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Biodiverse Community Farming
Part of the service learning experience at Plenitud PR is hands-on group farming. Done in community with residents of Plenitud and local volunteers from Las Marías, interns and students, a large group working together can get a few large tasks done…
No Till Farming - Digging Stick
St. Thomas University VISIONS program participant Tobias Knight preparing holes for transplanting seedlings into the steep slopes on a terraced planting area of Plenitud’s organic permaculture farm. Tilling would weaken the soil structure on this…
Service Learning
Student participants in the VISIONS program at St. Thomas University in Minnesota on a service learning exchange trip, planting on the terraces of the organic permaculture farm at Plenitud PR.
Science Lesson
A local resident of Las Marías brings her son, who is homeschooled, to Plenitud PR for practical hands on science lessons. In this photo they are cutting patchouli leaves off the plant to use as mulch in the next garden row. The patchouli grows…
Permaculture Education
Hands-on experience is the best teacher when learning about organic agriculture, permaculture and agroecology. Some of the seedlings being planted on this slope will produce food, while others will set deep roots to preserve soil stability and…
Planting
Student volunteers planting at Plenitud PR during their service learning trip.
Service Learning at Plenitud PR
Students from St. Thomas University in Minnesota were attending a service learning program at Plenitud PR when the Raíces crew arrived in January 2018. Students participating in the trip participated in trainings, workshops, and volunteer…
Planting Beans
Raíces Director Francisco G. Gómez planting beans from seeds donated by Seed Savers Exchange at Finca Mi Casa.
Working the Earth at Finca Mi Casa
Raíces Director Francisco G. Gómez and volunteer Christina Proxenos working the earth at Finca Mi Casa under the direction of Don Luis Soto. During our visit, we planted a small patch of three varieties of beans for seed saving from some of the…
Hand Tools
The Raíces crew preparing a patch of earth with Don Luis to plant three varieties of beans for seed saving.
Preparing the Earth For Planting Beans
Don Luis and the Raíces crew immediately began preparing earth and planting seeds for a few varieties of beans after Don Luis chose the seed varieties he wanted to grow from the 50 pound box of seeds donated to Raíces by a dozen organic, non-GMO and…
Greenhouse at Pleunitud PR
The Plenitud PR Greenhouse was already in production when we arrived in January. The greenhouse itself was fixed after the donation of funds by Juntos Together, a coalition of Central NJ relief organizations working to support sustainable relief and…
Bean Seeds
Don Luis Soto of Finca Mi Casa showing us some of the first seeds ready for saving have been planted immediately after the passing of Hurricane Maria.
Unpacking Seeds
Unpacking the box of seeds and other sustainable relief supplies donated to the PR Resiliency Fund and the Semiteca Seed Bank Project at the Brigada de Semillas or Seed Brigade.
Planting Beans
Raíces Cultural Center Director Francisco G. Gómez planting bean seeds at Finca Mi Casa. The earth was prepared for planting by hand and the seeds will be grown out to be saved and shared.
Don Luis and Doña Carmen
Don Luis Soto and his wife Doña Carmen with some of the seed donations given to their farm as part of the Raíces Sustainable Disaster Relief Support Initiative.
Seeds for Puerto Rico Relief
Seeds chosen by Don Luis Soto for planting and saving at Finca Mi Casa as part of the Raíces Sustainable Disaster Relief Support Initiative.
Green House Growing Post-María
The greenhouse at Finca Mi Casa was cleaned up and planted immediately after Hurricane María hit the island of Puerto Rico. Four months later, when the Raíces crew visited the farm, there were vegetables and seeds ready for harvest. The roof of the…
Visiting Finca Mi Casa
Raíces director and co-founder Francisco G. Gómez visiting Don Luis Soto at Finca Mi Casa to asses the damage and learn how the Raíces Sustainable Disaster Relief Initiative can provide assistance.
Growing Gandules
Gandules, or pigeon peas, growing on trellises in the mountains of San Sebastian.
Service Learning at Plenitud
Students from St. Thomas University’s Visions program participating in a service learning trip to Plenitud PR post-María. Rebekah Sánchez, who lives and works at Plenitud and founded the project Siembra Boricua is explaining agroecology and…
Starfruit off the Tree
While working on a service-learning project on Plenitud’s permaculture farm and education center, Tobias Knight of St. Thomas University in Minnesota takes a break to enjoy a ripe starfruit directly off the tree. Many fruit trees throughout the…
Working the Land at Plenitud PR
Residents, visitors, neighbors and students work together on Plenitud’s permaculture farm site. This hillside has been transformed from a slope covered in coffee bushes to a terraced food and herb production site using water and land management…
Greenhouse Repairs for Finca Mi Casa
While visiting Finca Mi Casa, Raíces crew members assessed the remaining damage and needs on the farm and decided to fund the repair of the greenhouse, which is essential to the growing and seed saving operations at Finca Mi Casa.
Don Luis and Doña Carmen Soto - Finca Mi Casa
Don Luis Soto and his wife Doña Carmen live on their farm Finca Mi Casa, in the coastal area of Camuy, Puerto Rico. Don Luis maintains one of the only USDA certified organic farms on the island of Puerto Rico. He is a retired agronomist and in his…