I am sitting here in the historic Detroit Eastern Market Shed 3, where Detroit highschoolers are making business pitches about their burgeoning enterprises they’ve created during their time at Detroit Food Academy. I am blown away by the savvy products that are designed to promote healthy snack alternatives with low-calorie, all natural ingredients including Ola Granola, Pop It Popcorn, and Mitten bites! Yum!

Devita Davison, co-director of Food Lab Detroit, announces the esteemed judges of the youth chef competition.

The competition features delicacies like pineapple salsa with chipotle chips from Team Gladiators and Grilled peaches with Nuchigan honey drizzle from Team Killer Beez.

The Detroit Food lab crew watching their promo video launched TODAY as a part of their crowd-funding campaign!

I have been blown away with the ways in which Detroit is soaring miles ahead of other cities in activating their local food movement, with over 1500-1600 community and market gardens city-wide, a vibrant food truck scene including the locally-sourced cuisine of Meiko Krishok of The Pink Flamingo, and the youth-driven enterprises within Detroit Food Lab, not to mention Hatch Detroit, where entrepreneurs can win $50k towards a brick and mortar business in Detroit.