BUFFALO, N.Y. — The call for more community resources in East Buffalo have been ringing loud for decades.
After the massacre at the Tops on Jefferson Avenue, it became abundantly clear how serious the need for things like greater access to fresh produce really was.
That is why KeyBank chose to step in and partner with several community organizations — including the African Heritage Food Co-op, Buffalo Go Green, and Delavan Grider Community Center — to host a new farmer’s market every other Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the center.
Chiwuike Owunwanne is part of the Community Relations team at KeyBank. He said after returning to Buffalo three years ago, he realized just how dire the need was to close the gap, as far as inequities are concerned.
“It wasn't lost on me that there was only one supermarket that served this entire community. A community that has 110,000 people and only one supermarket? I felt that something needed to be one,” Owunwanne says. “Between here and Tops is over two miles, and we know that a significant population on the East Side don't have access to vehicles. So, why not on Delavan Grider?”
Dwayne Muhammad and his wife live in the neighborhood, and after learning about the new fresh produce market on social media, he said they had to come and support people who support them.
“This is what we need more of. Not the fast foods, not the greasy foods, not the hamburgers, not the fried foods. We need healthy, wholesome foods, like we're getting from here,” Muhammad said.
Jackie Dowell works at African Heritage Food Co-op. He told 2 On Your Side’s Liz Lewin that he had no idea his loads of crates would be good so soon.
“We have yellow watermelons, pink watermelons, orange watermelons, so many things for the community. We service Niagara Falls, South Buffalo, Lackawanna, anywhere really we travel. We also deliver to people’s houses,” Dowell said.
Organizers say rain or shine, the market will run bi-weekly through the end of the year.
Their hope? That even more farmers and organizations come aboard to help grow this market like others ones thriving across and servicing Western New York.