"It actually allows us to harvest about 800 heads of lettuce per week for the community."

FeedMore Western New York's "vertical farm," is helping to fight food insecurity in portions of Western New York.

By: Pheben Kassahun

May 14, 2024

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — We heard the term "food desert," a lot in the weeks that followed the racially motivated mass shooting at the Tops on Jefferson Avenue two years ago.

Tops, the only full-service grocery store in East Buffalo, shut down for about two months.

This sparked the question that was brought up years before the shooting: What is the timeline of another grocery store in East Buffalo?

7 News' Pheben Kassahun reached out to various grocery stores like Walmart, Target, Price Rite, Aldi, Wegmans and even Tops.

Aldi, Wegmans and Tops responded stating they do not plan to expand in Western New York anytime soon.

So, what are other options?

FeedMore Western New York's "vertical farm" which was created during the pandemic is a resource helping to fight food insecurity.

A vertical farm is a technique that FeedMore is using to be able to garden year-round and not have to worry about Mother Nature getting in the way of its flourishing.

FeedMore has two indoor, vertical hydroponic container farms, all to help with food insecurity. The two facilities are about 40 feet long, creating another resource for neighbors in need.

FeedMore's Public Relations Manager Catherine Shick told Kassahun, "They are a controlled environment, so we use a blend of nutrients and LED lights to stimulate that sunlight that we know our plants need to grow and thrive."

The plants grow year-round, allowing the agency to account for things like pest management, disease management, and severe weather.

There is a designated farmer who watches over the leafy greens around the clock.

Shick said, "We can use one farmer to grow all of these wonderful, beautiful, leafy greens. It actually allows us to harvest about 800 heads of lettuce per week for the community to make it one of the many ways we're providing fresh fruit and vegetable access and healthy food access to Western New York neighbors experiencing food insecurity."

The garden focuses on growing leafy greens like lettuce, kale, leafy and herbs.

When they are done growing, the plants are harvested and put into a truck called a "mobile farm."

Shick said, "The farm markets go to areas throughout our four-county service area where people lack access to fresh fruits and vegetables."

Niagara, Erie, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties fall under the four-county service area that FeedMore covers.

As of 2022, Western New York's food insecurity rate is at 12.7%.

Erie County has a food insecurity rate of 12.3%.

33% are above the SNAP threshold and 67% are below the SNAP threshold of 200%.

East Buffalo is just one of the communities in FeedMore's focal point to ensure residents do not go without.

Shick said, "Produce grown from our container farms that go out to our farm market and through our farm market to areas in East Buffalo and of course beyond. Our farm market program is one of the ways we're continuing to serve the East Buffalo community. We have partnerships in place that have been there for decades and generations."

For two months after the mass shooting, East Side residents had to take charter buses to the Tops on Elmwood Avenue, food pantries visited the community and farmers markets extended hours.

Shick explained, "We know that food insecurity continues to be a pervasive problem throughout Western New York. Our mission is to make sure we are providing nutritious food to community members who are struggling with food insecurity."

Once these leafy greens from the vertical garden are transported to communities, members can shop and pay using SNAP, Double Up Food Bucks, cash, debit/credit and even some vouchers.