Progress Report: Finca Buena Vibra

MEMORANDUM

DATE: November 30, 2020

TO: Pier A. LeCompte Zambrana, professor of course ENGL 4021

FROM: Jair A. Caraballo Pérez, ​Leader & Secretary

Katrina Cedeño Báez, ​Researcher
Kevin O. Cruz Colón, ​Researcher & Language Coach
Heichel Cruz Rivera, ​Information Gatherer & Timekeeper
Grenda Y. Cruz Rodríguez, ​Information Gatherer
(Students of group #2, section M03)

SUBJECT: Progress Report at the farm ​Finca Buena Vibra

INTRODUCTORY SUMMARY

The purpose of this report is that students of the course Technical Writing inform
professor LeCompte about their work and help done at ​Finca Buena Vibra​. For this project,
the members of the group completed four hours of community service at this farm, which is
located at Ponce, Puerto Rico. We had the opportunity to meet Rafael Rodríguez, one of the
owners of the farm, who provided us information about the process of cultivating coffee
under shade.

BACKGROUND

​ he farm ​Finca Buena Vibra is a family agribusiness dedicated to the cultivation of

T
Arabic coffee. They follow agroecological practices and the planting of coffee under shade.
The farm was bought in 2015 by Rafael Rodríguez and his sister Alexandra Rodríguez. The
name of the farm comes from the imagination of both. One day while talking, they came up
with the name. When they verified the name in the registry, no one else had it, and for that
reason, they adopted it as their own. At the beginning of the farm, its conditions were not
very favorable since it was an abandoned forest with a deteriorated house for almost 20 years.
Over time, Rafael and his sister Alexandra were shaping ​Finca Buena Vibra,​ which its
location is in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Rafael Rodríguez is the principal owner, and he does
everything on the farm alone, although his sister is there to help him when she can. The farm
is extensive, and for that reason, it is a bit difficult for Rafael to work on it alone. For this
reason, Rafael allows volunteers to enter his farm. It is so much work that he accepts the help
of all kinds, for example, allowing students to perform community service in it. Besides the
students, there are friends, tourists, and even Boy Scout groups have given their help to
Rafael and his farm. Currently, the farm took shape with more than 200 coffee trees. Also,
Rafael works with bees since he is a beekeeper. Other things that he carries out at the farm
"Finca Buena Vibra" are: raising laying hens, cultivating oranges, cultivating yams, bananas,
among others. Rafael Rodríguez's plans for the future would be to have his brand of coffee
and be recognized in Puerto Rico and even throughout the world. That would be the main
wish for Rafael and his sister since the most valuable and important thing on their farm is
coffee. Finally, Rafael has the desire and ambition to be able to double or perhaps even triple
his coffee harvest and, in the future, to be able to depend economically on his farm.

​COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS

The community service hours were carried out in one day, because of the situation of
the pandemic. The members of the group did not want to expose themselves and the farmer,
Rafael Rodríguez, more times than necessary. The members went to the farm on Friday,
November 6, 2020 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

WORK PLANNED

The plans we had as a group were to visit the farm ​Finca Buena Vibra to complete the
community hours and learn about the coffee process from planting the seed to commercial
consumption. Get to know the products and materials that are needed to maintain a farm in
optimal condition and acknowledge the importance of maintaining a planted farm. Also
being able to have the experience of going to a farm and enjoy teamwork.

WORK COMPLETED

Even after Hurricane María, ​Finca Buena Vibra h​ as managed to develop a system to
cultivate the land with plantains, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, but mainly coffee. In addition,
there is a piece of field reserved for beekeeping. With the help and tutoring of Rafael
Rodríguez, the main owner of the farm, the students were able to do the following tasks.

I. Planting coffee trees

First, Rafael Rodríguez did a demonstration on how to make the holes with the
appropriate depth and distance between the holes by using the planting technique ​tresbolillo​.
The technique consisted of making the holes using a T-shaped stick that allows a vertical
distance of seven feet and a horizontal distance of four feet. The holes were made at the end
of each side of the T-shaped stick with an approximately depth of 12 inches. The purpose of
this technique is to use the maximum space of the field, while the coffee trees grow at an
optimum size with the space provided. This technique also proves advantages in water
irrigation and nutrient composition of the terrain. The students planted fifteen coffee trees.
 II. Collecting coffee bean cherries

The students collected the coffee bean cherries that were ripe among the crops; red
coffee bean cherries were the sign that they were ripe. The members of the group put the
coffee bean cherries on baskets. Only two members carried the baskets, since that was the
numbers of baskets available. The team collected approximately ten pounds of coffee bean
cherries.

III. Removing the external covering of coffee bean cherries

With a homemade machine that ​Finca Buena Vibra has, the students removed the
external sheeting of the coffee bean cherries. One student handled the hose, and another was
helping Rafael Rodríguez with the machine. Once the external sheeting was removed, the
coffee bean cherries were put on a fermenting tank. The coffee bean cherries are fermenting
for three to four days. Then, they are dried under the sun for five to seven days, depending
on the weather.

MATERIALS

In order to do a good job on the farm, we use a series of tools to be able to do the job
in an easier way. These tools were:
● Ground peak
● Ground shovels
● T-shaped stick
● Baskets
● Gloves
● Compost bucket
● Coffee plants
( To carry out this work we have to use the appropriate clothing consisting of: long pants,
work boots and long-sleeved shirts.)

FUTURE PLANS

For plans, a range of activities can be implemented that can benefit ​Finca Buena
Vibra​, and it would be an excellent and rewarding experience for INGL4021 and UPR-P
students.

● We could implement agreements with Rafael Rodriguez for INGL 4021 students to
collaborate more often in ​Finca Buena Vibra.​ Technical Writing students can learn
about coffee cultivation in Puerto Rico.
● Campaigns of the importance of coffee agriculture in Puerto Rico.
● Create infographics about ​Finca Buena Vibra and how it contributes to the agriculture
of coffee in Ponce.
● Offer conferences to promote the importance of agriculture in Puerto Rico.
 ● Implement coffee cultivation in the ​Huerto Atabey in the University of Puerto Rico at
Ponce.
● Raise awareness of how Hurricane Maria and the COVID-19 pandemic have
impacted agriculture.

PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED

During our completion of the community service hours at ​Finca Buena Vibra​, it was
noticeable that Rafael Rodríguez, the current owner of the farm, has experienced some
difficulties during his time managing the farm. Even though Mr. Rodriguez has managed to
keep this family heirloom up and running throughout the years, having only one employee
can limit the farm from becoming more diverse and successful. Another problem
encountered was the negative effects wild animals, such as wild pigs, have on plants found in
this farm. Lastly, while the farm is located in a rural area and near mountains, the weather
won’t always favor the needs of the owner. Because of this, rain has been a constant problem
to the owner when it comes to performing certain tasks, such as drying washed coffee beans.

RECOMMENDATIONS

As a group, we were able to address some recommendations that could improve ​Finca
Buena Vibra in multiple ways. Considering the wide amount of terrain found at the farm, the
different amount of tasks to be completed on a daily basis, and the ability to implement new
farming ideas, hiring more people could drastically improve the farm’s productivity and
growth, leading the farm to become more successful. Although Mr. Rodriguez has pets that
sometimes deal with the problem of wild animals affecting production rates, setting up fences
around the areas where plants are found could prevent the produce from being damaged or
eaten by these wild animals. Another recommendation that the owner could take into
consideration is using different technologies or methods to improve tasks performed in the
farm. Some of these different technologies could be the use of patios, raised beds, or
mechanical dryers. Doing this could reduce the owner’s concern of not being able to perform
different tasks that may be delayed because of the weather.

CONCLUSION

In this project, we learned about the coffee agricultural processes, the importance of
agriculture and life, and the obstacles of being a farmer in Puerto Rico. Rafael Rodríguez, one
of the owners of ​Finca Buena Vibra​, informed us about agriculture issues in Puerto Rico,
including issues related to coffee cultivation. Puerto Rico has one of the most fertile lands for
coffee agriculture in Latin America. At some point, coffee from Puerto Rico was the most
exported to foreign countries. However, in recent years the land has not been used
efficiently. During our visit to ​Finca Buena Vibra,​ we were able to obtain a better
understanding of how agriculture works in Puerto Rico and how past natural catastrophes
have impacted its development. After understanding the main problems surrounding this
industry, we have a better vision of the methodologies that must be implemented at small and
large scales to increase coffee agriculture development in our home island.

APPENDIX A: PHOTOS

Figure 1. (From left to right: Heichel Cruz, Grenda Cruz, Katrina Cedeño, Jair Caraballo,
Kevin Cruz). Photo taken by D. Velázquez, November 2020.

Figure 2. (Jair Caraballo, Heichel Cruz, Grenda Cruz, Kevin Cruz and Katrina Cedeño
preparing to plant coffee trees). Photo taken by D. Velázquez, November 2020.
Figure 3. (Grenda Cruz, Kevin Cruz, Heichel Cruz, Katrina Cedeño and Jair Caraballo
planting). Photo taken by D. Velázquez, November 2020.

Figure 4. (Heichel Cruz, Katrina Cedeño and Grenda Cruz collecting coffee bean cherries).
Photo taken by D. Velázquez, November 2020.
Figure 5. (Jair Caraballo showing the coffee beans cherries collected). Photo taken by
D. Velázquez, November 2020.

Figure 6. (Heichel Cruz showing the coffee bean cherries collected). Photo taken by
D. Velázquez, November 2020.
APPENDIX B: PROGRESS REPORT MINUTES

University of Puerto Rico at Ponce

English Department
PROGRESS REPORT MINUTES
Meeting Date: October 28, 2020

Call to Order:

A meeting of the Progress Report for the Course ENGL 4021 M03 of the University of
Puerto Rico at Ponce was held remotely via WhatsApp on October 28, 2020. The meeting
convened at 12:10 p.m. All members participated.

Matters Discussed:

1. The members of the group decided to do the community service hours at the farm
“​Finca Buena Vibra”​ .
2. Jair Caraballo volunteered to be in charge in contacting the owner of the farm to
verify the dates available to do the community service hours.

Adjournment:​ The meeting adjourned at 12:36 p.m.

Submitted by:

__________________________
Jair A. Caraballo Pérez, Secretary
 University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
English Department
PROGRESS REPORT MINUTES
Meeting Date: November 2, 2020

Call to Order:

A meeting of the Progress Report for the Course ENGL 4021 M03 of the University of
Puerto Rico at Ponce was held remotely via WhatsApp on November 2, 2020. The meeting
convened at 10:06 a.m. All members participated.

Matters Discussed:

1. Jair Caraballo reported that the date available to the community service hours was
November 6, 2020.
2. Jair Caraballo informed the members of the group about the clothes and
recommendations that the owner of the farm said.
3. The members of the group agreed to do the community service hours from 8:00 a.m.
to 12:00 p.m.
4. The members of the group decided to reunite at the parking lot of the ​Bolera Caribe​ at
7:30 a.m. on November 6, 2020 and then leave for the farm.
5. Heichel Cruz volunteered to bring copies of the service log for all the members of the
group.

Adjournment:​ The meeting adjourned at 12:36 p.m.

Submitted by:

___________________________
Jair A. Caraballo Pérez, Secretary
 University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
English Department
PROGRESS REPORT MINUTES
Meeting Date: November 25, 2020

Call to Order:

A meeting of the Progress Report for the Course ENGL 4021 M03 of the University of
Puerto Rico at Ponce was held remotely via WhatsApp on November 25, 2020. The meeting
convened at 12:46 p.m. All members participated.

Matters Discussed:

1. The members of the group divided the writing parts of the Progress Report.
2. Jair Caraballo created a Google Document to put the writing parts of the Progress
Report.

Adjournment: ​ The meeting adjourned at 1:14 p.m.

Submitted by:

__________________________
Jair A. Caraballo Pérez, Secretary
APPENDIX C: SERVICE LOGS THAT EVIDENCE THE WORK PERFORMED BY
ALL MEMBERS