In the business of...Urban Farming and Happiness

By: Denise Mendiola-Hertslet
WIB Program Coordinator/Senior Business Counselor
Guam SBDC


Every year, I look forward to my pilgrimage to the Mecca of Happiness. I will just tell you now that it is not a place, but rather, it is a people. The annual BALLE conferences are hosted by different cities in the United States that have Local First! Organizations. And every year, I meet inspiring people from many backgrounds that all have one thing in common. They genuinely believe that the formula to a sustainable and happy life is “people, profit, and planet” and that we need to move away from “me” to “we.” So, it was on this trip that I learned about how urban farms help to encourage happy and sustainable communities.

The Massachusetts Avenue Project (MAP) farm stand located in Buffalo.

Agriculture is New York State’s number one economic driver, with apples, grapes, milk, beef, corn and hay being the largest sources of income. The city of Buffalo is located within Erie County, which is occupied by approximately 1,500 traditional farms. Agriculture has been an integral part of the Western New York landscape over the past two hundred years, however, farming has been decreasing the past fifty years and fertile land is going unused. Organizations like the Farmer Pirates, The Green Entrepreneurial Center and the Massachusetts Avenue Project (MAP) have been instrumental in promoting healthy eating and lifestyles in the city of Buffalo through the development of Urban Farms.
 

The Wilson Street Farm’s sign is pictured here in Buffalo, New York’s East Side.

The Wilson Street Farm is a member of the Farmer Pirates, an urban farm cooperative that works together to share information, buy seeds and purchase equipment. The farm is located on Buffalo’s East Side and occupies a two-acre plot that was once occupied by twenty-five small, dilapidated homes. Mark and Janice Stevens and their eight children are the first business urban farm in the city, and fought through many challenges by the city, but with a rally of public support, the family was able to transform unused land into a lush, sustainable family farm. More importantly, it is a beacon in the poverty-stricken community and has helped to develop a sense of neighborhood, with most of its customers living within a one-mile radius.

The Green Entrepreneurial Center provides affordable, fresh food to the city’s food deserts by creating urban farms. Food deserts are defined as urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food. Instead of grocery stores, they may have no food access or are served only by fast food restaurants and convenience stores that don’t offer healthy, affordable food. One of GEC’s urban farms consists of three greenhouses and 6,000 square feet of outdoor growing space. Annually, this system is capable of growing over 35,000 pounds of fresh food.

 

The Green Entrepreneurial Center is shown here showcasing their 6,000 square foot urban farm.

The Massachusetts Avenue Project (MAP) is a non-profit organization that has a variety of local economic programs, including a one-acre urban farm located on Buffalo’s emerging West Side. MAP staff work with local youth groups to grow fresh food, maintain chickens, and operate a multiple closed-loop aquaponics system capable of raising a total of over 50,000 pounds of fish. They have received awards for their unique mobile vegetable market, youth enterprise program and farm education. Most notably, they boast that 95% of their high school seniors graduated and went on to college.


Unlike New York State, where growing food can be challenging due to their four seasons, Guam is ideal for growing fresh fruits and vegetables year-round, and in our back yards. So, why are we still importing most of our fresh produce?

If you are interested in learning how to start a small agriculture business, contact the Guam Small Business Development Center at 671-735-2594 or denise@pacificsbdc.com.