Our Methods
Everything we grow on our two acre farm is produced with nature's best interests in mind. We take care of our soil and our farm's unique ecosystem to produce a diverse variety of fruits and vegetables organically. That means we use no harmful pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, or GMO seeds in our production. We pride ourselves on quality and we achieve this through hard work and attention to detail. We plant and weed all our crops by hand which means we interact with our plants regularly. We rotate our crops and rely on observation and planning to get ahead of pest and disease issues. It is essential to us that we produce the most nutritious fruits and veggies for the benefit of our farmers and our community. That's why we're constantly improving upon our soil and feeding it the nutrients it needs to produce the healthiest plants. Our farm focuses on diversity and the many varietels we grow are sure to inspire adventures in your kitchen and delight your senses. We love getting our hands dirty and we're proud and honored to serve the fine people in our city of Buffalo.
Soil Safety
We're often asked, "Are city soils safe for growing food?" The answer to that question depends on a number of factors which include the site, its history, and the results of proper soil testing. When we purchased our property in October of 2014, the very first thing we did was send a number of soil samples to the lab. We also worked with an private environmental consulting agency to run a Phase I assessment on our property. We were relieved when our soil tests showed levels well below EPA guidelines for soil contaminants, and that our Phase I did not necessitate a Phase II assessment. So on our farm, the answer is yes! Despite the results of our tests, we remain committed to improving our soil quality and health, and have been building up ever since. For the first full year, before planting any crops for consumption, we focused solely on soil remediation. We hauled in thousands of yards of compost, added amendments such as elemental sulfur to lower our pH (this helps to bind any contaminants so they are no longer mobile in the soil), and removed any large rocks that would get in the way of growing plants. We harvested a lot of rocks that year! Since then, we continue to add organic matter and soil amendments, mulch our row paths with wood chips, cover crop, and test our soils each year. We've even introduced a number beneficial organisms on our farm (look up beneficial nematodes, they're super cool!) For more information on EPA guidelines for use of city soils, click here. For any further questions about our farm- please give us a call, write to us, or send us a note on our contact page. We'd love to hear from you!
What We Produce
We grow over 70 different varieties of fruits and vegetables in accordance with the seasons. Early spring lettuces and sweet peas give way to summer's heat loving tomatos, peppers, cukes, and eggplant. In the fall, we enjoy root veggies and hearty greens. We love to mix up the classics that everyone knows and loves with an exciting variety of crops that might not be as familiar. As they say, variety is the spice of life- and on our farm, we like to spice it up! For a complete list of everything we will grow this season, click below.
MEET THE TEAM
MAYDA POZANTIDES
HEAD FARMER
Mayda's passion for farming began when she asked herself how she might create positive change within her community. She quickly realized that food was something that could break down the barriers of social constructs and improve upon the lives of people from all walks of life. Mayda loves to transform a space and make things grow, and she knows that it all begins with healthy soil. Her belief is that healthy soils produce healthy plants which will fuel people to create thriving communities. She hopes her little bit of earth will provide great food and bring people together to do good. |
ANDERS GUNNERSEN
SYSTEMS BUILDER
Anders has always had a knack for building and growing. Starting at a young age with his family, into in his own backyard building chicken coops and raised beds, and then later in other people's, he is now the farm's right hand(y) man. Not only is he great at building, he has a way of seeing a problem and creating simple solutions. He is the one that's always making sure that things are running smoothly, whether that be finding a better way of completing a task, or inventing and building a new tool to get it done. Along with a talent for all things business and finance, Anders rounds out the Groundwork team. |
