As SNAP benefits come under threat, a Detroit farmer is stepping up to help fill the void

The federal shutdown has put SNAP benefits at risk for millions of Americans. Urban farmers like Travis Peters are stepping up to ensure their communities can eat.

Green Boots

As the federal government enters the fourth week of the shutdown, millions of Americans will soon face another serious problem: putting food on the table.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture warned that “the well has run dry” for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and that the critical food assistance on which more than 40 million Americans depend will not be available on Nov. 1.

Urban farmers, like Travis Peters, have been preparing for this moment.

Peters, the owner of Green Boots Veteran Community Horticulture Gardens and Marketplace in Detroit, is encouraging anyone who may be facing food insecurity as SNAP benefits lapse to come to his farm on Tuesday to “get a bag or two of produce, something to feed your family,” free of charge.

“This is day 22 or so of the government shutdown, and they’re talking about not issuing out SNAP benefits,” Peters said in a social media post Thursday.

“That’s going to affect a lot of folks. [If] anybody feels that they need some food and it’s getting tight, my food is free,” he said. “Don’t even sweat that.”

Peters told Detour Detroit that he grows tomatoes, butternut squash, watermelons, herbs, beets, radishes, and more.

Detroit is home to one of the largest urban farming communities in the United States. According to Planet Detroit, the city now holds some 2,200 gardens and farms. Having purchased the land with the help of the Detroit Black Farmers Land Fund in 2018, providing access to fresh produce and supporting veterans are key components of Green Boots’ mission.

“My next-door neighbors have a very plentiful garden that they’ve blessed us with food before,” said Kamila Shakur, a writer and a spiritual practitioner. “At a time like this, I think that that’s something that we have kind of had the foresight, as a community and as a majority Black city.”

“We’ve always known that we need to utilize the land as much as possible,” said Shakur, who also serves as head archivist for the Hush House Black Community Museum. “No matter how much pushback some people get, especially Black farmers, even from the city sometimes. [Urban farmers have been] thinking ahead not just for themselves and their families, but for their community and how to feed our people.”

Peters hopes his fellow urban farmers will join him in his effort to feed the community. “I am asking that other urban farmers bring your produce to Green Boots on this day and let’s do what we do,” he said.

“Folks and families, if you’re not going to receive your benefits to purchase food, your SNAP benefits, and you’re just feeling the pinch, do not hesitate to reach out,” Peters continued.

Green Boots Veteran Community Horticulture Gardens and Marketplace is located at 13500 Southfield Freeway, on the corner of Davison and Southfield. Peters will be handing out produce at his marketplace from 10 am to 2 pm and from 6 pm to 8 pm on Tuesday, October 28.

Learn more about the Green Boots Veteran Community Horticulture Gardens and Marketplace below: