A lucent sunset provides a stunning backdrop for the Tantré Farm barn in Chelsea.
Photo Credit: Tantré Farm
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Two years ago, Jeff Tenza, life-long resident, would describe a typical day in his life in this manner: each morning he’d punch an alarm clock, pile into a car with his co-workers and commute upwards of 30 minutes to Brighton. Then he’d spend the next ten hours staring into a computer screen, analyzing fast-moving trends and researching start-up corporations for potential investment. At the end of the day, he barely had enough time to cook dinner. He felt drained.
Today, Tenza’s mantra could be: will work for food.
His life is moving in a different direction, at a slower pace. And he’s found a job that fills his days with camaraderie, laughter and fun.
“We do weed and sings. We learn songs, singing in rounds, taking turns,” he said. “It’s very beautiful and it feels amazing to get your hands in the dirt. Clean, healthy dirt. No chemicals.”
“It just feels really good to be out there. It’s what [human beings are] evolved to do.”
Tenza, 24, may be the face of a new generation of young farmers in Michigan. A lot has changed for Tenza in the past two years.
Michigan is changing too. Reeling from the fall-out of the automotive industry and an imploding state government, it’s hard for anyone who has lived in the Great Lakes State for more than a decade to see our state’s economy beyond the shadow cast by the Big Three. But there is light on the horizon.
