One of my favorite community gardens is located on the corner of West Utica and 15th Street on the city’s West Side. The mural found at the garden is dedicated to one of the founding members of People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH) Ray Jackson. Ray was known as “The Voice of PUSH”. The piece was painted by a local artist by the name of Risk, and acts as a backdrop to the Good Neighbors Garden – a garden that is highly visible due to its corner location. I found the following wording from PUSH regarding the group’s sentiments on community gardens:
PUSH Buffalo has strongly advocated sustainable living since the beginning. Sustainability as it relates to our society is simply the cleanest (less taxing on the human body and environment), most economical (makes good financial sense for society as a whole), most efficient (makes the most logical use of environmental, financial, and human resources), and most humane means of building a strong community.
The creation of a community garden (especially in an urban area) is a no-brainer. Many neighborhoods in urban cities like Buffalo suffer from vacant land and poor housing conditions. In these same areas, residents have limited access to fresh food options. Activate the sustainability drive, and all of a sudden several vacant areas become beautiful community assets where residents can grow food that their friends and families can enjoy.