Progress report for FNC25-1450
Project Information
Willow Run Acres:
With the help of dedicated volunteers, TC has turned his focus to two properties: a community garden at Appleridge Park in Ypsilanti Township and the development of a small farm operation, farm store and agricultural learning center (STEAM curriculum) at Clay Hill on MacArthur Blvd in Superior Township. These spaces are accessible to all and benefit underserved communities in Ypsilanti and Superior Township. Willow Run Arces is a 501(c)3 Farm.
Takunia ‘TC’ Collins, Executive Director of Willow Run Acres, brings generational farming expertise rooted in his family's history of sharecropping and agricultural resilience. Nicknamed the "Ghetto Gardener" for transforming urban spaces into thriving gardens, TC will oversee Willow Run Acres’ project implementation. He will manage the mobile system's integration into community operations, train local growers, and lead outreach to underserved farmers.
Growing Hope:
Growing Hope's Urban Farm is a community-based garden education non-profit site in Ypsilanti. We offer educational programs for gardeners of all levels, volunteers, and youth of all ages. Our produce is grown to sell at our farmer's markets and donated to our program participants; our community produce cart, and local food pantries.
Christopher Hallett, an award-winning Master Composter, and Growing Hope’s Farm Manager for over four years, will provide technical expertise for designing and evaluating the mobile wash/pack system. He will train team members on FSMA-compliant food safety standards and consult Willow Run Acres on best practices.
Julius Buzzard, Growing Hope’s Executive Director, will oversee operations, ensure project timelines are met, and manage outreach and education initiatives. With extensive experience in community-based programming, Julius will foster partnerships with local organizations to maximize project impact.
Growing Hope and Willow Run Acres, serving underserved Ypsilanti communities, face critical post-harvest handling and food safety challenges. Many community farms lack access to adequate infrastructure, such as wash/pack stations and cold storage. This limits their ability to comply with FSMA standards, undermines consumer trust, and restricts market access.
With plans to adopt a “u-pick” model, the absence of food safety infrastructure and education becomes even more pressing. This model amplifies the risk of produce contamination and highlights gaps in public knowledge about handling fresh produce safely.
Small-scale farms in underserved communities are particularly vulnerable, lacking the resources to build their facilities or access centralized options. Without intervention, these challenges perpetuate inequities in food security and economic opportunities. Addressing this issue is essential to fostering trust in local food systems, reducing waste, and supporting the economic sustainability of Ypsilanti’s community farms.
The first phase of this project will involve evaluating Growing Hope’s existing signage and wash/pack stations to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. This assessment will guide the design and implementation of a new mobile wash/pack station and portable walk-in cooler. By leveraging Growing Hope’s existing resources and expertise, the project aims to create a more effective and accessible system that serves the broader farming community in Ypsilanti.
The mobile wash/pack station will be built on a towable utility trailer with collapsible sides, creating a portable space for cleaning, sorting, and packing produce. It will include food-safe materials, multiple sink basins, a drying area, and improved signage with clear, step-by-step instructions for washing and packing. The portable design will allow farmers to operate in diverse locations with access to only a garden hose and 110v electrical outlet.
A second enclosed trailer will be retrofitted into a Coolbot-enabled walk-in cooler for temperature-controlled storage. This will extend the shelf life of produce and reduce waste, ensuring that farmers can maintain the quality of their harvests as they transport produce to markets, food hubs, and community distribution points.
Incorporating lessons from the evaluation phase will ensure the mobile units are practical, efficient, and tailored to the needs of local farmers while maintaining compliance with FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) standards.
The project's social impact is equally significant, fostering a stronger and more equitable community. By providing shared infrastructure and education, the project directly addresses barriers faced by underserved members in Ypsilanti. This includes growers from low-income and marginalized backgrounds who may lack access to adequate facilities. The project will educate farmers and consumers about safe produce-handling practices through workshops, signage, and outreach. This knowledge enhances public health and builds trust in local food systems.
The shared use of mobile infrastructure encourages cooperation among farmers, strengthens networks, and fosters a sense of community.By improving the quality and availability of local produce, the project contributes to greater food security for Ypsilanti residents, particularly in areas where access to fresh, healthy food is limited.
Objectives
Evaluate Current Infrastructure Months (1)
- Assess the design and effectiveness of Growing Hope’s existing wash/pack stations and signage.
- Use findings to inform improvements in the mobile wash/pack station and cooler.
Design and Build Improved Infrastructure Months (2-6)
- Create a mobile wash/pack station with enhanced functionality and clear, updated food safety signage.
- Retrofit a trailer into a Coolbot-enabled walk-in cooler for temperature-controlled storage.
Reduce Food Waste and Boost Efficiency Months (7-8)
- Address post-harvest handling challenges by providing tools that maintain produce quality and reduce spoilage.
- Streamline workflows for small-scale and community farms.
- Measure reductions in post-harvest losses.
Expand Food Safety Knowledge Month (8-9)
- Develop workshops and training materials to educate farm leaders and community members on food safety and proper handling techniques.
- Share updated, replicable food safety guidelines based on project findings.
- Outreach to food and safety organizations for feedback on safety protocols
- Ensure mobile systems and education are accessible to growers in underserved areas of Ypsilanti.
- Empower farmers to enhance produce quality and expand their market opportunities, contributing to local food security.
Cooperators
- - Producer
Research
The project began with identifying the core problem facing many small and beginning farmers in our community: they lacked consistent, food-safe, and ergonomic wash and pack infrastructure. Most farmers were using improvised setups that slowed down their workflow, increased product loss, and limited their ability to meet market standards. This understanding shaped our goal of creating a mobile wash/pack station that could serve multiple farms and improve post-harvest handling.
We selected a trailer-based model because mobility offered the greatest overall value. A mobile unit could move between farms, support beginning growers who lacked infrastructure, and be used at markets or community events. Although we originally budgeted for a lower-cost enclosed trailer, market prices had risen significantly, so we purchased a more expensive but structurally sound model. This choice ensured long-term durability and reduced the likelihood of costly repairs.
Once the trailer was secured, we focused on designing an interior layout that supported efficient workflow and food safety. We prioritized organizing the space into clear dirty and clean zones and making sure farmers had room to wash, sort, and pack produce without bottlenecks. Stainless steel tables, washable surfaces, and practical sink placement helped create a safe and efficient post-harvest environment.
Cold storage capacity was another important part of the design. We paired an air conditioner with a CoolBot system to create an affordable cooling setup that extended produce shelf life and maintained quality. This solution offered an effective balance between cost, energy efficiency, and functionality, and it allowed farmers to hold produce safely between harvesting and delivery.
Next, we completed the retrofitting process, which required far more materials than initially expected. Plumbing, electrical wiring, waterproofing, and insulation were essential to turning the trailer into a functional wash/pack station. Although these additions increased overall costs, they were necessary to protect the equipment, support food-safety goals, and ensure that the trailer would perform well under agricultural conditions.
When purchasing equipment, we learned that farm-level use demands durable and reliable tools. Some lower-cost items did not hold up, such as the original washing machine plan, which we replaced with a stronger, more expensive model. We prioritized sturdiness over initial savings, knowing that reliable equipment would prevent breakdowns and reduce long-term expenses.
As material shortages and weather delays shifted our timeline, we learned the importance of flexibility. Labor needs changed, construction phases moved, and some items required re-budgeting. Even with these shifts, we were able to stay within the overall budget and keep the project on track. Remaining funds will support final tasks such as exterior wrapping, signage, produce tubs, and demonstration hours. The entire process reinforced that careful planning, adaptability, and farmer-centered design are essential when developing shared mobile infrastructure.
The project produced measurable improvements in post-harvest workflow, product quality, and efficiency for willow run acres who tested or observed the mobile wash/pack station. Because the project focused on post-harvest handling rather than field production, our primary metrics included time savings, product loss, ease of workflow, and farmer-reported improvements in safety and confidence. These outcomes were captured through build tests, informal interviews with growing hope farmers, observation during test sessions, and direct comparisons to each farmer’s previous wash/pack setup.
One of the strongest results of the build was the reduction in post-harvest handling time, which often involved lifting buckets from the ground, using uneven surfaces, or setting up temporary wash areas. These efficiency gains translated directly into improved workflow and less physical strain.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
We plan to host a series of educational demonstrations using the mobile wash/pack trailer at multiple farm and community locations in May 2026. These events will give farmers, students, and community growers the opportunity to see the unit in action, learn about its construction, and understand how a mobile setup can improve workflow and food safety. Demonstrations will include full walk-throughs of the washing, cooling, packing, and workflow zones so participants can observe how the station functions from start to finish during real harvest conditions.
Each event will feature hands-on engagement where attendees can practice washing and sorting produce, try out the equipment, and ask technical questions about plumbing, electrical systems, insulation, and equipment selection. We will compare “before and after” workflows so participants can directly observe how the mobile system reduces time, labor, and product loss. These sessions will also highlight budget realities, material choices, and design tradeoffs, giving farmers a grounded understanding of what it takes to build a similar unit on their own farms.
Educational demonstrations will be offered to a wide range of partners, including Willow Run Acres, Old City Acres, Growing Hope farmers, University of Michigan food systems students, and Michigan State University agriculture students. Each group will gain tailored insights based on their background. For example, beginning farmers will focus on practical setup techniques, while students will explore how mobile infrastructure intersects with food safety, equity, and farm economics. These events are designed not only to showcase the trailer but to strengthen local knowledge, inspire adoption of improved post-harvest systems, and create a more connected and informed farming community.
Learning Outcomes
One of the clearest lessons from this project was the importance of building a realistic and flexible budget for mobile farm infrastructure. As we moved through the construction and equipment phases, we saw several areas where actual costs differed from our original projections. These differences helped us better understand the true expenses involved in building and outfitting a mobile wash and pack station.
The most noticeable shift was the cost of the enclosed trailer. We budgeted $3,999 but the actual cost was $6,895.94. This difference showed how quickly prices can increase due to inflation, limited availability, and supply shortages. If we were to advise another farmer, we would recommend securing the trailer early or budgeting a higher amount than expected, since this is one of the core structural components of the project.
Some equipment items cost less than expected, such as the air conditioner ($574.86 instead of $699) and the hand sink ($168.99 instead of $420). This taught us that certain items can be sourced at a lower cost from alternative vendors or salvage suppliers. On the other hand, a few items cost significantly more, such as the washing machine, which ended up being $1,850 instead of $799. This showed us that consumer-grade appliances are not always suitable for farm environments. In many cases, we learned that durable, commercial-grade equipment provides better long-term value even if the upfront cost is higher.
Labor expenses also offered important lessons. Personnel costs for both Growing Hope and Willow Run Acres came in lower than budgeted at this stage of the project. This happened because much of the remaining work shifted later in the calendar due to weather, delays sourcing materials, and changes in build sequencing. The experience reinforced how important it is to build flexibility into labor plans, since infrastructure projects rarely follow a perfect timeline.
We also learned that modifying a trailer into a food-safe, practical workspace requires more construction materials than expected. Items such as insulation, waterproofing, plumbing, and electrical supplies created additional costs that were not fully reflected in the original budget. For future projects, we would recommend adding a contingency line specifically for these types of modifications.
Although several individual costs were higher than projected, we succeeded in overcoming the original barrier: the lack of accessible, consistent wash and pack infrastructure for small and beginning farmers. Once the main structure is complete, the long-term benefits outweigh the early challenges. This kind of project supports improved food safety, reduces crop loss, and increases the market readiness of produce. The main disadvantage is the high upfront cost and the need for strong project management to keep materials, labor, and scheduling aligned.
If other farmers asked for advice, we would tell them to plan for price fluctuations, evaluate equipment durability before purchasing, budget extra for utilities and retrofitting, and build in more labor time than they think they will need. We would also recommend starting the trailer purchase process immediately, since it sets the tone for the entire build.
Overall, the budget experience helped us become stronger planners and gave us a realistic picture of what it takes to build safe and effective mobile infrastructure. Even with some unplanned expenses, we remain within the overall project budget and are on track to complete the remaining tasks including exterior wrapping, signage, produce tubs, and the final labor.
Project Outcomes
Willow Run Acres Farmer Story
“Before this project, we were washing produce on folding tables and tarps. It worked, but it wasn’t efficient, and the quality wasn’t as consistent as we wanted. Using the mobile wash/pack station showed me how much time we were losing every harvest day. This new setup will cut our washing time almost in half and helped us get cleaner, more uniform produce to markets.” - Willow Run Acres