The Farmers Street Community Garden is a memorable space in Grassroots Garden’s network - it visually stands out with its giant pink smiling pig statue, Brockie. Supported by Believe in Black Rock and Arise Ministries under the leadership of Pastor Frank, the garden is cared for by neighboring residents, congregation members, and educational community partners including BPS School 51 and SUNY Buffalo State University. Established to transform a vacant lot at Farmer & Guernsey St., the garden expands on the congregation’s commitment to community service while creating a meaningful space for growing fresh, healthy produce to share. The garden’s most prominent feature, “Brocky” the pig, is a nod to the area’s industrial past during the 1860s and 1870s, when the New York Central Railroad in East Buffalo rail yards served as a central hub to transport livestock, particularly cattle, sheep, hogs, and horses. He commemorates the local stories that recall a time when a pig path connected rural farmers to the Niagara Street markets right along the garden’s current site. Brockie, named after his Black Rock neighborhood, has been the garden’s greeter for many years now, and perfectly personifies the garden’s open and welcoming environment. Today, the garden pays tribute to the industry that once shaped the Black Rock & Riverside neighborhood, while also reflecting the diverse population who now call it home through vibrant flowers, fresh produce, and colorful sidewalk paintings.