Providence Farm Collective based in Orchard Park has a history of helping new farmers gain experience and branch out to start their own operations. But a recent loss of federal funding complicates potential for farm access.
A little more than 200 independent farmers operate at PFC, and many more are on the wait list for their own opportunity.
Several Somali Bantu farmers from the collective were in the process of acquiring 78 acres of land, but the federal grant they were pursuing was terminated a couple weeks ago, PFC Executive Director Kristin Heltman-Weiss said.
“This is an already-existing farm with a farmer who didn't have a transition plan," she said. "And now, that land is at risk of being bought by developers and developed rather than kept in the good agricultural practices it has been, so it's concerning.”
PFC is pursuing a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture for wrongful termination of the grant, Heltman-Weiss added.
Some have had better luck venturing on their own, like a few farmers working to purchase land in Attica. PFC will continue to assist, but it’s important farmers have an opportunity to branch out on their own, Deputy Executive Director Hamadi Ali said.
“This year, they are piloting that program. They’re trying to farm on their own. PFC is supporting them, but they’re trying to do everything on their own. That is our first commute farmers, incubator farmers that have went out there," he said. "And one more here in Buffalo; we launched one farmer, Candolo Macombo, farming on the East Side right now ... on an acre farm that he is completely independent.”
Federal funding cuts have been partially offset by a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation grant for $199,862, which will directly support the Community Farms Program.
“At some point, it does become a difficult choice, right? Like, who gets the funding (and) who doesn't?" Heltman-Weiss said. "And I think the future is still unknown, but for this year, they've done such a good job of stepping into like these critical gaps.”
Thanks to the program, PFC harvested more than 100,000 pounds of food last year that helped feed close to 15,000 Western New Yorkers.
