Overview:
- Planet Detroit selects Clayton Cortez Smith and Mikehl Hafner as inaugural Brennan Resiliency Journalism Fellows to profile Detroit urban farmers.
- The fellowships are funded by the Sustainability Institute of Detroit and build on Planet Detroit's Neighborhood Reporting Lab.
- Both fellows will document grassroots stories of food resilience and sustainability across Detroit's growing network of urban farms.
Planet Detroit has selected two Detroit-based writers for its inaugural 2026 Brennan Resiliency Journalism Fellowships. Clayton Cortez Smith and Mikehl Hafner will spend the fellowship profiling growers and farmers across the city, exploring what drives them to grow food in Detroit.
Both writers got their start at Planet Detroit through the organization’s Neighborhood Reporting Lab, funded by the Kresge Foundation.
“We’re excited to build on the success of our Neighborhood Reporting Lab by taking this next step and working more closely with two incredibly talented writers,” said Nina Ignaczak, Planet Detroit’s founder and executive editor.
The fellowships are funded by the Sustainability Institute of Detroit, where Tom Brennan serves as president and director. Brennan owns the Green Garage, the sustainable coworking space in Midtown where Planet Detroit has its office, as well as nearby Seasons Market and the El Moore sustainable lodging house.
“We created the Brennan Resiliency Journalism Fellowships as a way to document these grassroots stories of resilience that are helping to shape Detroit’s sustainable future, and so you can meet the people that are actually making it happen,” Brennan said.
Planet Detroit partnered with Ashley Atkinson, co-director of Keep Growing Detroit, and Gabrielle Knox, director of the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund, to identify growers and farmers willing to share their stories.
Clayton Cortez Smith is a multimedia journalist and filmmaker from Southwest Detroit. A first-generation college graduate, he holds a Master of Arts in Television, Film, and News Production from Columbia College Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from Siena Heights University. His work examines social and environmental challenges, creating narratives that raise awareness and promote accountability.
“My focus will be on dignity, resilience and innovation in promoting food justice and sustainability,” Smith said. “I want to uplift community voices and inspire dialogue that will inform the public and influence policies for positive change.” View Smith’s work here. Read his Planet Detroit stories here.
Mikehl Hafner is an architectural designer based in Detroit who grew up on the city’s east side. He studied architecture at the University of Michigan’s Taubman College, where he was among the first class admitted as freshmen to the program. His creative practice extends well beyond design: he’s a writer, pianist, and volunteer board member with Stonewall Sports Detroit.
Hafner’s interest in food systems grew from a personal commitment to shopping at Eastern Market and cooking with the seasons.
“I feel that if people engage with where their food comes from, especially if it’s something that’s local, it forms more of a consciousness,” Hafner said. “Which I hope would lead people to be more engaged actively in climate justice.”
An Eagle Scout who grew up spending time in nature, Hafner credits those experiences with instilling a lasting sense of collective responsibility. Read his Planet Detroit stories here.
The fellows begin their reporting this month under the editorial guidance of Planet Detroit staff.
Learn more about Planet Detroit’s Neighborhood Reporting Lab here.
MORE FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD REPORTING LAB
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Tiffany Jones leads Sacred Grounds, a program helping Detroit houses of worship build rain gardens and native plant habitat. The initiative addresses flooding while connecting faith communities to environmental stewardship.
That’s a wrap: Celebrating the 2026 Planet Detroit Neighborhood Reporting Lab
Twenty Detroit-area residents with no prior journalism experience completed Planet Detroit’s 2026 Neighborhood Reporting Lab, learning to report on environmental health and climate issues in their own communities.
From childhood asthma patient to environmental justice advocate: One Detroiter’s story
Latia Leonard developed asthma as a child growing up on Detroit’s east side. Now she works to expose environmental hazards affecting communities across Michigan.
