The close relationship between Detroit restaurants and urban farms is what makes the city’s food ecosystem so distinct. But the pandemic created an unprecedented disruption: sales faded for growers, many of whose business model largely depended on selling produce to restaurants and wholesalers, while restaurants found themselves with a surplus of perishable foods.

Financial strain, compounded by the disproportionate rate of Black Detroiters impacted by COVID-19, has put pressure on many businesses whose staff and customers resided in deeply affected neighborhoods.