BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Western New York Land Conservancy and Providence Farm Collective announced Wednesday that the two organizations have reached their fundraising goal.
A total of $2.3 million will support the "Plant the Future of Farming" initiative. Additionally, it will allow Providence Farm Collective to purchase the 37-acre farm that they currently lease in Orchard Park and allow the Land Conservancy to place a conservation easement on it.
“Now more than ever, we see a huge need for productive farmland so farmers can grow fresh, local food to feed their communities—and ours. Though it takes a tremendous amount of work and the incredible support of an entire community to make fundraising campaigns successful, the outcome could not be more important. This is a banner day. We firmly believe PFC is playing a vital role here in Western New York.”
- Nancy Smith, Executive Director of the Land Conservancy
“When we started this campaign a little more than a year ago, we understood the challenges we faced as a young nonprofit. But we also understood that through hard work, determination, and perseverance we could and would reach our goal. We never wavered in this belief. Today, we are immensely grateful to all the incredible people who recognized the significance of our vision and supported our cause.”
- Kristin Heltman-Weiss, Executive Director of Providence Farm Collective
Providence Farm Collective is a nonprofit that launched in 2017. It supports Black, immigrant, refugee, and low-income farmers who cannot otherwise access farmland. They joined forces with The Land Conservancy to reimagine farming across Western New York.
