National Grid Foundation Provides $428,600 to Buffalo Go Green to Bolster New Youth Program

Buffalo Go Green is a non-profit, urban agriculture organization founded in 2016 by Allison DeHonney, who sought to address food disparity issues and the effects that are caused by them across the City of Buffalo. 

“Buffalo Go Green has proudly grown food and made it available to thousands of families across Buffalo, and the next natural step for us was to create a program to support youth who are interested in agriculture-based careers,” said DeHonney. “Thanks to the support from National Grid Foundation, we’ll now be able to develop, dedicate staff and work with high school students to help them achieve their goals.” 

DeHonney added that the Pathways 360 curriculum will be created by Buffalo Go Green staff, the agricultural school at Dayton, Ohio-based Central State University and students from Syracuse University, who have created an Agriculture/Permaculture Campus Research Project.

“Buffalo’s East Side has endured decades of systemic disinvestment; and long-term self-sufficiency requires investments that build capacity from within the community,” said Robert Simmons, National Grid vice president of social impact and community engagement and executive director of National Grid Foundation. “This grant aligns with two of our core funding priorities: Building sustainable food systems, and workforce development. Buffalo Go Green is leveraging urban agriculture to combat food insecurity while creating real economic opportunity.”

Through the Pathways 360 program, National Grid Foundation’s multi-year commitment will:

* Empower Youth: Equip 30 to 36 high schoolers with hands-on training in soil farming, hydroponics, vertical growing, and apiary skills.
* Build Career Pipelines: Connect youth to science-based careers in agriculture, environmental science, food systems management, and green technology.
* Nourish the Community: Support the ambitious goal of producing and distributing 1.9 million pounds of fresh food.

Of the disbursement of the grant over a three-year period, Simmons said, “Meaningful youth development and deep community trust cannot be compressed into a single year. That’s why sustained, multi-year funding is so essential because it allows Buffalo Go Green to focus their energy on program delivery and long-term impact rather than annual fundraising.” 

At Buffalo Go Green’s Zenner Street location, the organization operates and maintains greenhouses where they grow, store and deliver vegetables to families and farmers markets across the region. 

A second site, to be located on Manhattan Avenue, is under construction. When complete, the facility will feature a teaching kitchen where residents can attend classes that focus on nutrition, recipes, and hands-on cooking using fresh grown produce from Buffalo Go Green’s farm. The site will also include community space for events, meetings, and seminars that meet needs of residents plus holistic practices that include yoga, meditation, and more.