Green Social Detroit and Rhizome Roots Studio are partnering to host a Plant Swap centered around reducing food insecurity in the local area. The educational event welcomes everyone from experienced gardeners to people with no experience caring for plants at all.
Green Social Detroit is an up-and-coming local organization dedicated to creating community among food insecurity. It aims to teach people how to grow their own food in a more affordable and eco-friendly way, organization co-founder Xiwi Ryn said. Green Social Detroit is new and just getting things started; the Plant Swap is its first major event. The organization plans to meet monthly to discuss efforts toward feeding local communities with the end goal of having a community garden in multiple cities.
Green Social Detroit is collaborating with Rhizome Roots to bring the Plant Swap to Ypsilanti. Rhizome Roots is a yoga studio in Ypsilanti that offers a wide range of classes, online content and events in yoga, dance, hiking, foraging and cooking classes, its website says.
The Plant Swap, happening June 14, 2026, from 1-4 p.m., is a community-building event in which people will gather and talk about various types of plants, gardening and how to reduce food insecurity. Tickets include a meal and drinks during the event, a plant, educational material, and a gift basket that includes flowers and seeds. The event is hosted at Rhizome Roots Studio and is ran by Green Social Detroit founders Xiwi Ryn and Dahlia Jean. This event will act as a test run for future Plant Swaps and Green Social Detroit events, Ryn said.
Tickets are $25 and available on eventbrite or sold at the door. The event offers sliding scale prices for those unable to pay the full amount.
Anyone is welcome to participate, even those who do not bring a plant to swap with someone else. Everyone leaves with a plant and knowledge on how to care for it, Ryn said. The event hosts are well-versed in taking care of plants and should be able to provide information for every plant brought in.
"Dahlia and I are very versed in taking care of different plant life. I'm more versed in farm and crops, and she is more into the house plants and flowers. So that's where we always find the balance between one another," Ryn said.
In regards to what inspired them to start the Green Social Detroit, Ryn said, "It was honestly two kids who kind of bombarded me in one of our community gardens in a neighborhood I used to live in. It was the sweetest thing, I brought some tomatoes that I had gotten for free, and they were just fascinated with the fact that I could grow food. So because I saw their faces light up, I just made it a journey of mine to teach everybody about food safety, so that we no longer have food insecurity in this country."
"This isn't something that will be just one and done to where people won't be able to have a community moving forward. This is all about teaching folks about green life and cultivating a safe space," Ryn said.
