Project Overview
Commodities
Practices
- Crop Production: crop rotation
- Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns, community-supported agriculture
- Sustainable Communities: local and regional food systems, quality of life, urban agriculture
Proposal summary:
The project seeks to measure the social, economic, and environmental impacts of creating and implementing a multi-farm Community Support Agriculture (CSA) program for both farmers and consumers in Buffalo, NY. Given the high rate of food insecurity experienced by residents and challenges faced by urban farmers in Buffalo, the benefit for both groups that could result from collaboration among farmers and a consolidation of their small markets in the region is potentially far-reaching. Under the leadership of Groundwork Market Garden (GMG), and collaboration with Greater Buffalo Urban Growers (GBUG), the project will document the process of establishing the multi-farm CSA throughout the first year planning period and the pilot program in year two.
Data will be collected through surveys to ascertain the experiences of CSA members and farmers before and after participation in the program. Surveys will be designed to assess food access and affordability for members and the profitability and quality of life experienced by farmers. The project will also document all financial information associated with the creation and execution of a multi-farm CSA and any secondary benefits, impacts, or limitations that result during the execution and completion of the project. We anticipate that the project will result in reduced barriers associated with accessing affordable fresh food options for city residents. Additionally, farmers will gain access to expanded markets, improving profitability of farms and quality of life.
Project objectives from proposal:
The project seeks to measure the social, economic, and environmental impacts of creating and implementing a multi-farm CSA for both farmers and consumers. The project will document the process of creating and piloting a multi-farm CSA program in Buffalo, NY. When completed, the specific questions the project seeks to answer are:
- How has food access and affordability for city of Buffalo residents been impacted as a result of their participation in the multi-farm CSA?
- How has the quality of life and farm profitability for urban farmers been impacted as a result of their participation in the multi-farm CSA?
- Are participating farmers able to implement or expand regenerative/conservation practices on their farms while participating in the multi-farm CSA?
In addition to answering the above questions, the study will record all financials associated with creating and piloting a multi-farm CSA, and document any secondary benefits, opportunities, and limitations that arise as a result of the project.