Agriculture
Growing In Harmony With Nature
We utilize permaculture and agroecology principles to ensure our farming techniques are both sustainable and progressive, contributing to socially responsible and equitable food systems in Puerto Rico. We bring these principles to life through our farm production, agricultural training and educational outreach.
Why Permaculture & Agroecology?
Our Food Security
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Here in Puerto Rico, we are almost entirely dependent on foreign entities, supply chains, and transit feasibility to eat, leading to food insecurity and vulnerability to a whole host of possible disruptions. Through local agroecology and permaculture, Puerto Rican farms can restore food sovereignty and sustainability to our most vulnerable communities.
Our Health
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Deeply entrenched problems, including over-reliance on imported, shelf-stable, nutrient-poor foods and a lack of advocacy and awareness around possible solutions to these systemic challenges has led to widespread health inequality affecting Puerto Ricans. Through local agroecology, we can raise awareness about the relationship between nutrition and health, and affect real change by providing fresh, healthy produce to our communities.
Our Climate Crisis
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Increasingly powerful hurricanes, rising sea levels, changing weather patterns, housing and infrastructure instability–these compounding and interconnected variables put Puerto Ricans in the bullseye of global climate change. In addition to producing a smaller carbon footprint compared to conventional agriculture, agroecological practices increase farmers’ economic and environmental resilience following natural disasters, and minimize agricultural impacts to Mother Earth.
Our solution is primarily focused on close and consistent collaboration with other local farmers.
We are building community with people who are also passionate about this work, and share in our vision that it is through collaborating together that we will be able to make a real difference. It is with this community that we have focused our work on two main pillars:
Food & Education
Plenitud PR aims to create real-world interventions to these biopsychosocial and environmental crises through food and education. Our vision is to promote food sovereignty, improve health, and increase access to resources for and with our community.
FOOD: Using biointensive, high-yield agroecology, we grow and process over 150 pounds of produce every week on just ¼ of an acre of land! In collaboration with other local agriculturists, we then provide this food at an accessible cost through our Placita Agrícola market initiative. We also use this produce for our Senior Care food distribution program, providing a weekly delivery of healthy delicious meals at no cost to elders in our community.
EDUCATION: Our small-scale farm serves as a demonstration teaching center, using our space and resources to showcase permaculture design and agroecology techniques for our educational initiatives. Our programs provide in-depth farmer education, agroecology business training, mentorships, apprenticeships, and a beginning farmer incubator initiative. Additionally, our farm functions as a living laboratory, allowing us to test production methods and agroecology techniques for growing food in small spaces, gardening at home with limited resources, adapting crops to various conditions, and more.
Order Agroecological Produce
Plenitud PR is part of a local agroecology collective, Placita Agrícola, that offers fresh produce and artisanal products to promote food sovereignty in the Western region of Puerto Rico. We founded this collaboration in December 2020 and it has been key in connecting farmers, resource sharing, and market expansion. Every week, naturally-grown, pesticide-free produce and locally made products are available for purchase at accessible prices. This gives community members easier access to fresh food, and invites local farmers to market their produce to a wider network of consumers.
Placita Agrícola is open to collaborating with more farmers throughout the island to make fresh produce accessible to more people. Current partner farms include Finca Agroecològica Bohitì, Micofilia PR, Fermentos Boricuas, Café Conuco, and Pura Kombucha.
Produce is currently delivered every Thursday to Las Marías and Mayagüez, with occasional extended route options.
Impact
25
community gardens installed since 2012
~8,000
pounds of produce harvested annually in ¼ of an acre
639+
aspiring farmers impacted through our educational programming
94+
families receiving fresh produce and meals each week
4,500+
copies of ¡Siembra Boricua! agroecology manual distributed
Take Action
Join us in our mission to support local farmers, preserve our land and provide agroecological education to people all over Puerto Rico:
Purchase our agroecological manual,
¡Siembra Boricua!
Read Our Blog
Thank you to our partners!
