In late 2021, the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission launched Mrs. Frances Nash’s Garden Basket – a project that helps to get healthy foods into the hands of East Side families that need it most.
Partnering on the project are the African Heritage Food Co-Op, Buffalo Go Green, and the East Side Garden Walk. Together, these organizations currently have the ability to distribute enough food to feed over 120 people every week via Community Supported Agriculture Shares (CSAs), sponsored by an anonymous donor, East Aurora Unitarian Universalist Church, and Highmark Western New York.
This is the latest effort to feed people in underserved communities. Whether families are struggling financially, living in areas deemed food deserts, or have been adversely affected by the Tops massacre, there are mounting demands for affordable and wholesome food outlets. Having a free CSA program – provided by Urban Fruits & Veggies and Dirt Rich Farm – on a first come first basis, numerous families can rest assured that they will be able to source healthy, organic, farm-fresh foods.
Mrs. Frances Nash’s Garden Basket initiative hopes to grow from a free produce distribution point in 2022 to a fully fledged affordable farmers market in 2023.
This new Michigan Street Corridor initiative is named after Frances Nash, wife of Rev. J. Edward Nash, whose advocacy for healthy eating led her to develop a large vegetable garden in the back of her home at 36 Potter Street. That garden turned out to be an invaluable source of nutrition for her immediate community (neighbors and friends).
Frances’s legacy lives on in the form of this advocacy program, which is based in the parking lot behind the Michigan Street Baptist Church at 511 Michigan Avenue. The 2022 program coincides with the farming season (June through October). To pick up fresh produce, people can visit on Tuesdays from 3 – 5 PM.
Visit www.michiganstreetbuffalo.org/garden-basket to learn more about the program and our eligibility requirements.
Individuals who would like to get involved are encouraged to reach out to the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission by calling 716-322-1002 or emailing aclark@michiganstreetbuffalo.org.