University of Puerto Rico in Ponce

Dean of Academic Affairs

English Department

Progress Report

DATE: May 17th, 2021

TO: Professor Pier A. LeCompte Zambrana, ENGL 4021 Professor

FROM: Eduardo O. Ramírez Andújar, Estefanía Santos Mas, Josecarlos Santiago

Gallardo, Ángela S. Silva Ortiz, Omayrelís Rolón Santiago

SUBJECT: Agricultural Progress Report

ABSTRACT:

As part of the course evaluation, this report serves to inform its reader about the individual

efforts that these five students applied in the exploration and development of healthier and safer

alternative methods for agricultural supplementation. Each member of the group worked

independently from one another as four students created home gardens and the remaining

student offered assistance in the Atabey garden in the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce. This

project was carried out from March 2021 to May 2021 and was well completed.

BACKGROUND:

As part of the course INGL 4021-M03, the students watched the documentary “The Future of

Food” as the start of our agricultural assignment. This documentary is an investigation about

the food industry and how this has affected the farming community as well as the consumers.

1
They have shared the reality of the unlabeled, patented, genetically modified foods that have

replaced their organic counterpart products for the past decade. Starting with issues such as

how long does a crop take to grow and ending with big problems such as world hunger, this

documentary gives us an overview of the big damage the food industry has caused on the world.

As a means to help create a conscience of the importance of agriculture, agro-economic farms

and organic products, the students of the course were assigned to actively participate in one of

these options:

● The UPRP’s Atabey Garden

● An Agro-Economic farm

● Create an ‘At Home Garden’

ATABEY GARDEN:

The Atabey Garden in the Ponce Campus in the University of Puerto Rico was out of service

for nearly a year due to the ongoing pandemic. Access to the garden was re-established in the

spring semester of the year 2021 and the student organization C.E.P.A. was tasked with

supervising the maintenance needed to revitalize the garden. This organization is composed of

students from different departments of the university. The students and the professor which

compose the 2020-2021 board of directors are:

● President - Erika D. Plaza Fuentes

● Vice-president - Miguel Costas Sabatier

● Secretary - Arelis Acevedo Santiago

● Treasurer - Jerielis Morales Rodriguez

● Public Liaison officer - Genesis Y. Dominguez Ortiz

● Historian- Francisco A. Castro Rivera

2
 ● Counselor - Pier A. LeCompte Zambrana

The last update of progress on the garden provided in February reported the following list of

sowed seeds:

● Pineapple

● Cherry

● Yucca

● Aloe

● Soursop

CONTRIBUTIONS:

The main goal of this project was to discover, understand, and gain all the information possible

about agriculture and the process of cultivating it. The most important goal was to help students

see firsthand the importance of agriculture and to be a part of the progress in agriculture. The

objectives of this group were to be able to develop a harvest in the home garden and to

contribute to the Atabey Garden.

ATABEY GARDEN:

Eduardo Ramírez’s Report

A. Work Completed on March 19, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. till 11:00 a.m.

a. The students worked alongside C.E.P.A. members in the garden under the

supervision of professor Pier A. Le Compte.

b. Tasks Completed:

3
 i. The day commenced with the removal of the roof shaders over the two

compost containers to facilitate the replacement and watering of the

compost within.

ii. Any visible trash items on the Atabey site were removed on sight.

iii. Next tasks focused on the creation of an upcycled watering system made

from cotton strings, plastic bottles and biodegradable pots. This

upcycling craft is an automatic watering system that was to be used on

the next round of sowing seeds. As the students finished creating their

watering system, each planted a different seed in their pots. The list of

seeds planted at the time were:

1. Sweet Pepper

2. Spicy Pepper

3. Corn

4. Dwarf pigeon peas

5. Eggplant

Once the seeds were planted, as the final task for the day, each student

placed their individual pots and watering systems in compost.

B. Tasks To Be Completed

a. The systems must be refilled with water in the following week.

A. Work Completed on March 26, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. till 11:00 a.m.

a. The students worked alongside C.E.P.A. members in the garden under the

supervision of Delia E. Martínez Morales.

4
 b. Tasks Completed:

i. The day commenced with each student crafting an upcycled automatic

watering system, the same as those previously described. Once each

student creating their watering system, they all planted at least one seed

of:

1. Pumpkins

2. Tomatoes

3. Five types of Wildflowers

ii. The yucca that was in the garden needed to be replanted so it was moved

to a new compost container. Additionally, the cactus, now adjacent to

the replanted yucca, had the compost inside the container replaced and

watered.

B. Tasks To Be Completed

a. The group’s attention turned to the pumpkin patches because its anti-rodent

mechanism was failing, and the seeds were not safe. The remaining half-hour

was spent on replacing this failed system with chicken wire, however

unsuccessful. Therefore, the task of creating an efficient protection system for

the pumpkin patches if postponed for the following week.

GARDEN AT HOME:

Josecarlos Santiago Gallardo’s Report

A. The student developed a home garden to grow lettuce. To achieve this, a hydroponic

system was used. The hydroponic system is an option to cultivate without using soil.

For this, a motor is necessary to keep the water circulating and hydrating the plants. It

5
 is necessary to use water in solution with different nutrients so that the plants have good

fruits.

B. Tasks Completed:

a. Germinating the seeds (figure B.2 and B.3)

i. To germinate the seeds the student used a peat foam, placing a seed in

each hole of the foamy.

ii. The peat foam was wetted with potable water so that the seeds had good

hydration and could germinate.

iii. They were left indoors for 3 to 4 days.

iv. Then moved outdoors but in shade for 2 weeks.

b. Plant the seeds in the hydroponic (figure B.4, B.5 and B.6)

i. Once the seeds germinated for the time provided (about 2 and a half

weeks) the lettuce with the peat foam were moved to the hydroponic.

ii. The lettuce was harvested in about 4 weeks.

iii. The water used in the hydroponic has to be with nutrients: calcium,

magnesium and lettuce fertilizer.

c. Regulate the pH of the water with nutrients- The solution must have a pH

between 6 - 6.5.

i. In 10 gallons of potable water add 2 tablespoons of calcium

ii. Then add 1 tablespoons of magnesium

iii. And 2 tablespoons of lettuce fertilizer

iv. If the solution does not have a pH between 6 - 6.5 is recommended to

use a pH buffer to lower the pH.

Angela Silva Ortiz’s Report

6
1. Cuban Oregano (“Orégano Brujo”): A cutting from a well-developed Cuban Oregano

plant was taken and planted on a small pot. The cutting was watered every day and put

in a place with equal parts of shade and sun exposure (Figure C.1). In about two weeks

the cutting had grown considerably and very healthy. Due to the growth, the plant was

moved to a bigger pot and two months later the plant grew strong and healthy with little

complications. (Figure C.2)

2. Lemon Tree: A sapling from “Cultivos Borinquen” was purchased. The sapling spent

the first week still in the original ‘bag’ so that the plant didn’t undergo too much stress.

(Figure C.3) After a week passed, the sapling was planted on moist soil with a lot of

sun exposure. Since the sapling was still small, a ‘roof’ made from recycled materials

was built so that the sun rays wouldn’t dry the sapling. The sapling was watered every

day. It has grown considerably after four months (Figure C.4) but it seems to have

gotten sick.(Figure C.5)

3. Acerola Tree: A sapling had been purchased from “Cultivos Borinquen” and was

planted in September 2019 on moist soil. After almost two years and a few months of

removing weeds from the base of the tree, watering it every day and fighting against

ants, the tree has grown healthily. (Figure C.6) on May 10th, 2021, the tree gave its first

fruits. (Figure C.7).

4. Guava Tree: After hurricane Maria, our previous Guava tree had been killed due to the

strong winds. In the beginning of 2020 (almost three years later) a sapling grew from

that very same tree. Careful attention and a lot of water was given to it since it had been

pretty dried up due to the strong sun rays and lack of water. A ‘roof’ made from recycled

materials was also built for this tree to protect it and give it a bit more shade. (Figure

7
 C.8). By May 2021 the tree had recuperated a lot and it was safe to remove the ‘roof’.

(Figure C.9)

Omayrelis Rolon Santiago’s Report

Two types of beans, tomatoes and onion were cultivated. The cultivations were placed

in a safe location with enough sun exposure and shade and tended to daily. After the first week,

the beans and tomatoes were yet to germinate but the onion was starting to sprout (Figure D.1).

Sadly, the student Omayrelis Rolon had serious complications regarding her health causing her

to be under close medical supervision which forced her to abandon her cultives. Up till this

date, the student is recuperating progressively.

Estefania Santos Mas’s Report

The student selected seeds varying from vegetable and fruits to aromatic herbs that

would withstand the climate and temperature changes from her home. The seeds were from

tomatoes, basil, lettuce, onion, cilantro, sweet pepper and bell peppers. The garlic and rosemary

were grown using a whole clove of garlic and a sprig of rosemary that she had on the

refrigerator at home.

On March 30th the seeds were planted using an egg carton as an initial growing pot

using a potting mix formulated with peat moss, aged bark fines, perlite, plant food, wetting

agent and coconut husk (Figure E.1). After the seeds were planted, and watered, they were

identified using a small label with the name of the plant (Figure E.2) Plants were watered every

morning for three weeks, and on April 20th, they were transferred to small potting pots using

the same potting mix (Figure E.4). That same day, the garlic clove and the sprig of rosemary

were planted using the same potting pots and potting mix has before.

8
 The watering of the plants continued every morning, unless there was rain, to avoid

over watering. On the following days, the plants will be transferred to a larger potting pot until

they completely flourish.

LIMITATIONS:

One of the limitations or problems that was encountered was that when it came to

germinating the seeds there was always at least one of the seeds that germinated that died.

Angela Silva had limited location to place the seeds and/or the cuttings which caused them to

die due to little sun exposure. As well as animals or pets would tamper or kill the plants or

seeds (cats or dogs). A similar complication was encountered in the Atabey garden. The seeds

were exposed to any herbivore to seek sustenance and this issue was left unresolved on March

26. The student Omayrelis Rolon encountered health limitations. Regarding Atabey Garden,

Josecarlos Santiago signed up on the list to participate and when he went that day the security

of the UPRP did not allow him to enter since the garden did not have the proper permits to have

people participate in it, and no one informed about that.

FUTURE PLANS:

This project was one to open our eyes and take action on the things that are at our hand;

regarding the home garden some of the plans are:

1. To continue harvesting lettuce and start planting other vegetables such as

chives, strawberries, tomatoes and peppers.

2. Continue caring for the Lemon, Guava and Acerola trees as well as plant other

kinds such as Passion Fruit and Pink Grapefruit.

3. Some students wish to restart the ‘At Home’ Garden.

9
In this way we can continue to become independent from buying vegetables and even fruits in

supermarkets. We also help in teaching others what the food industry has done to our

agriculture and how we can all contribute to raise awareness and stop the rapid disappearance

of Agro-Economic farming.

CONCLUSION

Agriculture is a fundamental aspect of human life and is an essential part of Puerto Rico thanks

to the fertile soils it has. After carrying out this project, we understood even more how

important agriculture is for the sustenance of a society, not only economically but also for the

health of each individual. With this project we were able to contribute in the fight to counteract

problems such as deforestation, the use of pesticides and the release of them into the

environment. In addition, it helped us to acquire more knowledge and experience regarding

agriculture, its importance and the practice of it. Although we were able to complete the

objectives, it is intended to continue with the projects and expand them even more.

10
 Appendix A

I. Activity photos in the Atabey garden

Figure A.1: Yucca that was replanted in new compost container and rewatered; Photo taken

by Eduardo O. Ramírez Andújar

Figure A.2: Upcycled Automated Watering System; Photo taken by Eduardo O.

Ramírez Andújar.

11
 Figure A.3: Upcycled Automated Watering System with dwarf pigeon pea seeds;

Photo taken by Desireé Colón

Figure A.4: Cactus that was refilled with compost and watered; Photo taken by

Eduardo O. Ramírez Andújar.

II. Activity photos in the home garden

Figure B.1: Hydroponic system for lettuce. Josecarlos Santiago took the picture.

12
 Figure B.2: Lettuce seed in peat foam wetted with potable water. Josecarlos Santiago took

the picture.

Figure B.3: Lettuce seed germinated and put outside. Picture taken after a week and a half of

the seed germinating. Josecarlos Santiago took the picture.

Figure B.4: Lettuce together with the peat foam placed in the hydroponic. Picture taken after

the process of germinating the seeds. Josecarlos Santiago took the picture.

13
Figure B.5: Lettuce in the hydroponic after 2 weeks. Josecarlos Santiago took the picture.

Figure B.6: Lettuce in the hydroponic after 3 and a half weeks, almost ready for

consumption. Josecarlos Santiago took the picture.

Figure C.1 and C.2: Cuban Oregano cutting was planted on a small pot. Cuban Oregano

after two months. Pictures taken by Angela Silva.

14
 Figures C.3, C.4 and C.5: Lemon Sapling purchased from “Cultivos Borinquen”. Lemon

Tree four months later. Sick (possibly mold) lemon tree Pictures taken by Angela Silva

Figure C.6 and C.7: Acerola tree update (after almost two years). First fruits Pictures taken

by Angela Silva

Figure C.8 and C.9:Reborn Guava Tree(September 2020). Update on Guava Tree (May

2021) ps. Bricks are used to mark where the tree is and not damage it during yard cleanups

Pictures Taken by Angela Silva

15
 Figure D.1: The Beans, Tomatoes and Onion cultives. Picture taken by Omayrelis Rolon

Figure E.1: Seeds planted day one. Pictures taken by Estefania Santos.

Figure E.2: Plant labels with the respective names. Pictures taken by Estefania Santos.

Figure E.3: Plants after two weeks. Pictures taken by Estefania Santos.

16
Figure E.4: Plants after being transferred to a larger plant pot. Pictures taken by Estefania

Santos.

Figure E.5 and E.6: Plan progress after one and a half months. Pictures taken by Estefania

Santos.

17
 Appendix B

Minutes

Appendix C

Self-Reflection of the project

18
19