We're Expanding Our Outreach to Florida!
- Courtney Columbus
- Apr 18, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 26
Gainesville, Florida — We are thrilled to announce the expansion of our on-the-ground outreach efforts in Florida! Our team is set to collaborate with pasture and forage ranchers as part of the Hispanic Climate-Smart Commodities Initiative (HCSCI). Additionally, we are extending our support to forest landowners through the Hispanic Forest Landowners Outreach (HFLO) Program. To spearhead these initiatives, we welcome two new team members dedicated to these vital roles.
Supporting Pasture and Forage Ranchers
In partnership with Victus Puerto Rico, the HCSCI aims to establish a network of Florida ranchers adopting climate-smart practices. This three-year initiative, which started in January 2024, will see mano-Y-ola and Victus Puerto Rico gathering data on carbon sequestration. Participating ranchers will benefit from incentive payments, complimentary soil testing, access to monitoring data, and opportunities to engage in carbon markets.
Empowering Forest Landowners
Building on the success of our pilot project in Puerto Rico, which engaged 50 forest landowners, we are now bringing the HFLO program to Florida. This program offers landowners educational workshops, tailored support from seasoned agricultural professionals, and assistance with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) registration processes.
Expanding Our Team in Florida
To support our new initiatives in Florida, we are thrilled to welcome Paul Pendergast and Ismael (Maelo) Reyes to our team. Paul, joining as the Chief Agronomist for Florida, has enriched his expertise by shadowing our team in Puerto Rico and brings extensive experience with NRCS programs. Ismael, our new Senior Conservationist Advisor, is a retired NRCS professional with a deep commitment to agriculture and conservation. Their expertise will be pivotal in advancing our outreach efforts among Hispanic forest landowners and pasture and forage ranchers in Florida.
"I am excited to launch these critical programs in Florida, a key state for pioneering new conservation strategies," Paul shared.
For Maelo, being a part of these efforts “is a conservationist’s dream.”
"Florida's unique environment presents various land-use opportunities, each with its challenges. Our aim is to help landowners adopt scientifically-backed conservation practices that not only address today's needs but also leave a lasting legacy," Maelo explained.
Spotlight on Hispanic Forest Landowners: José and Sara Cruz
As we expand our operations into Florida, our educational workshop series continues in Puerto Rico. This month’s workshop features a presentation on agroforestry by Edwin Más, our Agriculture and Forestry Advisor. Participants will also have the opportunity to visit Finca Cruz, where the Cruz family practices ecologically sustainable methods to cultivate shade-grown coffee. Additionally, attendees will get a chance to sample some of the coffee produced on the farm.
The Cruz family’s agricultural legacy, centered around their coffee cultivation, spans several decades. José Miguel Cruz Caraballo inherited his knowledge of coffee cultivation from his father. Together with his wife, Sara Berrocales Lugo, they introduced their children, Jessica and José M. Cruz Berrocales, to farming at a young age. Today, Jessica and José M. own and operate Finca Cruz, continuing the tradition of growing coffee under the canopy of other trees. This shade-grown method not only enhances the quality of the coffee but also simplifies maintenance by reducing the need to clear vegetation around the coffee plants, as José Miguel explains.
José’s approach to growing coffee exemplifies his conviction that agriculture can and should seek harmony with nature.
“We can work, enjoy the earth, [and] live from it without causing harm to the trees or the animals,” José said.
Learning to Graft Fruit Trees!
By Caroline Sanabria Colón
In March 2024, twelve participants from our forestry outreach program attended the workshop titled “Asexual Propagation of Citrus and Avocado.” The session was led by Carlos (Carli) Díaz Palmer, who shared his expertise on grafting techniques. The participants actively engaged in practicing these techniques on citrus and avocado trees. By the end of the workshop, they had successfully grafted their own trees, which they then took back to their farms for planting.
Carli, a specialist in the propagation of fruit trees by grafting, was delighted with the experience of giving the workshop in Villa del Río, located in San Germán, Puerto Rico, and enjoyed interacting with the participants.
The family farm, Hacienda Rita, founded by Carli’s father, has been in San Germán, in Puerto Rico’s southwest, since 1998. On the farm, ancestral techniques are taught and preserved, especially the art of grafting fruit trees.
Carli has specialized in trees such as avocado, citrus, and rambutan. He offers to the public everything he manages to graft. It has been a challenge, especially after the hurricanes—first Hurricane María in 2017 and then, near the end of the pandemic, Hurricane Fiona, which directly affected southwestern Puerto Rico.
Despite these challenges, Carli keeps moving forward with his mission. He has been dedicated to this work since 2011, but his knowledge dates back to 2002. He dreams about bringing his valuable experience to schools and educating the general public about the importance of the art of grafting.
To read more about Carli and Hacienda Rita, see our March 2024 newsletter here.
Coming Soon!
Our series of interactive forestry outreach workshops in Puerto Rico will continue in May with a workshop facilitated by the Puerto Rico Bat Conservation Program (PCMPR). This workshop will be the fourth in our series of 10 educational workshops where program participants can learn from each other about various topics related to agriculture and forestry and share their experiences.
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