(bright music) - Some people grow beans, squash, tomatoes, peppers.

The possibilities are endless.

But I know a place that grows community.

On Buffalo's West Side, empty lots are turning into vibrant green spaces.

Neighbors come together to learn, shop and share.

Families find fresh, affordable produce.

And youth?

They're leading the way, working, learning, and earning.

This is Massachusetts Avenue Project, AKA MAP.

They grow food, they grow careers, they grow futures.

Here at MAP, land stewardship and community are being planted and cultivated all year long.

(bright music) So what exactly is the Massachusetts Avenue Project, and how do they do it?

Let's meet the visionary behind it all.

- So we are a food justice organization, and we are trying to promote food sovereignty in Buffalo and Western New York, which basically means giving people control over their food system, whether it's access to land if they want to grow their own food, whether it's providing access to healthy, affordable food for people who want to shop, whether it's giving people knowledge and resources to garden, to cook, to learn how to preserve food, to feed their families.

- So talking a little more specifically about the programs you have, can you talk to us about the urban farm?

- Our urban farm consists of about an acre and a half of land, and we grow fruits, vegetables, herbs, medicinal plants, dye plants.

We raise bees for honey, and we also raise chickens for eggs.

- How are you getting the food to where it needs to be, or how are they coming to get to it?

Is there a process set up for that?

- There is.

So we run a mobile market program.

Last year, we had 14 different market sites around the city in food insecure neighborhoods.

We also purchased food from about 25 other local farms within 100 mile radius of Buffalo.

So we are also trying to support our local farmers as well.

We pay those farmers market price, but then we offer discounts to make the food affordable in those neighborhoods.

(upbeat music) - One of MAP's deepest roots?

It's youth program.

Since 2003, MAP has hired and trained over 800 teens through hands-on learning from composting to culinary skills to community organizing.

And the results?

Well, they're pretty incredible.

Just ask Falena.

- Okay, so the Growing Green Youth Employment Program is our youth education program.

So we employ over 30 teens throughout our summer and our school year programs.

And they get to cycle through all of our different areas, including social justice, the market, the kitchen, and the farm.

They go through all those tracks and get to see how MAP interacts with the food system in all of our different ways.

And then, eventually, they get to pick one that they feel most interested in and to focus in on.

- And so, am I correct in believing that you were a part of the program, and now, you're kind of like leading the program?

- It's been really wonderful, and like I just hope I can give the new teens like the same experience that I had.

I feel like one of MAP's biggest strengths is like the environment that you create.

At least, as a teen, I felt like my opinion was really valued, which feels very rare for like a young person.

- How do you think that's kind of directed your life and your career choices?

- I didn't know much about urban agriculture, so it's been really cool to see that.

And I think, especially being able to work so closely with Katie, our farm manager, has been really wonderful.

And just seeing how she cares for the space and is so generous with her knowledge and wanting to educate others is really inspiring and like affirming to me, like what I hope to be.

- What's one lesson you would take away?

- A big takeaway I took from, especially starting off in the youth program, was just to question more things and to not just take things for how they are and to kind of try and imagine a new way that things could be.

(upbeat music) - Falena is proof that when you plant seeds of confidence, care, and community, what grows can be game changing.

These aren't just garden beds, these are launching pads.

Let's head to the farm with Katie, MAP's farm manager, and see how this urban oasis gets growing, one seedling at a time.

So can you tell me a little bit more about like what does a farm manager do?

- I get to decide what we're going to grow in collaboration with the market staff and our farm youth and our customers' input.

I get to purchase seeds, purchase soil, make sure that we have everything we need for the growing season.

Prep the fields, prune the trees, feed the chickens, collect the eggs, water the plants, sweep the fields, like all of this stuff.

- I was wondering if we could maybe get some seedlings going.

- Totally.

- And we can maybe sell, you know, for the season.

- Totally.

And we're in zone 6A.

- Okay.

- And you can look that up on like a planting calendar for our climate zone.

- [Cory] Okay.

- And in those planting calendars, it'll tell you how far before our last frost you have to start whatever vegetable.

- Okay.

- Another really great resource besides that is our seed packets.

If you're buying seeds, all of these companies have planting information on them.

- [Cory] Okay.

- Fill up my soil pack with soil.

Do a little indent in the middle there, right in the middle, so that our seedlings can grow in the middle.

- [Cory] Okay.

- [Katie] And then we're going to use a rule of thumb.

So you're going to start some honeydew melons.

- Awesome.

- I'm going to do these Tigger melons, I never even heard of these.

- Yeah.

- So the rule of thumb that we have is to bury your seed twice as deep as the seed size.

- [Cory] Okay.

- [Katie] So we got some pretty big seeds here, and your seeds are going to be probably pretty similar looking at this.

Ooh, even bigger.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- So we're thinking about how big this is.

We don't want to go deeper than twice that size.

- Okay.

- Because, you know, these guys got to work.

They got to work to get out of the ground, they're working to germinate.

If we bury them too deep, they're not going to make it out on time.

- [Cory] Okay.

- So then I just put one in each little divot there.

- Got you.

- So then you're going to cover them up.

- [Cory] Okay.

- But the most important part of starting seeds is putting a label on it.

- [Cory] Okay.

- So we're going to water these babies, and they're going to stay wet until they germinate, until their first leaves come out.

And once they have their cotyledon leaves those are called, the first leaves.

Once those are out, then it's really important that they dry out in between waterings.

- So this is my baby.

(Katie chuckling) I will grow them.

But if we're in a shortage and people really are looking for some honeydew, I can bring it back and we can sell it.

(upbeat music) Now, urban farms like the Massachusetts Avenue Project contribute to civic life in several meaningful ways.

They foster social connections, promote sustainability, and strengthen local economies.

They bring healthy food to places that need it, and they make it affordable, fresh, and full of flavor.

When you zoom out, it's not just a farm, it's a classroom, a job site, a fresh start, a place where civic life takes root and keeps growing season after season.

(upbeat music) - As you can tell, most things are naturally grown.

I would definitely recommend the spinach from Ole's, it's everyone's favorite.

We just got it in this week, super fresh.

Probably got it like an hour ago.

- Grab one of these bad boys, okay.

Hey, I appreciate it.

I'm ready to go, man.

(Cory chuckling) During the 2024 season, MAP's mobile market brought fresh, affordable produce to 14 sites across Buffalo.

They sold over 23,000 units of locally grown or sourced fruits and vegetables, 470 different varieties in total, all offered at market rate and tailored to meet the cultural needs of the community.

MAP isn't just feeding people, it's planting possibilities.

Because when you grow this much good in one corner of the city, you start to imagine what's possible in every neighborhood.

Urban farms like MAP are more than just food sources, they're catalysts for stronger, healthier, and more connected communities.

Man, hey there, it's good to see you, it's good to see you.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- How are things going?

- It is good, you know?

We started at Massachusetts Avenue Project 24 years ago.

- Yeah.

- I came back to support.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

- That's what it's all about, man.

It's all about building that community.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues)