Land Use Department - EAST BUFFALO DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

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Activation of Vacant Lots

Community
Farmer's Market

Funded by Smart Growth America
in Partnership with the NFTA and Home Beneath Our Feet

This unprecedented initiative activated two vacant lots by hosting six no cost markets held July thru Sept 2024. Our markets hosted 1,500 registered households; representing 4,600 eastside neighbors being feed fresh produce.

  • Over 50 varieties of fruits and veggies
  • New York State & Minority Farmers
  • Food samples cooked at the market
  • Childrens coloring, toys, games, and bubbles
  • Beautiful farmer's market decorations
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Awesome Image

Optimizing Vacant Lots

Optimizing Vacant Lots

Eastside neighbors have never experienced a NO COST Farmer's Market. News of the market spread quickly and lines formed for fresh produce and an equally healthy community experience.

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Healthy Recipe Demonstrations

Healthy Recipe Demonstrations

Chef Erin "Max" Hunt shown here crafting delicious recipes from the produce offered on market day.

Buffalo Community Connectors Farmer's Market

The market was made possible by 36 community-based volunteers, chefs who provided food demonstrations and  a DJ who provided positive and uplifting music for all six events, and African drummers who offered indigenous sound healing. Outreach included hundreds of flyers directly distributed to nearby resident homes and 260 NFTA bus passes distributed to guests for transportation support.

 

Menu included; squash, zucchini, kale, collards, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, green beans, tomatoes, onions, avocados, corn, cucumbers, red and yellow potatoes, garlic, swiss chard, peppers, basil, apples, blueberries, bananas, peaches, nectarines, cherries, plums, pears, pistachios, green onions, grapefruit, ginger, blackberries, cherry tomatoes, parsley, sourdough, white bread, wheat bread, peanuts, pineapple, and over 100 types of produce and flowering seeds. The SPCA came out and provided an abundance of cat and dog food, as well as plenty of pet toys.

USE OF LAND FOR HEALING

The 40ACRE
Dining Experience

Funded by Smart Growth America
in Partnership with the NFTA and Home Beneath Our Feet

In Celebration of the Farmer's Market, the 40ACRE Farm-to-Table Dining Experience chartered a bus for market guests to dine together on a 100+ acre East Aurora Farm. We sought to help heal from past traumas through the power of community.

  • 100 Dinner Guests and a five-course dinner
  • African Drums and Dance
  • Healing Poetry and Soulful Song
  • African-American Art Auction
  • Eucalyptus Healing Bundle Activity
  • Reclamation Deed and Seed Planting Activity
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Awesome Image

Community Healing Together

Community Healing Together

Our guests dined amidst beautiful decor. We connected with one another and uplifted each other spirits. We shared an experience we will never forget.

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Beautiful Providence Farms

Beautiful Providence Farms

Guests were welcomed on this expansive and captivating landscape. The air was newly refreshed by misty rain and the land warmed by the gentle rays of the sun.

A Community Healing Experience on Open Land

Guests were greeted by picturesque views of verdant hills, lush forests, and meandering creeks, complemented by the presence of graceful horses and cranes. Attendees participated in healing-themed performances centered on African American culture, which included poetry, soulful music, African drumming, and dance, alongside an exhibition of African American healing artwork. The event hosts performed a handwashing ritual for the guests at a designated station, symbolizing the cleansing of fear and pain resulting from the May 14 Massacre.The 40ACRE Healing Stations featured several activities: Healing Shower Bundles, where guests crafted eucalyptus and lavender bundles to enhance their showering experience with aromatherapy; Personal Reclamation Deeds, where attendees utilized calligraphy pens and ink wells to inscribe their intentions for reclaiming aspects of their lives such as peace, wellness, joy, and improved family relationships on antique paper; and the Seeding 2025 station, where guests selected from 55 varieties of flower and plant seeds, labeling their aspirations for growth on small clay pots. They then planted and watered their chosen seeds, taking home both their potted seeds and a flourishing succulent plant. During the charter bus journey to the farm, we arranged for Dr. Henry Taylor, Dean of Urban Planning at the University of Buffalo, to deliver a 30-minute presentation on the rich and intricate history of African American heritage in Buffalo’s Eastside.

Guests were greeted by picturesque views of verdant hills, lush forests, and meandering creeks, complemented by the presence of graceful horses and cranes. Attendees participated in healing-themed performances centered on African American culture, which included poetry, soulful music, African drumming, and dance, alongside an exhibition of African American healing artwork. The event hosts performed a handwashing ritual for the guests at a designated station, symbolizing the cleansing of fear and pain resulting from the May 14 Massacre.

 The 40ACRE Healing Stations featured several activities: Healing Shower Bundles, where guests crafted eucalyptus and lavender bundles to enhance their showering experience with aromatherapy; Personal Reclamation Deeds, where attendees utilized calligraphy pens and ink wells to inscribe their intentions for reclaiming aspects of their lives such as peace, wellness, joy, and improved family relationships on antique paper; and the Seeding 2025 station, where guests selected from 55 varieties of flower and plant seeds, labeling their aspirations for growth on small clay pots. They then planted and watered their chosen seeds, taking home both their potted seeds and a flourishing succulent plant. 

During the charter bus journey to the farm, we arranged for Dr. Henry Taylor, Dean of Urban Planning at the University of Buffalo, to deliver a 30-minute presentation on the rich and intricate history of African American heritage in Buffalo’s Eastside.

Empowered & Equipped

Vacant Land Resources

NYS In Fill Grant
Block by Block

01

NYS In Fill Grant
Block by Block

Receive grant funds to build a new home on a vacant lot. Application submission accepted on a rolling basis. Contact us for help with your application.

01

Land Stewardship
Technical Assistance

02

Land Stewardship
Technical Assistance

The National Center for Community Progress offers resources to revitalize vacant land caused by unjust systems and discriminating policies.

02

Report on Advancing
Sustainability

03

Report on Advancing
Sustainability

Learn the history and current state of land vacancy in Buffalo from this report authored by The Partnership for the Public Good and Push Buffalo.

03

Purchase
Vacant Lots

04

Purchase
Vacant Lots

View available vacant land through Buffalo Erie Niagara Land Improvement Corporation (BENLIC), the largest landbank in WNY.

04

Open Applications

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  • 60 Clyde Avenue | Building 1 Buffalo, New York 14125
  • Office: (716) 342- 9674
  • info@eastbuffalodevelopment.org

Mailing Address

  • 3185 Bailey Avenue Ste. B Buffalo, New York 14215
  • Fax: 716-838-5633

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