In 1999, we launched Living Zen Organics:  an organic, plant-based farm-to-table cafe, store & food distribution business featuring locally grown food from urban and regional farmers.  We were ahead of the curve on organic, local food, and one of the first groups in the region to use biodegradable/compostable packaging.  We grew to serving 21 stores and markets, with a line of 18 hand-made food products all prepared on site.  We stored and processed 200lbs of kale each week into salads and kale chips at a time when many asked us 'What is Kale?'  We built our own dehydrator, walk in cooler, designed and printed labels, prepared and packaged everything in house with monks, volunteers and employees from the neighborhood. Our cafe was open daily.  It was an artisanal food business and cafe, and a labor of love.  We empowered hundreds of guests and volunteers whole food meal preparation to many people, and served thousands of people great food.

Through this venture we supported our Zen Center, offered meaningful employment, and promoted health in our region and neighborhood -- Hamtramck -- the most diverse yet poorest community in Michigan. 

We closed daily operations on May 19, 2020, due to Covid and its effects.  In truth, our food business had become after 20 years a burden, and a burnout for our aging monks.  Simultaneously volunteerism declined, and the community business became financially
unsustainable long term, with rising costs of labor and supplies/materials and a shrinking volunteer base. 

As a result, we have pivoted to a new, long-term vision that is simpler and sustainable, which incorporates our unique features as a zen meditation community:  lovely accommodations, outdoor spaces, and our recent addition:  9 acres and a retreat center on Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula. 

Future plans include a tea house set across our green roof, gardens and cafe, maple sap tapping and distribution from maple trees on our property in the UP, agro-tourism bringing folks to the UP to learn how to tap, and retreats at the Detroit Zen Center that will include garden caretaking, whole food organic meal access, preparation sourcing and education.   In this way we hope to empower people to access holistic life-style broadly, and provide site-based healthful living education, access and inspiration rather than our previous work that was limited to  producing and selling products and meals.  In addition, we felt compelled to include in our long term vision site wide urban ecological stewardship, integrating that together with our passion to promote healthful food systems.  Integrating access and education to whole plants amidst natural, peaceful and beautiful environments that model broad ecological and human stewardship is our vision. 

In order to enact the vision, broad improvements were necessary to our site in Hamtramck, and to the retreat center on Lake Superior in Ontonagon (Upper Peninsula).  We are in the execution stage, at the tail end of a 2 year grant cycle from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, to bring our Hamtramck site into a model of environmental stewardship, and also further our Green Stormwater Infrastructure Initiative.   Once the work is complete we plan to offer an upgraded version of Living Zen Organics (meals, food access, education, agro-tourism) both in metro-Detroit and the Upper Peninsula.  Future plans include a green roof tea house and meals served in the gardens as well as maple tree tapping and sap served in the UP.
 

36,000 lbs of kale served so far.  Yes, we counted!