Buffalo Rising Online

May 22nd 2008, 2:37pm By Kelsey Burch

By now you may have already met Genga Ponnampalam. He is a big proponent of buying locally, giving back to the Buffalo community and he’s very hip to local activism and politics. Did I mention he’s a huge fan of veggies?

Ponnampalam started Go Veggies, Inc. in 2002. His storefront is located in Tonawanda but you can find his Go Veggies concessions trailers at many events in Buffalo. Currently he can be found at the Bidwell Farmers Market on Saturdays.

Go Veggies makes all of their food from scratch in their kitchen with the help of volunteers. When it comes to purchasing ingredients, “I first look to local farmers and local businesses for produce and products,” said Ponnampalam. Only if he cannot get the ingredients from this region will he then search outside the area.

His menu currently consists of Veggie Burgers, Veggie Rolls, Veggie Sauce, Mango Pudding and snacks. Next on his list is the development of frozen vegetarian lunches with a medley of brown rice and mixed vegetables that the people of Buffalo can take with them to work.

When speaking with Ponnampalam, his passion for both the local community and eating healthy is evident. His entire family is vegetarian, which is common in Sri Lanka, his native home and residence until attending college at UB approximately 20 years ago. He’s aware that many people in this region are not vegetarian and acknowledges that getting the word out about eating healthy and improving one's health is a challenge. Despite that--or perhaps because of it--he decided to stay in Buffalo and has made it his mission to help Western New Yorkers eat well and live long, healthy lives.

Early on in his entrepreneurship, he was able to work with Massachusetts Avenue Project (M.A.P.) in creating a business model. Now he’s focusing on spreading healthy living to the Buffalo community at large. “Many people suffer from health issues that can be fixed or improved with eating better,” said Ponnampalam.

Be sure to stop by the Elmwood Bidwell Farmers Market and say ‘hi’ to Ponnampalam. If you’ve tasted his Go Veggies treats, then you know how yummy they are. Here are a few things you may not know about Ponnampalam.

•By day he is a computer systems analyst with aspirations of running Go Veggies, Inc. as a full-time job.

•If you are interested, you can purchase one of his concession trailers, and he will help train you in his vegetarian cooking business model.

•He offers catering for social events, parties, dinners, family occasions, seminars and workshops in the Buffalo Niagara area.

•If you are a burgeoning entrepreneur in need of work space, he has an industrial kitchen that can be rented. Contact him and he will be more than happy to help you out.

When asked if he has any words to share with the BR readers he said, “People can take their tax return or incentive check and spend it locally. They need to come to the farmers markets. That’s the way to help the local economy.”

To help Ponnampalam achieve his long-term goal of devoting his entire work week to a booming Go Veggies, Inc. business and to give back to the local economy you, can purchase his products at the Elmwood Bidwell Farmers Market or find retail locations at his website.

Go Veggies, Inc.
Elmwood Bidwell Farmers Market
Corner of Elmwood and Bidwell
Saturdays 8 AM- 1 PM, May thru November

-and-

1290 Sheridan Drive, Tonawanda 14217