This
hidden gem for Puerto Rican farmers to have a bigger participation in public
spaces and have opportunities for further growth is located in front of
Walgreens at Plaza las América’s third floor every weekend. This project for local agricultural product
sales has been available and open for two years. It was initially only two
weekends a month, but with its profits came its expansion. Jaime Fonalledas,
mall owner, provided the farmers a permanent space to make their sales from
Thursday to Sunday. More than two hundred agro-entrepreneurs have joined the
project, along with other gastronomic craftsmen. The Agriculture Secretary, Myrna Comas, during an interview with El
Nuevo Día, informed that on 2013 they sold $60,000 monthly (working only
two weekends a month). This meaning that she expects the profits to duplicate now that they are open all weekends.
Comas also added that her plan was to include as many farmers as she could and
rotate them according to their availability so more could benefit from their
buyers at the mall. Rosa Ávalo, owner of Quesos Vaca Negra, also participated in the
interview and added that due to her success in sales at the Placita project she
is now selling to supermarkets and restaurants such as: Hacienda Meat Center,
Supermax, Pueblo, Amigo, Sam’s Club, etc… Another farmer, Cielito Rosado owner
of Foodie’s Production, mentioned during the interview she was granted a
permanent space in the mall’s first floor to make her daily sales due to her
earnings and loyal clients.This project, besides its sales, provides
activities for the public to interact with the farmers and learn about Puerto
Rican crops. Coffee, being the sixth most lucrative agricultural business in
the Island, is the protagonist every Saturday. Weekly they have a coffee workshop
led by De la Finca a la Taza,
agro-business that participates in the Placita.
In addition, the government has
helped with the upcoming and development of these farmers. Pedro Pierluisi made
sure these farmers were given the proper attention and funds needed. He gave $525,000 of
federal money to the making of this project throughout the Agricultural Law,
best known as the Farm Bill, by the program Specialty Crop Block Grant. This
federal program, was made to help promote and support local crops and their
owners. According to Hernández Mayoral, Director of the Puerto Rico Federal
Affairs Administration, the purpose of this loan was to provide more jobs and
support the local economy. They want to make farmers proud of their jobs and
give them a stable salary.
After
attending to one of their Saturday workshops, I learned that it was a family
environment and a very interactive space where one could become better informed on the current coffee production in Puerto Rico. The workshop leader emphasized on the need for more Puerto Ricans to support
local crops. During my visit I especially loved the fried queso del país with guava paste.
They had fresh plantains and roots, along with fruits, spices, candy and
juices. Also, they have cheap food services for those that want to try dishes
brought by our African ancestors such as mangú, sancocho and pastelón. This project is open on Thursday's, Friday's and Saturday's from 9:00AM to 8:00PM on Sunday's it's open from 11:00AM to 6:00PM. For more information on La Placita en Plaza las Américas access their Facebook page via: https://www.facebook.com/pages/La-placita-de-Plaza-Las-Americas/160784093965161?nr
