From Soil to Soul

By Liz Foy, Gardens Buffalo Niagara Vice President

 

Urban farming is the practice of cultivating, processing, and distributing food within cities and suburban areas. It transforms vacant lots, rooftops, and indoor spaces into productive, sustainable sites that reduce food travel distances, strengthen local food security, and expand community green space. At its heart, urban farming, like Gardens Buffalo Niagara (GBN), connects people and helps build vibrant, equitable communities.

5 Loaves Farm, one of the original participants in GBN’s Urban Farm Day, exemplifies this work in action. Spread over six city blocks on Buffalo’s West Side, the farm has transformed once-vacant lots into a living classroom and thriving community resource.

Just as Garden Walk Buffalo began 32 years ago with a few dozen neighbors opening their gates and has since grown to showcase more than 500 gardens across the region, Urban Farm Day invites residents to see what’s possible, learn directly from growers, and imagine how they, too, can cultivate something meaningful in their own backyard or block.

“You’re an urban farmer if you plant a single basil seed,” says Dom Crockett, 5 Loaves Farm. “We’re not unique. I want people to realize, ‘I’ve got a yard. I can plant too.’ You don’t need overalls.” 

Beyond food production, urban farms foster community engagement, provide hands-on education, and address the reality of food deserts. In many Buffalo neighborhoods, food insecurity is a daily reality. 5 Loaves Farm combats this by providing healthy, no-spray produce to nearby residents through its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, a seasonal on-site farm stand, and in partnership with Provisions 139, a local food pantry.

 
 

The farm’s internship program is central to its mission. Designed as a four-semester experience, the program empowers local youth from diverse backgrounds with meaningful work, paid employment, and valuable life skills. Interns gain hands-on experience in every aspect of farming while exploring food systems, environmental stewardship, cultural heritage, and healthy eating. Interns learn job readiness, leadership, and interpersonal skills through gardening, cooking, storytelling, and shared meals.

The curriculum also examines how food systems intersect with equity and justice, and how 5 Loaves uses food and community to nurture growth “from the soil to the soul.” At the same time, the program enables the farm to expand its production of fresh produce year after year.

“We’re creating community around food you can’t find in a mainstream grocery store,” says Crockett. “Buffalo has a large immigrant population that cooks at home. We’re growing culturally relevant crops. This neighborhood appreciates us. It’s a little piece of country right in the city.”

5 Loaves Farm is part of a growing movement. Last year, 20 local farms participated in GBN’s Urban Farm Day. The annual event is more than a tour — it’s an opportunity for growers to share workshops and lectures on organic farming, composting, food access, sustainability, conservation, and more. Together, these farms demonstrate how urban agriculture can nourish both people and place.

Urban farming thrives when communities get involved. Whether you attend Urban Farm Day, volunteer at a local farm, support a CSA, shop at a neighborhood farm stand, or plant something in your own backyard, you can be part of Buffalo’s growing movement. Through GBN and collective action, these small efforts become something larger: a connected network of growers, neighbors, and advocates working toward vibrant, equitable communities. Start small. Plant a seed. Support a farmer. Show up. Together, we can cultivate healthier neighborhoods and communities — from the soil to the soul.

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Audrey Clark