Urban farming on Buffalo’s West Side .........Ashley Ziomek

Urban farming on Buffalo’s West Side

BY ASHLEY ZIOMEK

Buffalo is known for many things: the Bills, wings, a Cheerio-scented skyway, quality dining, and, increasingly over the past decade, urban farming.

At 246 Normal Avenue, WestSide Tilth Farm is run by sister-brother duo Carrie and Richard Nader. Established in 2017, the farm operates with small hand and battery-powered tools rather than traditional tractors and plows. According to the website, the “farm utilizes the best of traditional and contemporary agricultural practices to grow an abundance of exceptionally healthy vegetables on a very small land base.” WestSide Tilth also features twenty-six solar panels that help power the cooler, greenhouse fans, and tools.

The Nader team grows an assortment of veggies, including collards, kale, onions, lettuce, string beans, and herbs. To eliminate contamination risk from city-grown soil, they import their own and use a soil barrier. “We use a geotextile barrier,” says Richard. “The imported soil is on top of that.”

Although the farm is not open to the public on a regular basis, there are farmers markets every Saturday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. through November, and “Yoga in the Grass” on Sunday mornings. The farm also offers artisan pizzas, which can be preordered online and picked up onsite during farmers markets. The dough is made through a four-day fermentation process and is topped with fresh, farmgrown ingredients. A 1.3-mile hop, skip, or jump away sits 5 Loaves Farm at 70 West Delevan. Established in 2012 on three vacant city lots, it now covers more than quadruple that area, and grows a variety of root vegetables and leafy greens. 5 Loaves use hibiscus soil to grow cucumbers, squash, corn, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers. Farm Manager Matt Kauffman is proud of the farm’s focus on a “collection of culturally significant crops to represent our neighbors.” The farm focuses on education, spiritual values, and local economic impact. It holds classes and community events in its teaching kitchen, which is also open to volunteers looking to host culinary classes; the farm also offers an event space, with a “pay what you can” rental policy. April through October, the Saturday morning schedule consists of a light community breakfast, meditation, and getting dirty on the farm.

A healthy crop of vegetables at WestSide Tilth Farm

Photo by Nick Vitello

5 Loaves promotes community growth through paid youth internships. Kauffman shares excitedly, “We just got funding to plan and expand our program.” The farm currently offers fifteen internships over three seasons. Fall internships focus on business management; interns work the farm market and develop their own business plans. Winter interns preserve produce, process honey and maple syrup, and assist with the kitchen takeout, while spring offers the opportunity to engage in hands-on farm work, maintenance, and planning. All interns receive job skill training through 716 Ministries. The farm’s year-long staff is employed through a partnership with Buffalo Urban Mission Partnership (BUMP).

An onsite market is held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Fridays, July through September, during which visitors can try homemade pizza and soup in the dining space. 5 Loaves can also be spotted at the Elmwood Village Farmers Market through October.

So, the next time you’re downtown, keep your eyes peeled for urban farms tucked within the cityscape. The growing urban farming trend helps bring diverse goods to the community and allows for local economic impact and small business growth. It’s another reason we’re proud to call Buffalo home. FY

Ashley Ziomek is a freelance writer living in Western New York.