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| Carrie Nader, co-owner of Westside Tilth Farm |
By Ashley
Ziomek and Kyle Fallon
Buffalo
Review – West Reporters
When
Carrie Nader looked out her window in July, her eyes were greeted by rows of
tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and more. Today, her urban farm, Westside Tilth, paints a bleaker scene, beginning to blend in
to the cold city buildings that surround, with different shades of gray mixed
in with the white snow.
With
the Buffalo winter ahead, it is time for local farms to begin wrapping up their
season. This year’s end begins with the wrapping of any remaining produce,
final market sales and plans for next year based off
results from the 2018 season.
“It’s
all experimenting,” Nader said.
With
co-owner Alex Wadsworth, Nader is finishing the first year of Westside Tilth as
an operational farm in the heart of the West Side.
“It’s figuring out what we
can grow, what works and what didn’t. We’re very tiny, so we have to be super
picky about what we continue to grow,” Nader said. “it’s not so much new crops,
but new techniques.”
Broccolini for example, was
something the farm will not continue next season due to low production rates.
Located
on a quarter acre of land on Normal Avenue, Westside Tilth produces seasonal
salad mixes, root vegetables, alliums, microgreens and
more.
According to Smart CitiesConnect, Buffalo was one of the first locations in the country to have a major
zoning overhaul, allowing produce grown in backyards to be sold to, and by,
locals. Urban farms also
are supported by Buffalo’s Green Code, established in 2010.
Just over a mile down the
road sits 5 Loaves Farm, another provider of organic produce for the community.
It also offers youth internships and educational services.
Established
in 2012, the farm began with three garden lots. Now, it spans 15 lots on West Delavan and West avenues and features a wide variety of
produce such as root vegetables and leafy greens and some popular in Asian
dishes.
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| Matt Kauffman, manager, 5 Loaves Farm |
“Overall, it’s been a pretty good year,” said Matt
Kauffman, farm manager.
Working with charter and
public schools such as Nardin Academy and Tapestry Charter, the farm offers
paid internships in an effort to educate and support high school students.
Sponsored through Say Yes
Buffalo, these educational funds also support teens year-round at nearby Massachusetts
Avenue Project.
“We can’t help but look to
the future,” said Erin Carmin, development director at MAP.
The year featured the construction
of a farmhouse to replace one lost to fire. MAP raised $2.4 million towards the
new facility.
“We had a lot of support
from the community, which led to a lot of support from the state,” Carmin said.
“Some farming just had to be put on hold due to construction.”
Organizers hope to move into
the new farmhouse this month, right around the time they will start planning
for the next growing season, a mere six months away.
