The non-profit organization, Conservation Opportunity (CO), planned and carried out nine brigades to support local farmers in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona to help remediate the damage caused.
Fiona passed through the island on September 18 and many farmers, especially those in the southern area of Puerto Rico, lost much of their crops, and it is even expected that there will be no local bananas for the festivities. Christmas, as anticipated by the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Ramon Gonzalez.
Fabiola Torres, CO Founder, picking coffee in Adjuntas.
From September 23 to 25, CO, together with Technoserve, El Nodo, Futura Fund and the Bosque Olvidado program, The first brigades were convened at Finca Anturio in Adjuntas, where they cleaned roads, picked coffee, removed debris and replanted trees.
From September 28-30, the entity helped a farm in Quebradillas, followed by brigades from October 4-6 at Finca Martinete in Patillas, both owned by Ivonne Reverón, a local farmer.
Finca Martinete has fruit trees, a nursery and a vegetable and herb garden, depending on the growing season, but usually used in the kitchen. The farm's spaces are also used for planting workshops, workshops for women, agroecological and spiritual tourism.
“With the passage of Fiona, the most I had a situation with was that some very large branches fell, which prevented me from moving around where we normally do our activities. With the brigades, we removed everything, cleaned the branches and everything that had fallen and in three days I had the farm clean”, said Reverón.
CO with representatives from World Central Kitchen and Para Servirle at Rancho Orgánico Feliz, San Sebastián, PR.
“Some trees fell, such as the soursop tree, which is a heavy loss for us. The orchard did not suffer much damage, because although it received a lot of water, it was not affected too much. I am behind in planting, I have to plant and reestablish the production orchards, it would take about three months”, said Reverón.
For October 1, CO, along with the World Central Kitchen and Para Servirle joined forces to carry out a brigade at the Rancho Orgánico Feliz in San Sebastián, which has several species of fruit trees and is supplying its crops to communities in need and disaster victims in the west of the island.
On October 8, the organization assisted the Hekiti Farm in Las Marias, where they cut downed tree trunks with chainsaws and tried to salvage banana trees that remained in the area.
Cutting logs at Finca Hekiti in Las Marías, PR.
Following the efforts presented by the non-profit organization, they were invited, along with Jorge Rivera, owner and farmer of the Ilán Ilán Farm, to make a live call for TeleOnce, to attract more people to participate in these initiatives.
Finca Ilán Ilán de San Germán is an agro-ecological farm, dedicated to the cultivation of vegetables, coffee, small fruits and farinaceous products for sale, as well as agrotourism in the facilities.
“Vegetables were all lost, fruits suffered major damage and 25% of the coffee crop was lost from what we could see and appreciate, since we have not been able to finish cleaning the areas of the farm as such because we need heavy machinery. Agrotourism is suspended until further notice”, said Rivera.
Fabiola Torres (Founder of CO) and Jorge Rivera (owner and farmer of Finca Ilán Ilán) on Tele Once.
“If I could have done something different, I would have planted more products that were for under the ground, that don't suffer so much from the wind. I would have tried to prune the trees at a lower height so they wouldn't be knocked over by the wind and I would have better secured the electrical service for the water pump,” Rivera said.
Rivera also explained to CO that, estimating a possible monetary loss amount, he believes it is close to a possible $15,000 to $20,000 and that he has applied to “every possible aid” coming from the federal and state government.
On October 16, CO was again present at a brigade held at Finca Semila in Barceloneta, which works with agroforestry systems, combining crops and its main product to be harvested is cocoa.
Yamilet Aponte, CO Journalist, helping at Finca Semila in Barceloneta, PR.
“I say that every atmospheric damage not only affects your farm, but also your emotional state and your mood. For María, for example, we had not been hit by any hurricane and we did not know what they were like, in terms of impact, so we were like novices,” said Decenia Vega, owner of Finca Semila.
“Now with Fiona, we were more prepared, we knew how the wind moves on the farm, in the case of excessive wind, and we knew that our bananas and plantains were not going to be there, what was going to be done and we took the measures we could work with so that when it came, we would be ready,” Vega said.
Finca Semila lost its previous banana crops, equivalent to one and a half ropes and a little of the pigeon peas they had, but Vega assures that it was only the most vulnerable, and even estimates that this loss could be up to $18,000, since they were in full production season.
Volunteers at La microFinca in Camuy, PR
Finally, on October 22, the non-profit organization, together with Sagrado Verde and Sagrado Contigo, conducted a brigade at the Seed of Life Farm in Mameyes, Jayuya, and on October 24, CO conducted one at La microFinca in Camuy.
“On behalf of Conservation Opportunity, we thank to all the volunteers who have been present and have lent a hand in these brigades to help one of the groups most affected by the hurricane: farmers”, said Conservation Opportunity founder Fabiola Torres.