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| MAP'S Farmhouse project is set to expand with Wegmans' help |
The
Massachusetts Avenue Project,
389 Massachusetts Ave., recently received
$75,000 in funding from Wegmans to be used towards its Farmhouse Project.
The Farmhouse Project is a $1.8 million campaign, of which $1.1 million has been raised.
The tentative plan for the project is to break ground in the spring and have
the bulk of the construction done by this time next year. MAP also is aiming to have a grand opening late next
fall.
The funding will help MAP in a
number of ways. It will help build a new farmhouse, which will house office space, expand cold and dry storage and expand the farm. Over the years, MAP has built a strong relationship with Wegmans, this
being their most recent partnership venture.
“We’ve always looked at them as a
strong partner,” said Heather Brooks Newton, MAP’s development director. “The
synergy is there, they’re about fresh healthy food as are we and I think that
we are certainly reaching, particularly on the east side of Buffalo where our
truck is, a different population, and it's
really great to have Wegmans’ support.”
But, it’s not just a monetary
partnership; the organic section of Wegmans is the home of MAP’s salsa, chili
starter and salad dressing. The kids in their youth enterprise program are the
ones who make those products. The program was started to show the younger people
what the “farm-to-table” food system was about all about.
MAP is dedicated to helping serve
the youth and making sure there is fresh local food readily available. By Troy Licastro and Tony Reyes
