Massachusetts Avenue Project — Attraction in Buffalo

Last Saturday I spent the day at the Massachusetts Avenue project with the people from my bee Club in helmets to hives. It's on about two acres right in the heart of the section of Buffalo that is very mixed ethnically. They have the beehives, three of them. They teach canning classes to those in the neighborhood. They grow fresh vegetables in their garden and in their greenhouse and sell them at the local markets otherwise many of these people would never see any fresh vegetables. They employ many of the neighborhood children I guess I should call them teenagers during the summer to help tend the gardens. They also have about 20 chickens which made me really jealous, I've been wanting chickens for several years now and just happened to not live in the right towns. Tonawanda and Cheektowaga are way behind the times in not allowing us to have a few Birds each. It is my understanding that this is the largest urban Garden in Buffalo. I think there are like 11 others. They also have a very amazing building. It is very new, and was paid for partly by the city partly by the state, if they ever pay up, and by donations. They have solar energy central air conditioning units on the roof, a second floor deck that wraps around two sides of the building, and a commercial kitchen which at times...

Their Cooking Series that is a collaboration with Lexington Co-op has been SUCH a WONDERFUL all-around experience! Bethany is the BEST and MOST PATIENT instructor EVER, the Lexington Staff are all lovely, and the participants are wonderful as well. MAP's kitchen is BEAUTIFUL and I appreciate how much thought and pre-planning goes into making the Cooking Classes such an awesome experience! Receiving a copy of the recipe to take home AND $5 off coupons or a $5 gift card to Lexington Co-op as well are nice bonuses! I'm SO GLAD I purchased the 4-pack and look forward to taking many more cooking classes at MAP in the future!

P.S. - Use caution when parking right out front during the classes because last time a couple received a parking ticket a few minutes before class ended. 😔 I heard that parking may switch sides at 6:00pm so PLEASE keep that...

The West Side Business and Taxpayers Association provides Funding for Gardens on the West Side of Buffalo via Sharron Danna our Board of Directors Board Member. Volunteers are the backbone of any Community Based Endeavor and to honor my Mother who came to America generations ago I volunteered. The City of Buffalo used to be the City of Light with remarkable Public and Private Gardens but today the Urban Poor City has become what Cornell University Landscaper and City Planners a Concrete Jungle. When Neighborhoods have Public Gardens with Trees the City is Cooler in the Summer and so much...