Disaster Relief for Puerto Rico

Innovative Local Efforts putting out a call for Seeds

By Julianne Rice and Sophia Falco

In mid-October 2017 Allen Morgan from Soquel and four students attending the University of California Santa Cruz, joined forces in doing humanitarian relief work for Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria in September 2017. They did so both independently and collectively from Santa Cruz, and in Puerto Rico.

Three of these four students, Crystal Cruz, Gabriela Collazo and Fernando Maldonado are Puerto Rican born. Along with Maldonado’s wife, Arielle Zurzolo, the four moved to Santa Cruz in the spring of 2017. They did so in order to further their study of sustainable agricultural practices. They also apprenticed within the University’s Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. This is the powerful program at UCSC that is often credited with cultivating the Organic Agricultural Movement, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

After reading an article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel entitled UCSC Farm Students Raise Funds to Regrow Puerto Rico’s Devastated Crops, Morgan contacted these young people. He met with them over coffee and they informed him first hand of the degree of suffering, death and devastation on the island. As one of the students, Fernando Maldonado, had just returned from a trip to visit his family in Puerto Rico and had seen the destruction up close and personal.

It became glaringly obvious to Morgan that real humanitarian needs existed there, one of which was a serious lack of cultivatable soil and the seeds that would nourish the island and its people. Feeling the bite of disillusionment yet not buckling under its weight, he became mobilized — to put it mildly. He began to plan to visit the island and see what kind of a hands-on difference he could make.

The students connected Morgan with friends participating in a large organic garden project at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus and with other friends and family in Puerto Rico. He got on a plane and flew to Puerto Rico to help native farmers recover from the 90% loss of their fields and crops.

Morgan had the chance to spend time with Raoul Rosado, a local   organic seed farmer. He listened carefully to a detailed story of his loss – the loss of Raoul’s family’s “old” farm (see photo) and the attainment and development of the family’s “new” farm 100 miles away (see photo). This “new” farm reflects the vision and heartbeat of a “new” life for Raoul and his family. A vision of it being an Eco Seed farm and one of the only completely organic farms in the Caribbean.

Morgan’s efforts were the beginnings of a grassroots movement to give hope to the native people, seeds to regenerate their fields, and survival, educational and community building resources. His particular focus is on getting heirloom organic seeds to the island to ensure them of a future that has enough nutritious food for its people.

The island was already in an insecure food situation before the hurricane and now after its onslaught is in something akin to a massive crisis. Morgan’s commitment over the past ten years has been to practice and promote organic gardening. He is an avid ambassador and educator for Heirloom Seeds and works very closely with the Seed Savers Exchange based in Iowa.

Morgan is the first to admit that his meeting right after Hurricane Maria with these four UCSC students who were committed to Agroecology practices and to Puerto Rico had a very positive impact on him. He also realized that he could inspire them as well by reminding them that the work they were doing in Agroecology was increasingly important and valuable. Agroecology practices could be one part of a larger, long term solution not only for Puerto Rico but also for other areas similarly affected – since its emphasis is on diverse farms, including a mixtures of roots and other plants.

Zurzulo says she feels that this difficult time on the island could result in motivating people to rethink its system as a whole. She says it may inspire them to reset, to ask the question ‘Is the way that we were doing things before the way we want to keep doing them or is there a more sustainable, ecological way that we can do this?’ This is where Agroecology can serve as a possible solution and vision for the future. Allen Morgan, Crystal, Gabriela, Fernando and Arielle are pioneers in this field!

How Can I Help? 
Those interested in finding out more and/or contributing to the efforts to send seeds directly to the native farmers in Puerto Rico to help regenerate the fields can contact Allen Morgan at santacruzheirloomseed@outlook.com. You can also visit Seed Savers Exchange at www.seedsavers.org. 100% of donations are used for seeds. Stay tuned for other fundraising efforts planned for the near future.

Michael’s on Main restaurant is holding a fundraiser on Saturday, April 21 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. featuring Salsa dancing, Free Heirloom Seed, and Potluck with Beverages and snacks available. 100% donations will be for seeds sent from “Seed farm to Native farm.”

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Julianne Rice is a local Performing Arts enthusiast, InterPlay facilitator, Health and Wellness educator and Yoga instructor. She enjoys writing on subjects that she believes in. She is particularly committed to supporting any and all efforts to provide nutritious food for people near and far who are in need.

Sophia Falco will graduate from Foothill College this June having studied English and Spanish extensively. She is an enthusiastic organic gardener and will be attending UCSC to major in literature this coming fall.

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Photos by Allen Morgan