbers um and humanized them and their struggle, right? Um it was it was really interesting uh because we get a lot of reporting on what the experience is for the residents, as we should, as we absolutely should. But this create this article helped to reveal a tension, a real tension that I didn't know was there right now in the city of Detroit. Thank you for that number. Detroit by the numbers, you got another number for us.
SPEAKER_01:Last one is 20. Um, and it's a quick one. Um, you know, I make a lot of maps of the city, uh, and Detroit is bordered by 20 different municipalities, including two that are fully surrounded by the city. Um I'm still surprised that um folks don't don't know everything about the city of Highland Park and the city of Hamtremock. Um and you know, we've got our great neighbor across the way um in Windsor. Um so I'm gonna do a quick plug for the Greater Detroit Windsor Project Conference that's coming up October 17th, um, exploring how do we how do we make these connections and build opportunities across the region. Um and on uh on Detroit Geography, we've got a fun map puzzle. This this is our most popular map by far. Um and it's super basic. This is what the borders look like. Um but you can test your own knowledge of the Detroit region at uh Detroit Map.xyz. And it's a little map puzzle.
SPEAKER_03:I feel like knowing about Highland Park and Ham Tramic is the first class in Detroit 101. Like you you understand that you have two cities that are completely encased inside of the heart of the city of Detroit. So you say you're you're surprised that people still don't what people are you talking to that don't know about Highland Park. I will not name name the names, Alex Bee Hill. Yeah, you gotta call them people servants and they're public servants. Oh, stop talking to Alex Beehill. Detroit by the numbers with uh Detroitographies, Alex Beehill. Thank you for being such an amazing partner to us, Alex. We can't wait to talk to you next month. Thanks so much for having me. Of course, we'll be right back with Chef Edric Gode and Imani Foster. Keep it locked. Detroit 1 Million is a journalism project started by Sam Robinson that centers a generation of Michiganders growing up in a state without a city with 1 million people. Support the only independent reporter covering the 2025 Detroit mayoral race through the lens of young people. Good journalism costs. Visit Detroit1Million.com to support black independent reporting. Welcome back to Authentically Detroit. Edric E. Gouda is a native of Louisiana who brings a bit of Creole flavor and southern hospitality to Detroit, Michigan. With over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry, she founded In the Business of Food, a food service-based consulting agency for women and people of color-owned food businesses. She also co-created Taste the Diaspora Detroit, a food agency focused on celebrating foods of the African diaspora while helping to strengthen the black food system in Detroit. Imani Foster is Chief Operating Officer of In the Mix Detroit, a collective of black farmers and gardeners making a huge sustainability impact in Detroit. Essentially, In the Mix helps farmers bring their fresh food to market, providing resources like gardening supplies, educational workshops, and inviting community that welcomes newcomers. I'm so happy to be in conversation with my friend Chef Edric and the amazing inquisitive Miss Imani Foster. Thank y'all for coming on.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you for having us.
SPEAKER_03:Miss Imani, uh, our listeners have heard a little bit from Chef Edric before. She's been a habitual guest. Tell our listeners about you and in the mix and what you've set out to do, what you guys have set out to do and in the mix.
SPEAKER_04:Okay. Um, in the mix is the first of its kind flash frozen vegetable product line that is sourced from all black urban farmers that use all sustainable growing practices, no herbicides, no pesticides, no sprays of any kind. Everything comes to me fresh to Michigan Farm to Freezer, where everything is washed, uh, chopped and flash frozen. This isn't our grandma's bird's eye anymore. I started with uh keep growing Detroit and uh I was their market coordinator, uh the GID market coordinator for 13 years. Uh right there in Shed 2 every Saturday morning. And at some point, I I was I I've continued to be the boots on the ground. So I recognized the need and something that was missing. Uh farmers and gardeners would bring their produce to the table, but the table could only hold so much in terms of recouping monies and getting your monies back. So uh there was always uh extra produce that was left. And when I retired from uh Cape Growing Detroit, I started working doing a little odd job with Michigan Farm to Freezer and uh Brandon Sang and Mark Cole. And when I started working, Brandon was like, Well, he might what do you want to do? I don't know, I just want to make some money. Because it was c during COVID. And I mean that. Yeah. And it and be honest about that. It was it was during COVID, and so my hours were being shut down, you know. Um so while working at Michigan Farm to Freezer, we started talking about flash frozen because uh talk about that.
SPEAKER_03:I've that's not a term I've heard before. What does that process look like?
SPEAKER_04:It's another terminology for blanching, basically. So you um everything is wash chopped and then you put it through a process when it's washed and they suck the water out and it's flash frozen.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, I need to see this in action. That sounds really cool.
SPEAKER_04:So what I noticed was that there was a l a lot of produce left, and there weren't any avenues, additional avenues for them for that produce to go. And so, you know, we've been basically doing they harvest in the morning, they bring it to the market, we sell it. But what happens in the wintertime? And so um what what I found was okay, let's uh let me start talking about this then. And what has what has happened as a result of thinking this through is creating an additional revenue stream for my black farmers. And that is by taking the produce that they have extra and putting it and bringing it to Michigan Farm to freezer where it can go through the process. So I actually I sourced and provided uh organic seed to many of the growers, and then they grew it or brought it fresh. It gets processed in a day or two. So all the nutrients, vitamins, and everything are still right there. And and and you know, it it's a great process. But like so many others, I always think frozen food, and and that doesn't leave a real good taste in my mouth. But flash freezing, blanching is a very is very different. Um so I also I could source quantity, and that's that that's a big thing because I can take and source 600 pounds of something. And what I decided is I was not gonna deal, this is a for for profit business too. So I was not gonna deal with wholesale. I'm not going, I don't I think yes, it's important that the farmers get their produce to the market, etc. But it seems like the wholesale piece, it just it just doesn't seem to give them, they're not able to recoup a lot of the monies that they've already spent. And so if you're paying$3 a pound for kale, um, let me stop. I don't even eat kale. Let me go to college. Let me be transparent. So if I had if I if I source 600 pounds, which I often do, because I'm gonna give a shout out to Oakland Avenue Urban Farm and Mama Jerry because they have been with me and in and been a part of in the mix since the beginning. And so I could get 600 pounds of collards and pay three dollars a pound. That was imp that's still very important to me. Yeah um and so it the their team would bring it down and everything has been working very well. But I also need to be a mess.
SPEAKER_03:Are you making money? Because you said you needed to make some money. Are you making money yet?
SPEAKER_04:You know. Well, it well, it keeps the market, it keeps in the mix going.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:I um, you know, this is the first time I've had such a this kind of business. Yeah. And so I mean taxes, I was like, oh my God.
SPEAKER_03:I want to talk about some of that though. What are you what are you learning in terms of challenges?
SPEAKER_04:What I learned, the the biggest thing that I learned was uh that showed my growth was that my taxes doubled and the mixed taxes doubled. So that meant that, you know, I I sold we sold more product, but I had to pay more. Yeah. So it is, I was like, uh, I said I want a business. But I didn't necessarily want to come out my pocket. But I have to. Um, and so originally I I um I I went to several farmers and uh wanted this to be a co-op and recognized that at the time when this was all beginning that everyone was sort of trying to do their own thing. And so uh being in a part of in the mix for some just sort of just wasn't the lane they were ready to go down. And to once again, being perfectly transparent, I wasn't ready. I thought I was, but I wasn't. And so this time that I've had and this time that I've spent getting to know what to do, how to do it, actually the a real serious budget. Because there are a lot of things that we leave out. Like we think, okay, I can pay for this, I can pay for that. But have you thought about this? Have you thought about that? Have you done this? What about the bags? How about your license? You know, so that would those were that was information that I hadn't needed to learn, and I learned it on the fly. And thank goodness, you know, I had good Brandon sang and and Michigan Farm Defreezer, they've been a godsend.
SPEAKER_03:And Chef E, I think I remember you being a featured chef making a salad with in the mix or something like that. That was what another that was plainted. Oh, okay. My bad. But talk about talk about in the business of food and what the mission is. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:You know, Missy Mani, Mama Imani, as I call her, um, you know, she talked about, you know, being in shed two. Now she's in shed five. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Okay.
SPEAKER_00:You can find Missy Mani in shed five. Thank you.
SPEAKER_03:Um in the mix in her pre-botta be, you don't gotta be in the element when you go inside to see Missy Mani every Saturday.
SPEAKER_00:Every Saturday. Um, and that's how I met Missy Mani and um learned more about in the mix. She has amazing blends. So I would love first, before we get into in the business of food, um, tell them about the different mixes that you have available.
SPEAKER_04:So the um I heard my seniors, especially during the holidays, they wanted to make dressing. And a lot of them like, I don't want to buy uh stalk of celery. I don't need all these peppers. I don't need so-and-so. And so, you know, I had an epiphany. How about I make mure more mirepoix? So that's the onion, celery, bell pepper mixed. And so that's done very well because my seniors are very, very happy because you just pull it out. So I have that, I have a stir-fry that has mixed mile peppers, carrots, and broccoli florets. Um I love that. Especially like the I have the collard greens from Miss Jerry, so they're a pound. And thank you. Because sometimes I just forget everything that I have. But um uh I've been I did source some sweet potatoes um from an organic farmer. So uh the let's see, stir fry, collard greens, miropoix. I know I'm missing something.
SPEAKER_03:I like how we say that, miropoi.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I and I know I'm missing something. But you got stuff I've got stuff. You got stuff in shed five in shed five every Saturday.
SPEAKER_03:Every Saturday on the market day, at Easter market. That's it.
SPEAKER_00:All right, and that mirepoix is also what we call the holy trinity. That's the holy trinity, yes. Right?
SPEAKER_03:So you could you put that in anything, everything, everything. So I'm coming to get it. Thank you. Yeah, I'm coming to see you. All right, for real. Okay, don't make me call you out. Call me out, call me out.
SPEAKER_00:Chef E, I will. I already know. I can tell. Listen, she don't play with me.
SPEAKER_03:Chef Eagle called me on Saturday. Where are you at? Now you said you was coming, she's looking for you. Exactly. I already know. What's going on, Chef Edric? Hey, talk about in the business of food. Because I don't think our listeners have really gotten the story of it.
SPEAKER_00:You're probably right, because I know the other times I've been on, we've been talking about different things. So in the business of food, uh, it's a food service agency that I started about eight years ago. Um, and it was really in response to seeing that while we had a we have a really robust small business ecosystem here in the city of Detroit, and very grateful to have that. There wasn't um a lot of resources or organizations specific to food businesses. And we know that every industry has their nuances. Food is no different. Uh, and so with that, I think it's really important to have that support around these specific industries. Uh, and so at the time, um, there was Food Life Detroit, which was a nonprofit uh that I worked for, um, that really provided resources and tools. But even with that organization, there was still such a large gap for industry-specific support. Uh, and so that's really how in the business of food was started by answering that gap. The gaps. Yeah, responding to that gap.
SPEAKER_03:So I also hear that congratulations is in order because recently released by National Geographic American Soul, The Black History of Food in the United States by Anella Malik and original recipes by Renee Wilson. It includes over 40 recipes, and I think you're featured in here.
SPEAKER_00:I do. I do have a published recipe in a cookbook now. Is this their first published recipe in the cookbook? In a uh paper copy. In a paper copy. So in a actually, yep.
SPEAKER_03:In physical media.
SPEAKER_00:In physical.
SPEAKER_03:We need more physical media. Yes. All right, what's the recipe inside?
SPEAKER_00:Dirty rice. Dirty rice. My family's dirty rice recipe. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Why not clean rice? You gotta make it dirty. You know we like dirty, dirty. Exactly.
SPEAKER_00:Because we're from the dirty, that's right.
SPEAKER_03:Oh man, so how did it come to be? This is amazing. This is distributed by National Geographic. This is a big deal.
SPEAKER_00:It is it's um it's been years in the making. So I actually met Anella um at the Bayhaven Food and Wine Festival in North Carolina. It was their first year of the festival. I was asked to participate as a chef. And um, funny enough, um, probably a few weeks to a month before, I actually listened to her on a podcast. Um, her and KJ Kearney, um, who runs Black Food Fridays, started Black Food Fridays. And I loved um their podcast. I love listening to them. And then, you know, she ended up in my inbox, like in my email, like a week later, and wanted to interview me for what while I was at the Behaven Food and Wine Festival. And I was like, oh my God, like I just listened to her to podcast. How does she even know me? This is great. Uh, and so we had a quick interview at the Behaven Food and Wine Festival, and then she asked me about. um contributing to the cookbook. So that's been three years or so in the media. And it's out. So it's it's amazing to find out.
SPEAKER_03:And it's not only a recipe, but there's a little, there's there's a little story about you. What story does it tell?
SPEAKER_00:So it tells the story of my hometown, Wallace, Louisiana, and the efforts that uh, you know, us as Taste Diaspora at the time um did in you know hurricane relief efforts. So it talks a little bit about the you know Taste Diaspora Detroit and how that was started um and then some of the hurricane relief efforts that we did in Wallace Louisiana. That's great. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:How does it feel to be you right now?
SPEAKER_00:I'm grateful. Grateful it feels really surreal. I mean this is um you know every time something happens that I I'm just like I I would have never even dreamed some of these things. Um so even like yesterday I actually have a fellow um that um I met through Global Tiz Detroit that have a fellowship program in um collaboration with the State Department um who is from East Timor which I never even heard of this country um that small island in between Indonesia and Australia. And so she owns a restaurant there, co-owns a restaurant there um she um is all about food safety and nutrition education and um she's basically me in East Timor, right? Uh and so there's a reciprocal program where I can apply to then be a fellow in East Timor for two weeks um sometime next year. So the idea of and she we were talking about it today um and the project that she wants me to work on is like food safety. They don't have an FDA or you know any of those type of regulations. And she's been doing some work with the government and so that project that she wants me to work on if I'm able to do this reciprocal program is around food safety for East Timor.
SPEAKER_03:So even like when I think about things like that I'm like I would have never And we can probably learn from her do we still have a food and drug administration here in the United States under today under Kennedy today we might tomorrow that's a different story.
SPEAKER_00:So when I think about just that just these opportunities that uh just would have never even dreamed of but um that's also the you know the power of honestly being here in Detroit.
SPEAKER_03:You're listening to Chevy Idrick Godet and Miss Imani Foster here on Authentically Detroit. We're gonna come back and we're gonna talk about a big event that you're having next month. Keep it locked we'll be right back the Authentically Detroit Podcast Network is here to make those dreams come true. Formerly known as the Deep Network and located inside the Stotemeyer the Authentically Detroit Podcast Network are for studio space and production staff to help get your idea off of the ground just visit authenticallydet com and send a request through the contact page welcome back to authentically Detroit I am here with Chef E and Miss Imani.
SPEAKER_00:All right so the two of you have come together yes how tell me what happened okay so um Missy Mani is so one of the things that one of the contracts that I have is in the business of food manages the incubator kitchen at Easter Market Shep 5. So I've been there for about two years now and that is really how I got to know Missy Mani. She is not only Is that how it happened Missy Mani? Because I know you're gonna tell the truth okay tell the truth she tells so we uh not only is Missy Mani a vendor um on the in the Saturday market um in Shat five she's also a tenant in the accelerator space. So we have an incubator kitchen then we also have an accelerator space at Easter Market uh and so that's really how we really got connected and so one of the things that another thing that um you know in the business of food does with Easter Market is that I provide resources like workshops, classes, um different types of cohorts and other resources for food entrepreneurs are people that own food businesses. And so one of the things that we were hearing this year um from not just food businesses but businesses across all industries is that with the increase in the cost of doing business um that they wanted to be connected to more local sources and more local sourcing. So for food entrepreneurs that means connecting them with local growers and farmers. And so in response to that um I started a um workshop series called Happy Hour in the Market where I would invite um food entrepreneurs onto the farm onto farms all across the city so it is once a month and every month we go to a different farm. That's amazing and we're able to connect with those farmers take a tour of the farm um provide get provided with a pricing and it's an availability list but then also just be in community with other food entrepreneurs and food businesses like us. So we have a DJ we bring a DJ out on the farm we have Fosthouse who does um mocktails and coffee drinks and it's just an opportunity for us to have a really great time but outside on the farm with each other connecting farmers and food businesses.
SPEAKER_03:I love that because you know when we think about Detroit and we talk about Detroit we really don't talk about how vast our food system is Missy Mani. I mean we have a tremendous community of growers and not only grower but black food growers here in the city of Detroit right talk about what it's like being a part of and working with that community it has it's opened my eyes quite a bit to how much we could do if we get we have to separate our produce I I I don't know how how to explain this exactly but we have farmers who grow year round and then we have some who but they can't and it was doing something different with their food and making it so that we could have it throughout the year.
SPEAKER_04:So that was exciting and I went to farmers that I had worked with for years and I knew I knew their capabilities I also knew that uh they grew sustainably so there were no herbicides and etc and it was a it's still a wonderful dream. It I it hasn't grown to the place that I know it can but my also my interest is not to get into the Myers and the big box stores. I want us to our I want in the mix to be in community local stores because the produce is great and um we need better food all all around. And so we need to eat better. And in order to eat better we have to have better food coming from our farms and gardens. And the growers that I source from I know they're doing it I know them very well. And I've watched them grow from you know a couple of here you know raise beds here and and then to just acres of food. And so that's what I want to do. But I also wanted to add that because this is our growing so we're talking about vegetables from from my black from the black farmers. And so this is our growing season so a lot of people like well I don't need flash frozen collars. I don't need the flash frozen right now but as the winter comes in so what I had to do I had to like I had to sit up in bed and say wait a minute I had to like pivot on my business plan. So that's when I started sourcing fruit from Michigan Farm to freeze it. Come on so I have money you know I have their peaches the tart cherries a wonderful smoothie blend blackberries strawberries and so I I have that as well I'm coming to see you. I please and so there you know a lot of people they still get some of the the flash frozen yeah but it is this the fruit that I've been able to source and and sell has really helped the business grow. Now what I really want to do is just try to expand my black farmers with vegetables. Now I I I'm also in the mix is also in Argus up in Ann Arbor. So I I that was really exciting to me as well and then uh of course there's the the people Detroit people's food co-op yeah part of the other reason and drive for in the mix was so I could be in that co-op yeah you know I was like look right don't you love it?
SPEAKER_03:Man these bias yes that's an old foo boo yes foo boo yes but that's that that but you know it you gotta crawl you know you take a few steps forward and then maybe one backward but knowing that it's possible I love how you're talking though and I love the candor with which you speak because I think when folks are considering going into uh business for themselves entrepreneurship I think they see a linear path and what you are describing is that there are ebbs and flows it's like jazz right it's just it's improvisational it can go sort of anywhere but what you've been able to do is pivot when you have needed to pivot take your lessons and apply them and keep moving forward I admire that the stick toativeness. Happy hour in the market yes is coming to the Stademeyer at the Eastside Community Network.
SPEAKER_00:Of course it is what so uh so first yes um and and just to give a couple data points to um and this is also why again this happy hour in the market but also just connecting our local food educators and our farmers are so important. There are over 1900 licensed food businesses in the city of Detroit and there's over 3,000 farms and gardens in the city of Detroit. There is no reason why our food businesses should not be purchasing local produce and should not be connected with our local growers and farmers. We grow um an abundant amount of amazing beautiful how much food we harvested in the city of Detroit in the city of Detroit yeah correct um and so I just wanted to you know one of the tons by the way it is tons of tons and tons of literally tons of food that is grown in this city. And so to missing Mani's point and in the mix is um instead of that ending up in landfills because they couldn't unload it and sell it while it was in season while it was fresh flash freezing it and now they're still able to recoup some of that revenue some of the money that they put into it exactly so that they can continue to farm and do the work that we need them to do and grow and harvest this amazing delicious healthy nutritious produce. And so you know happy hour is in the market is really just that we started out um our first happy hour in the market was at Keep Crow in Detroit right over in Eastern Market. And then the next month it was at Nurturing our seeds over on the east side we then shifted over to Brother Nature produce over in North Corktown and then just went over to Mary Grow Conservancy and CWO Farms. So not only are we going to different farms across the city but making sure that we're traversing all parts of the city to make sure that it's accessible and just introducing to these amazing growers that you can also find at Easter Market on Saturdays. And so as it's getting colder we want to bring those people in like we normally do, we don't have as much fresh fruits and vegetables as in abundance as normally because we do live in Michigan. And so I thought you know October November is a great time to feature businesses like In the Mix where it's not a fresh product it is a frozen product but making sure that people know about in the mix and know that okay because collard greens we don't have fresh collard greens right now or this amazing marrow that you can get that you don't have to um think about the labor that's going into cutting all those things but knowing that it was still sourced. It's already chopped but they were still sourced from local black farmers here in the city. Yeah um so yeah so I wanted to make sure that we highlighted Miss Amani and amazing work she does within the mix um and continue to grow her customer base and grow her revenues. And that's really what I wanted about this series too. It really is about helping all businesses grow whether you're a food business or a farming business but us growing together.
SPEAKER_03:So yep so we wanted to bring that in and so give the folks the details it's coming to Eastide Community Network in the Studelmeyer what day it is October 20th Monday.
SPEAKER_00:We always have our happy hour in the markets on Monday. So it is Monday October 20th at 530 so 530 7 p.m here at the Studemer with some music. Yeah we'll have DJ um cashly okay we will have your cash money record so cash cashly and uh we will have Fosthouse with these amazing coffee mocktails if you've never had them they are just amazing doing really great stuff with their coffee. And then we'll have Miss Amani will be giving away some free you know in the mix produce to those that attend but it's a really great time to just connect those food businesses with our local farming community.
SPEAKER_03:And I also hear that one of the city's most premier podcasts will be broadcasting live.
SPEAKER_00:That's what I heard too yes tell us about it.
SPEAKER_04:I think it's called Authentically Detroit yeah so we're very excited um and just excited to continue to grow the program and the series and to be able to feature our local growers and I'm glad Chef E said that because if you not if when you come to Eastern Market Shead 5 on Saturday mornings I'm there from 830 till 230 then you I anybody who mentions your podcast will then get$2 off of a two pound bag of Mirepoix.
SPEAKER_03:All right all right say it again Missy Mighty say it again for the people listening in the back so anyone who has listened to authentically Detroit Detroit podcast when you come to Eastern Market on Saturday you can say just mention that you heard me or heard us on the podcast and you will get two dollars off of your two pound bag of Mirepoix I'm gonna come in singing authentically Detroit like hey I'll sing the song I got to say moving on next you're listening to Chef Idric Godet and Imani Foster who have uh the event coming to the Stademeyer uh inside of Eastside Community Network on October 20th uh happy hour in the market and it is completely free it's completely free anybody can attend be sure to attend catch us live uh Donna and I will be broadcasting live talking to Chef Edric again and Imani and some of the other uh food based uh business entrepreneurs uh who will be there we are really really excited to partner with you on that it's a great preview uh to that event and uh be sure to visit in the mix and shed five at Easter Market this Saturday be sure to mention authentically betray to get two dollars off of Mirpoi. There it is. All right all right thank you guys so much for coming on thank you for having us if you go ahead also I want to say happy birthday to my mama it's her 74th birthday today 74th birthday mama get I was gonna get to shout outs if you have topics that you want to discuss on authentically you can hit us up on our socials at authentically on hit us up on our socials at authentically betrayed on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or you can email us at authenticetray at gmail.com there we go it's time for shout outs who would you like to shout out my mama hey mama gay today is her 74th birthday so I just wanted to give her a shout out wish her happy birthday and all the love and the happy birthday Missy Mani do you have any shout outs yes I I want to give a shout out to everyone who has brought their produce to be a part of in the mix Detroit as well as anyone who has bought anything from me at that itty bitty table over there in Shepy and just shout out to my people. Shout out to my people that's right because I I you know I I love my people and this is and your people love you too absolutely I can tell you are love she is and and I want this I really and truly want this for my people it is um I'm unapologetically going for my people that's yeah I'd like to shout out um longtime mentor of mine who is battling throat cancer like in the throes of it right now Miss Stephanie Carricker who I met um as a high school student who has become close to me and my family is in the thick of it right now. And so she could use your thoughts she could use your prayers Miss Carricker is still large and in charge she was running things back then and she thinks she's running stuff now I have to tell her that I'm grown and you don't tell me what to do no more. I'm not grown to boss me Miss Carricker she is she is though she is let me tell you a quick story we had the uh outlier hustle party and I told Miss Carricker I said come on you can look you're gonna come she was like yeah I'm gonna come and so she came but Miss Carricker thought that she didn't have to register and so it was a problem at the door and so one of my staff was like well you can't come in you know there was a little and Miss Carricker said oh I'm gonna show you she called me on the phone exactly I bet I'm committing I gotta let her in because she when I got there she was guess who was sitting right there in the lobby waiting Miss Carricker I love you Miss Carricker so much and I'm wishing you complete um and total healing and I hope to see you really really soon and shout out to my co-host and partner in crime Donna Gibbs Davidson who is off today she's coming off of a much needed vacation she was on a cruise y'all should have seen Donna on Facebook taking showing photos and stuff and happy belated birthday to Donna Gibbs Davidson all right that's gonna do it for us this week until next time love on your neighborhood
