It might be tough thinking about farming today, with the wintery conditions at hand, but in all actuality this is the perfect time to think about what’s in store for the upcoming farm season.
For years, I’ve been following Buffalo’s burgeoning urban farming community, both on the west and east sides of the city. I’ve also talked plenty about the smaller outlying organic farms that dot this region.
In 2020 alone, more than 200 farmers grew and harvested over 23,000 pounds of produce for their families, their communities, and for other Western New Yorkers impacted by food insecurity.
I recently learned about a non-profit farm in East Aurora called Providence Farm Collective (PFC), which is considered “a community and incubator farm where immigrant and refugee populations, and anyone who is low-resourced or underserved, grow fresh, affordable, and culturally appropriate food for their Buffalo, NY, communities.”
As a way to get more familiar with this inspirational farming initiative, you might want to watch the following video:
As you have now learned, this resourceful farming collective is in place to serve several communities throughout WNY, by ensuring that they have access to farmland. Many of the people that utilize the farm are refugees and immigrants who previously farmed in their home countries before they were displaced. The collective provides farming resources for these underserved communities.
Since 2019, PFC has been tackling the issues that revolve around food insecurity, from lack of food, to resorting to eating unhealthy foods. The Collective ensures that everyone has access to the healthy foods that most people take for granted.
Because PFC serves the immigrant and refugee communities, people are free to plant the types of produce that they are accustomed to growing and eating in their home countries.
Most of the farms that are available to immigrants and refugees are typically smaller in scale, due to the limitations of urban lots and raised beds. The farmland at PFC offers more traditional farm features, which allows for larger and more diverse crops.
There are so many side benefits to offering these farm resources to those who require and appreciate them most. Whether it’s the ability to work outdoors with one’s hands, or partake in physical exercise, there are boundless upsides. Not to mention that the farm came about in tandem with the start of a pandemic. Thus, it was immediately clear that this resourceful initiative was perfectly timed to empower the communities that it serves.
PFC is mainly supported through private foundations. Additional support is always welcome. You can learn more at providencefarmcollective.org.
Winter might be upon us, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t think about this region’s greener pastures.
Providence Farm Collective | 5701 Burton Road | Orchard Park, NY 14127 | 716-473-9338